3. Use the power of promotion, promotion, promotion!

Promote the pants off your product or service using the power of the personal approach. Be upfront and approach people who are in the area when you are quoting, or are about when you actually are delivering the service or who are walking past your shop.

For example, you are quoting for some building renovations at someone’s home. Find out from them the names of the neighbors on both sides and those across the road as well. Go and knock on their doors and tell them what you are doing. Explain, “Because you will be doing a job in the neighbourhood they could get themselves a great deal if they wanted something done at the same time.”  This approach consistently averages two extra jobs for every 5 neighbours seen.

If you operate a retail store have someone with a great smile and a friendly personality standing outside your shop giving out vouchers that offer something for free. The secret is to get a voucher in the hand of everyone who strolls past along with a cheerful comment that emphasises the offer like “This is for your piece of free carpet!” or “They’ve got 25 dollars for you inside!”

You must adopt this fun approach because, if you just have some wooden faced person glumly handing out a piece of paper, most people will take it and not read it. If it’s fun and done with a smile with a spoken offer many more people will act on it. If you or your team members don’t have the aplomb, the personality or the courage to do it, hire a casual team member with the right skills to do the job. It will reap huge rewards.