Unique Marketing Ideas That Generate Cash!

First of all - keep in touch with your customers! One of the best ways to do this is with a newsletter. Today it's easier than ever to have a newsletter ? use email. If you don't have your customer's email addresses already, start asking for them when they pay for something at the cash register. Give them an incentive for signing up for your free newsletter ? maybe a free gift or a small discount or even a prize draw they can be entered into.

Use your newsletter to let customers know about sales in advance, extend special invitations to past customers only and open the store during non-regular hours. A popular sporting goods store where I live does this twice a year - and the lineups to get in weave through the store parking lot and people talk about the sale for weeks ? before and after it happens!

This is a GREAT publicity AND sales tool. Add other incentives in the newsletter like: a 10% discount for past customers on a new product line, or offer an old customer a 5% discount on their next purchase if they bring a new customer to a special sale. Give customers a gift for every referral they send to you.

Can you team up with other businesses in your area to offer a "package" promotion? If you are a make-up artist can you team up with the high end dress shops in your community to offer a "bonus" make up package for prom or other special events? By combining services both businesses win and customers love it because they save time since they don't have to run all over town!

This would work well if you gave manicures, pedicures or did hair as well. Professional photographers can also find unique ways to team up with all of these businesses as well. Think "strength in numbers"! If you save the customer time and effort running around THEY WILL BUY FROM YOU and very much appreciate you.

Can you offer a "deal of the month" package? Let's say you own a restaurant on a beach and October through February are always very slow ? and so is your cash flow! Due to construction delays you didn't open until September which means you are going to be struggling this winter unless you get an influx of cash and FAST! How about selling a twelve month package of meals? Set a price for a 3 course dinner (starter, entrée and dessert), multiply by twelve and then take off a small percentage since the customer pays all at once.

Selling these packages allows you an instant influx of cash. You can encourage people to use them as gifts (one gift certificate at a time or the whole book) or they can keep them for themselves to use when they're low on cash.

This idea can be used in many industries, not just food. How about for pet grooming, house cleaning, yard care, car detailing, hair cuts, manicures ? any product or service that is bought more than once!

Is there a time of day, or day of week that is slowest for your business? That's when you have a sale! In the area I live Tuesdays are "cheap movie nights" and all tickets are half price ? it's because historically Tuesdays are the slowest nights at the theatre. Now most Tuesdays the theatres are full!

Think about ways you can make this work for your business. I've heard of tax accountants who offer a discount to people who bring their taxes in to be done before February 1. This gives the accountant some much needed cash after slow season, and helps ease some of the crazy rush around tax time.

Open up your mind ? see what other industries are doing to generate quick cash ? DON'T just look at what's been done in your industry before ? try something new ? become an innovator in your industry. When you do something different you'll stand out ? by being unique your business can really grow!

Wendy McClelland is a motivational speaker, marketing innovator and Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach who specializes in teaching people to "think without boundaries!" She is a past nominee for "Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year" and her clients have included software developers, an Olympic athlete and a wide range of business organizations. She has spoken to 10,000+ conference attendees, about Marketing, Internet Business and Motivation. You can contact her through her website ? http://www.thinkwithoutboundaries.com

---

To Web or Not to Web?

Do I need a web site? That is the question... Read More

Your 30 Second Commercial

This tip is so simple, that many people we've talked... Read More

5 Ways to Market for Immediate Results

Sales are down, and I need more customers now! Sound... Read More

Rules of Thumb for Marketing to Your Past Customers

Keeping in touch can dramatically increase business, when done properly.It's... Read More

Telemarketers Dont Like Them? Heres An Idea For Ya!

Telemarketers... ooohhh... I'll bet we've all got a nice story... Read More

Marketing and Advertising Techniques of Super Bowl Advertisers

Each year, advertisers with super sized budgets sink millions of... Read More

Laws of Marketing ? The 10 Immutable

Most marketers believe that anything is achievable if you are... Read More

Where to Find New Customers Using B2B Direct Mail

The challenge in business-to-business direct mail is knowing where to... Read More

Package Your Products for Thunder Thigh Women - Big Butts Too

Wake up women (and you men too). I think we... Read More

Large One?

Here's a proven, and truly easy way to start increasing... Read More

The Money Making Secret of The Toll Booth Position

I'm a marketing consultant and at one of my client-companies,... Read More

Business to Business Direct Mail Sales Letters Need an Offer (and Heres Why)

In direct mail, the offer is the incentive or reward... Read More

Marketing Worksheet

Even the world's best marketing strategy won't work for you... Read More

Three Alternative Methods On Getting Quality Testimonials with Bonus

Here are three alternatives to increase your testimonial numbers or... Read More

Meaning and Marketing - The Hurricane

I step outside my back door and look at some... Read More

How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth? Powerful Lessons In Marketing & The Psychology Of Selling - Part 1

In the following 'special report,' I will reveal some very... Read More

Open Doors by Building Relationships

"You can make more friends in two months by becoming... Read More

Networking the Media

The media is a business's absolute best friend. It is... Read More

Why Surveying Matters

What is the single most important thing you can do... Read More

Make Your Prospects Say Yes!

6 Secrets to Stellar Sales PresentationsEvery sale is won or... Read More

5 Ways To Entice Your Parallel Market to Trade Links

Lots of people get confounded when attempting to exchange links,... Read More

A Jack Of All Trades Is Often The Master of None

You've heard variations of that saying your entire life. Consider:... Read More

Dont Use Yourself as Your Pricing Yardstick

"I wouldn't pay more than what I charge now."If you... Read More

Boost Your Business With Testimonials

When used correctly, testimonials can boost your response dramatically. They... Read More

The 10 Cornerstone Principles of Marketing

There are four parts to a marketing system and they... Read More

Small Business Marketing Tip - Get Attention and Be Remembered

We live in a world of noise ? not just... Read More

How Can I Get Name Recognition?

Some of the ways in which to get your "name... Read More

How To Get Business With Your Business Card?

So, you have a business card? And you have given... Read More

The Top 10 Wild and Wacky Ways to Market Yourself for Big Visibility

In today's competitive world of business, it takes moxie and... Read More

Painless Marketing for People Who Hate to Market

Face it?you know you've got to do something to keep... Read More

Increase New Customer Traffic to Your Business

One person tells another, who tells another, who tells another... Read More

Selling To Your Affiliates

While success with any internet marketing program falls on the... Read More

Wooing Women With Packaging

In just one month three California vineyards have introduced new... Read More