Andy Warhol and Eleanor Roosevelt: Strange bed fellows! OK, not literally, but they are in cahoots here. And the two of them sum up my lesson today splendidly.
In 1990, I sent a placemat, pictured below, and promotion out to 6,000 of my customers. My men's retail shop needed an injection and I found the idea to do exactly that (and wish I could take credit for coming up with it!).
In 1990, I sent a placemat, pictured below, and promotion out to 6,000 of my customers. My men's retail shop needed an injection and I found the idea to do exactly that (and wish I could take credit for coming up with it!).
click to enlarge
click to enlarge
Here's the thing: There is no Square Peg's Diner. Perception is Reality!
It's All About The Customer
The whole idea of sitting at a diner and getting an idea and writing it down while it is fresh (as fresh as those delicious pancakes) is plausible, possible, and very real.
I thought about what my customers would want from me and hypothesized that they'd want close, personal communication: not a lengthy, jargony direct mail letter, but something they could believe came directly from an owner of a store to their personal mailboxes.
The placemat was that idea.
Break The Rules...If It Pays Off
I guess we broke some marketing rules, though I haven't figured out which ones...but Eleanor Roosevelt did once say that "if you obey all the rules, you'll miss out on a lot of fun."
See, while it may not be corporate and some may classify it as "unprofessional," the placemat conveys relationship, warmth, a personal touch.
There is certainly a place and time for professionalism, but I diagnosed my store's problem and fixed it: handwritten, off-the-cuff, I branded myself as an anti-chain. And my customers loved me for it.
The response to this "promotion" was beyond my highest expectation. We just didn't stop ringing that cash register!
Just wait til I tell you my airport story.
Here's What To Do Now
So, what's the take away here?
The takeaway is that I've accumulated enough stories and on-the-floor experience to work with your goals and objectives, to get people through your door, in to your waiting room, your pews, in front of your merchandise, or to keep them as loyal donors.
As a life coach, I will help you identify the obstacles, remove them, and achieve your objectives. Let me help you diagnose so I can work with you to solve.
Let's get you excited again about your goals. We have to meet at the diner to enhance and inspire, to rekindle that spark.
Andy Warhol said it best: "You need to let little things that would orindarily bore you suddenly thrill you." Like a placemat.
Let's have coffee, and maybe some pancakes, at the diner. I'll buy...you leave the coffee stain. (Look for it on the front of the place mat...it's real!)
It's All About The Customer
The whole idea of sitting at a diner and getting an idea and writing it down while it is fresh (as fresh as those delicious pancakes) is plausible, possible, and very real.
I thought about what my customers would want from me and hypothesized that they'd want close, personal communication: not a lengthy, jargony direct mail letter, but something they could believe came directly from an owner of a store to their personal mailboxes.
The placemat was that idea.
Break The Rules...If It Pays Off
I guess we broke some marketing rules, though I haven't figured out which ones...but Eleanor Roosevelt did once say that "if you obey all the rules, you'll miss out on a lot of fun."
See, while it may not be corporate and some may classify it as "unprofessional," the placemat conveys relationship, warmth, a personal touch.
There is certainly a place and time for professionalism, but I diagnosed my store's problem and fixed it: handwritten, off-the-cuff, I branded myself as an anti-chain. And my customers loved me for it.
The response to this "promotion" was beyond my highest expectation. We just didn't stop ringing that cash register!
Just wait til I tell you my airport story.
Here's What To Do Now
So, what's the take away here?
The takeaway is that I've accumulated enough stories and on-the-floor experience to work with your goals and objectives, to get people through your door, in to your waiting room, your pews, in front of your merchandise, or to keep them as loyal donors.
As a life coach, I will help you identify the obstacles, remove them, and achieve your objectives. Let me help you diagnose so I can work with you to solve.
Let's get you excited again about your goals. We have to meet at the diner to enhance and inspire, to rekindle that spark.
Andy Warhol said it best: "You need to let little things that would orindarily bore you suddenly thrill you." Like a placemat.
Let's have coffee, and maybe some pancakes, at the diner. I'll buy...you leave the coffee stain. (Look for it on the front of the place mat...it's real!)
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