Our storyteller needed a plumber.
He was just going out for the evening when he saw a trickle of water coming out of the cupboard. As a newcomer to the area he looked for a plumber on the internet. There he was, the plumber available 24/7!
“I rang him. Yes, he would come within the hour.”
Phil turned out to be a very likeable fellow. He said he got fed up working for the boss and decided to set up his own business. However, the business wasn’t working very well. He said it was hard to get customers.
“Being a bit of a marketing enthusiast, I worked out later how many mistakes this plumber had made when he fixed the leak.”
Our storyteller had taken the screws out of the panel hiding the hot water cylinder which was presenting the problem. He had left them on the bench. When the plumber had done his job, he didn’t put the screws back in. He just fitted the panel in place and left it. It would have been a small matter for him to have finished the job. Little things can be quite big to a customer.
He said the reason little hot water was available was that the cylinder was too small. However, he never offered to source or price a bigger one. He missed a potential sale.
He didn’t inquire about any other jobs, such as cleaning the guttering of autumn leaves.
He didn’t get contact details so he could keep in touch.
He didn’t leave business cards.
Good business is not about being good at your job. All you need is to be thought of as being good. Perception is reality. A basic need to grow your business is good marketing. When you see or hear good tips, write them into your computer. Read through your list from time to time for inspiration. Plan your marketing. Now is a good time to do so, ready for your next financial year.