Dare to Be Different We went out on a limb last Fall and wrote a two-page handwritten marketing letter on a yellow legal pad to a number of potential propane customers in a three county area. The format of the letter was the idea of author, Bill Glazer, whose creativity had yielded great results when he did it for his clothing stores in New York City. Like his, our handwritten letter had words crossed out, arrows, underlined words and penmanship which hasn't improved since the 5th grade. We gained 20 new accounts from it last fall. The new customers said things like, "It shows that the owner is involved in the business...It seemed kind of hokey but I liked it...it was sincere..." One customer told us that he had called us a couple of months earlier but he didn't act until he received the letter. We sent another letter this summer and have had an overwhelming response. We knew that there were many potential customers out there that felt neglected and taken for granted by their current provider and might be willing to switch.  We offered to change out their current tank, leak test the system and do it in three hours of less or dinner would be on us. Near the end of the two page letter I invited them to call us to become a "part of the family". The majority of the people that called us echoed what we had perceived to be their dilemma; their current provider had become distant and aloof. Many of them had been with the same company 10 years or more. Price was not mentioned at all in the letter; only a description of the "pain" we could remedy for them. All of the letters were addressed by hand to continue the personal touch. Being just a little bit different often brings the best results. Above is a copy of the letter to give you an idea of its content. As always, feel free to use any of the material for your own programs or call me with any questions.

Director of First Impressions

Director of First Impressions Have you ever watched customers as they pull into your parking lot? Do they have to search for the office entrance? I have wasted precious time at warehouses when picking up parts for a service tech wondering, "How do I get in this building?" A sign that reads, "Office" in the window or over the door sounds simple but it will quickly and easily direct your customers to someone who can help them. When was the last time you saw a "welcome" sign in a hotel lobby? A welcome mat or sign at the office entrance is essential for any retail business. The word, "Closed" does not appear on any of our signage because it has a negative connotation. The sign that displays our hours reads: Open 8-5 Mon-Fri, Sat 8-12. A sign on our CSR's desk just inside the entrance reads, "Wilma Roth, Director of First Impressions" along with a stack of business cards that bear her name. The first person to greet a customer is always your Director of First Impressions! Our office has a pleasant scent due to a small device that releases a fragrance several times an hour. (Not everyone likes the smell of ethyl mercaptan as much as we do.) A small dish of old-fashioned, Double Bubble gum is on the counter for customers to enjoy. Appealing to as many of the five senses as possible creates a pleasant experience for our customers. If someone is speaking with a customer, that employee introduces them to any other company personnel who happen to walk by during the conversation which adds to the pleasant atmosphere. We're not Disney World, but we make sure by the time a customer leaves our office that we have done everything possible to make their visit a positive experience.