Slick Marketing Tricks.....

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imported_ajbarnes

New member
For you Detailing business owner's out there...Mobile Or Shop, what are some of your marketing and/or advertising tricks you use to drum up more business when it gets slow or just to get more business? I know this has been asked on the forum, but I'm not talking about flyers, etc. I 'm talking about marketing strategies and tricks, i.e., (offering discount deals, linking up with gas stations where customer's can get free gas with a detail, etc.):bigups
 
You put a gun to their head and assure them that either their brains or your wax will be on their car...



Wasn't that what Don Corleone said? ;)



Of course I was joking so you may not want to use my idea. :P
 
I have my flyers posted on the local grocery store bulletin boards. They usually clean off the boards about every 2 weeks.



So I re-post at the stores about every other Saturday.



I also leave 2 or 3 of my ads in my customer's cars for them to hand out to potential customers.



Usually draws a few new customers per month.



(My business is weekends only.)





P.S. I have also passed out my advertisements at car shows! Some people love having a show car, but hate to clean it.
 
You can offer a certificate for a free wash/wax as a door prize for your local school events and get a small ad in their school directories. It gets your name out and shows you care about your community.
 
When I owned a detail shop, we did $5 hand washes on Saturdays. We hired some temp help and cranked out as many as possible. It was a money loser for the day but it did generate additional detailing biz and expanded our clientele.



You could offer your services to car clubs (prepping cars for local shows, for example). Do a detail or two at a low price in exchange for using that car as a demo of your work which will help drum up some new business.



Just a couple ideas off the top of my head this AM....
 
Dale DeSteno said:
Gift Certificates? Referal Bonuses? (the bonus doesn't even have to be $$$, it could be a free wash....)
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I just actually did a mail out of flyers selling "buy one get one free" detail deal. I'm just doing this to get my name out there in different areas I haven't been servicing.



Hope this works!:xyxthumbs
 
You should also have a sign on your vehicle or a small 'A' frame sign so when you are doing details on site it is obvious that you are a business.
 
I just made one up (sign) this morning. I would show a pic of it, but it has too much advertising (autopia rules) on it. The only problem is, I can't find where to buy an A-sign. The sign I have is a single board with advertisements, etc. My vehicle has signs, etc. on it to promote the business also.:xyxthumbs
 
To buy a "a" frame sign go to any local printer, they can make them for you.



As for marketing, people want something for nothing, so offer something for free and they will come for the detail.



What worked great for me was I hooked up with local pizza shops and had signs placed offering a free pie with full detail.



worked like a charm for both of us.
 
NY detailer said:




What worked great for me was I hooked up with local pizza shops and had signs placed offering a free pie with full detail.



worked like a charm for both of us.
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Hmmm?? That's sounds interesting!:hm I'm going to look more into that one!
 
just make sure you make a set price with the pizza shop. they knew that if i did not call to order the pie then no one was to get a free pie. dont want people coming in and saying that they had a full detail and trying to get a free pie
 
Ideas are all cool! I also thought abt selling our detailing service by coming up with survey forms and approaching car owners! The point is to design the survey forms to your advantage asking them leading questions and finally asking them if they may be interested in your detailing service! Out of 100 car owners, if 5 sign up, its not such a bad deal right?
 
aojk said:
Ideas are all cool! I also thought abt selling our detailing service by coming up with survey forms and approaching car owners! The point is to design the survey forms to your advantage asking them leading questions and finally asking them if they may be interested in your detailing service! Out of 100 car owners, if 5 sign up, its not such a bad deal right?
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I dunno..... I might get ****ed off with a trick like that! ;)



Anyone remember A Christmas Story, where after MONTHS of drinking tons of Ovaltine he finally gets his decoder ring but then finds out it's only an ad to drink more Ovaltine? It's like that..... only on a smaller scale. :D
 
~One man’s opinion~



Car shows, concourse events, high-end cars are my market focus, so I’ll talk to owners and give them a card and/or a one-page outline of my detail process.



My point is ‘market focus’, I detail for money but don’t make my living this way, so this approach may / may not work for the average guy wanting to maintain a daily driver. I think the suggestions made by ‘Bretfraz’ would work for this market along with a ‘flyer’ posted in local store’s to gain name/ service regognition.



Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/



justadumbarchitect
 
4DSC said:
Anyone remember A Christmas Story, where after MONTHS of drinking tons of Ovaltine he finally gets his decoder ring but then finds out it's only an ad to drink more Ovaltine? It's like that..... only on a smaller scale. :D
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:rofl



I love that movie . . . "You'll shoot your eye out!"



Tort
 
I came up with a new flyer marketing idea. I make the whole flyer in the form of a restaurant type menu. I make full details "Main Course Meal", wash & wax "Appetizer", a wash "dessert", etc. People get a kick out of it...I've got a few customer's already!!:xyxthumbs
 
My normal job requires quite a bit of cruising neighborhoods. When I see a nice car sitting in a driveway, I write down the address, and send them a flyer....I keep them on my "hit" list.....You dont have to wait for them to come to you......
 
Patrick said:
My normal job requires quite a bit of cruising neighborhoods. When I see a nice car sitting in a driveway, I write down the address, and send them a flyer....I keep them on my "hit" list.....You dont have to wait for them to come to you......
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One time there was some one doing surveillance on me. I noticed him before he noticed me. I saw him writing down my address and license plates. He was very upset he came to work this day. Then pen almost went were no pen has gone before.



My advice is dont look like a lurker or a con man, you don't want neighboors seeing you writing down addresses in your car. It really does not look that good.



NYD
 
NY detailer said:
One time there was some one doing surveillance on me. I noticed him before he noticed me. I saw him writing down my address and license plates. He was very upset he came to work this day. Then pen almost went were no pen has gone before.



My advice is dont look like a lurker or a con man, you don't want neighboors seeing you writing down addresses in your car. It really does not look that good.



NYD
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He probably worked for Ed McMahon and Publishers Clearing house and you were going to be the next millionaire.:bounce
 
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