As we all know, the most
powerful four-letter word in marketing is "free." Everybody loves getting something
for nothing. Two stories recently shared by seminar participants illustrate
how guerrillas capitalize on this principle.
The first example was related
by an attendee who drove to the seminar with two colleagues. On their way to
the seminar that morning, they found themselves, at one point, stuck in traffic
next to a Snapple delivery truck. They jokingly called out to the driver, who
was unloading the truck to make a delivery, "Hey, how about some free cases
of Snapple?"
"Sorry," the driver responded,
"I can't do that." "But," he continued, "I CAN give you three bottles." He quickly
handed three bottles of Snapple to the stunned occupants of the car, smiled,
and walked inside the building to finish his delivery.
The result? As the attendee
told the rest of the audience, "I'm going to buy a lot more Snapple from now
on!" Three bottles of Snapple costs the distributor around a dollar. For a miniscule
investment, that driver created three customers for life, not to mention the
positive word-of-mouth they're generating.
The second story was reported
by the friend of a pet shop owner. She said that he put up a huge sign reading
"Free Puppies." Naturally, when people pick out their "free" puppy, they have
to purchase puppy food, a puppy bed, food and water dishes, treats, toys, leashes,
and more. Customers typically spend more than a hundred dollars to outfit their
new pet.
The pet store also has relationships
with a veterinarian, a fencing contractor, an obedience school, and a cleaning
service. In an example of what guerrillas call "fusion marketing," each refers
the other and helps up-sell the customer: the vet recommends premium dog food,
the obedience school recommends more frequent house cleanings during shedding
season. And it all starts by giving away a puppy.
What can YOU give away to
encourage people to buy from you? Here are 25 ideas:
- Samples
- Accessories
- Last year's edition
- Information--white papers,
magazine articles, surveys (Forward this e-zine to a client or customer.)
- Gift certificates
- Children's toys
- Fruit baskets
- T-shirts (I'll do anything
for a t-shirt. Well, almost anything.)
- Ad specialties--pens,
notepads, coffee mugs, calendars, etc.
- Photographs
- Software
- Music-live, or recorded
- Books
- Magazines
- Referrals (If you help
your prospects find new customers, they'll buy everything they can from you.)
- Community service
- Refreshments
- Consultations
- Bumper stickers or window
decals
- Publicity
- Textbook covers
- Event tickets
- Candy
- Pre-paid calling cards
- Lottery tickets