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View Full Version : Use Other Businesses' Fishbowl Drawings To Build Your Lists!



Paul Elliott
08-20-2008, 03:01 PM
Steve, move this to its own thread, if you think that would be better.

Edit: This thread derived from a post in this thread (http://www.small-business-forum.net/small-talk/225-business-cards-2.html#15)


Thank you! they certainly stand out from the crowd :D I can always tell just by glancing if I've already dropped one in the "enter to win a free lunch" drawing at the local sandwich shop

Jenn, this reminds me . . . .

When you do that does the sandwich shop ever do anything with all the entries other than discard them after the drawings? This group of cards is a gold mine . . . if you know how to mine it.

Here is a process that has worked very well some of my clients.

1. Approach the sandwich shop (SS) and ask them if they would be willing to let you have the names to do a JV campaign.

2. Most people with business cards have a business or employer. Scan/key-in the cards' information. If your offer has very little appeal to an employee, of say Microsoft, you can put them into a different file for now.

3. Do a postcard mailing--you design it and pay for printing and mailing. The "sender" is the SS, and the return address is your mail-drop.

4. Remember you have 4 panels on a postcard--address panel, Left panel on address side, and 2 panels on back. Use them all. Design your card for the maximum allowable size for the first class postcard rate.

5. Use the statement under the return address, ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED (not ADDRESS FORWARDING REQUESTED). (I think this will still work, but the USPS has recently changed some of their rules.) This means that for the first class rate they will return the card to you with the change of address label affixed WITHOUT any additional fees. You can make the changes in your database and send out another.

It's called "list maintenance." :cool:



6. Approximate script--

Dear {name},
Thank you for entering our SS drawing.
Even though your entry was not picked in last week's (or month's) SS drawing for a free {whatever}, you can still be a winner!
You ARE one of our faithful customers and we want to offer you something that will likely be worth a lot of benefit to you.
We have arranged for our customers to have a {special offer} from Crazy Dog. [You don't have to give a lot of the details here, just a tease, headline, or summary. It can be advertising in your mag, design services, etc. Don't forget that you can do more offers to the same list later.]
The Crazy Dog charges nothing simply to discuss your {needs RE: whatever}, so give Jenn (or whomever) a call at NNN-NNN-NNNN today.
For all SS customers, Crazy Dog will give a buy-one-get-one-free but only until {about 30-90 days later}. So, pick up your phone and give Jenn right away before she fills up!
If you can't take advantage of this wonderful offer, I know you know someone who can. Give this card to one of those lucky people!
What do you have to lose? It will cost you nothing to talk it over.
Signed {SS}
7. You offer to the recipients a killer deal to get into your funnel. Once in at a fractional cost, you can "develop" them into raving fans.

8. This is a type of "endorsed mailing" and is very powerful. I've seen these produce 5+ times the yield of a bulk mailed coupon.

9. You want to get the SS to be very willing to give you these cards every week or month, so your offer to the SS is 15-25% of the business you do from their "endorsement." Later you can do more business than the Fishbowl Drawings for all the sandwiches you and your family can eat for 6 months or whatever. ;)

10. There are other excellent ways to turn the Fishbowl Drawings into a buzz for you AND the SS--or other businesses that have walk-in retail traffic. You can offer to do their marketing, mailings, special programs in your publications.

The opportunities for a smaller market are amazing! It'll only take a few for these to keep you swamped. But I'll shut up, now!<whew> :D

Paul

orion_joel
08-21-2008, 01:21 AM
This does sound like not a bad way to market. However i would have one concern. How does it work with privacy laws? While there may be some expectation by the person who dropped the card in the fishbowl that the store it self may contact them with an offer for the store. But they may not be as open to the store giving out their details for other marketing even if it is appearing to be from the original store.

Paul Elliott
08-21-2008, 09:17 AM
Joel, as you will note the card IS coming from the sandwich shop. Jenn would only be doing the work and paying for the project. The return address would be her mail drop but with the sandwich shop name.

David on this forum can perhaps give us more insight, but it is my understanding that when you submit your card or contact information this is tacit permission to be contacted.

I do know that when a person puts a fax number on a business letterhead that this is permission to use it. While there have been a number of state laws in the USA trying to obviate that, but I'm not sure there is an practical difference.

Paul

Blessed
08-29-2008, 09:49 AM
Ah, I finally found this thread.

Awesome Idea Paul - I'll be following up on it, I have a couple of places in mind already!

Paul Elliott
08-29-2008, 01:50 PM
I'll be following up on it, I have a couple of places in mind already!

Jenn, hollar when you do, and I'll give you some more tips I've used in such situations.

Paul