Do This To Get Clients

by Blase
15 replies
I don't come here often, but something came up and I
thought of you.

My wife bought a Groupon to have her car detailed.
She took her car in and...
1. The help was not friendly.
2. They did not get any contact information from her.
3. They have no follow up system in place.
4. They did not try to up-sell her.

Any advertising a business does should be focused on
getting a customer, then getting that customer back.

Groupon is a loser for most businesses up front. The
only way a business will make money with Groupon
is to get the customer back.

If you just called on every business that is using Groupons
in your area and talked to them about their sales
process you should be able to find clients.

I'm assuming you have signed up for Groupon emails
for your area of course so you can find their customers. :-)
#clients
  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    That is really bad as a car detailer really needs to reply on repeat business.

    There are guys like me out there that will use a good detailer once a month. But I've never met a detailer who put me on any list.

    Good post for pointing that out. The lack of follow up is one of the biggest problems small businesses have. They get a customer in the door and don't seem to care when or if they come back in the door.
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    • Profile picture of the author Blase
      Thanks Aaron,

      We use Groupons all of the time and I have never
      had any business get my contact info and
      I have never had any kind of follow up.

      I sure have found some resturants that I will never go
      back to. I was really glade I didn't pay full price! :-)
      Signature
      "Nothing Happens Until Something Is Sold"
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  • Profile picture of the author hayfj2
    i suspect thats a common problem with groupon model

    Retailer offers huge discount.

    Groupon take slice of low buy price.

    Customer gets "deal"

    doesnt return as they dont want to pay normal high rates.

    Retailers often discounting upto 75-80% after u take in groupon's slice.

    be interested to see what their groupon renewal rates are from existing groupon clients.

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  • Profile picture of the author Dmagnet
    We have actually established some very good Groupon (and other Daily Deal companies) contacts. We bring them a good amount of business because we leverage the Daily Deals sites to bring in customers. We primarily focus on restaurants. We get our clients to commit to a minimum of two "Groupon" types of offers in a year.

    It is against Groupon's Policy (as well as most Daily Deal Companies) to force the Groupon users to give contact to the establishment info in exchange for a discount. So, for example, the coupon could not read "Join our mobile Club and Get a FREE Entree with any Entree Purchase."

    Groupon's original business model was to build their own list and they become "indispensable" because they have the list. Now that the "sizzle" or newness is beginning to fade they are just now re-evaluating the model.

    When a customer comes in with a "Groupon" we invite them to join our own (client's) list and we usually offer an aggressive incentive for a future visit. We do not want to offer another "deal" on top of the "Groupon" deal that can be redeemed on the same day. The customer is already giving a huge amount away and cash-flow is very important at this stage . By offering an incentive to come back we get to build our own client's list and we get them coming back at least a second time. Statistically, if we can get them in three times the chances of them becoming a repeat customers go up significantly.

    So, I can confirm that this method works. We have found that some business owners do not want to be told that they have been doing it wrong. So you may want to practice what you say and how you say it as well as how to respond as the conversation begins to develop.
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    • Profile picture of the author Blase
      Originally Posted by Dmagnet View Post

      So, I can confirm that this method works. We have found that some business owners do not want to be told that they have been doing it wrong. So you may want to practice what you say and how you say it as well as how to respond as the conversation begins to develop.
      Awesome, I think you are one of the few.

      Regarding telling them they are doing it wrong, I totally agree.
      That's why I said to discuss their sales process.

      So here is more basic sales education.

      Never ever go into a prospect and tell them about what you
      are going to do for them first.

      We used to call this backing up the dump truck.

      Remeber WIIFM, customers are always thinking
      what's in it for me they don't care about you.

      So what do you do?

      You ask questions, you let them tell you about their business.
      You ask questions that gets the prospect to tell you how
      they do or don't do business. In this case it's about thier
      sales process or lack there of.

      You ask questions that lead them down the road to
      needing and wanting what you offer.

      One question got me a 9 million dollar contract.

      But that's a story for another time. :-)
      Signature
      "Nothing Happens Until Something Is Sold"
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  • Profile picture of the author TimD
    Always glad to see a thread with "Blaze" on it.
    Good idea, too.
    I wonder about packaging a Groupon Leverage service and selling it to businesses who do Groupon.
    You create a simple way for businesses to collect customer info when they come in.
    What did they buy. What date.
    Hook up an autoresponder or SMS backend.
    Turn groupon into a money maker.
    Create some tracking for them...
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    • Profile picture of the author Blase
      Originally Posted by TimD View Post

      Always glad to see a thread with "Blaze" on it.
      Good idea, too.
      I wonder about packaging a Groupon Leverage service and selling it to businesses who do Groupon.
      You create a simple way for businesses to collect customer info when they come in.
      What did they buy. What date.
      Hook up an autoresponder or SMS backend.
      Turn groupon into a money maker.
      Create some tracking for them...
      Thanks Tim,

      You nailed it by the way...

      Get an aweber account, (use for many Clients).
      Set up and run their emails for them.
      Charge a monthly fee.
      Same for SMS

      I used to write emails for one client.
      I got $100 a pop, I had it outsourced for $8.
      Signature
      "Nothing Happens Until Something Is Sold"
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  • Profile picture of the author misterme
    There was a thread last year about someone who did a groupon deal for a gym class. There was an immediate upsell involved to flip the customer to an annual plan. The gym personnel were also prepped with scripts to upsell if the customer didn't buy in at first.

    I've done daily deal type things as well in my primary business. Upsells and back end sales are the key.
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeBailey
    Banned
    This is one topic that I have been wondering, how do you know if your follow up emails/calls are annoying your customers?

    I have one writer that I used one time months ago and he still emails me to check in. (It's annoying)
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    • Profile picture of the author TheCG
      Originally Posted by MikeBailey View Post

      This is one topic that I have been wondering, how do you know if your follow up emails/calls are annoying your customers?
      The easiest way to find out that your customers are annoyed by your emails is the unsubscribe rate.

      I always try to provide content that will interest them and make them want to stay on the list. Every email is not a sales call and I don't contact them more than a couple of times a month, either.
      Signature

      Yes, by the way, I AM in the Witness Protection Program. I could tell you who I am but then I would have to kill you.

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    • Profile picture of the author Blase
      Originally Posted by MikeBailey View Post

      This is one topic that I have been wondering, how do you know if your follow up emails/calls are annoying your customers?

      I have one writer that I used one time months ago and he still emails me to check in. (It's annoying)

      Mike,

      The CG, got it.

      Everybody likes good info and good deals.

      If you don't provide that you will tick people off.

      I think it would be a big surprise to customers if they actually
      got an email that had useful info in it. That's very rare these days,
      even from marketers that sell here on the Warrior forum. :confused:
      Signature
      "Nothing Happens Until Something Is Sold"
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeremy Bratcher
    There is sometimes a fatal disconnect between managaers and employees when it comes to things like Groupon. Managers often complain about how they don't make any money on Groupon because all the customers it attracts are cheap. The employees then take that as the Groupon customers are less deserving of the same service another customer pays full price for. In reality, it is these Groupon customers that need to be wow'd and shown the value of the service so they will return.

    Very good point in that most owners don't understand how they should be utilizing Groupon. Most only sign up for it because of promises to bring them more business. However, they drop the ball when the customer is delivered to them.
    Signature
    “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand
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    • Profile picture of the author Blase
      Originally Posted by Jeremy Bratcher View Post

      There is sometimes a fatal disconnect between managaers and employees when it comes to things like Groupon. Managers often complain about how they don't make any money on Groupon because all the customers it attracts are cheap. The employees then take that as the Groupon customers are less deserving of the same service another customer pays full price for. In reality, it is these Groupon customers that need to be wow'd and shown the value of the service so they will return.

      Very good point in that most owners don't understand how they should be utilizing Groupon. Most only sign up for it because of promises to bring them more business. However, they drop the ball when the customer is delivered to them.
      Jeremy,

      Totally agree wit the disconnect and it's not just Groupons it's all types of promotion.


      That's the main reason you can't work for people on a commission basis. You can do everything you are suppose to do, but the customer doesn't do what he is suppose to do so they don't improve, which somehow turns out to be your fault.
      Signature
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  • Profile picture of the author 123xyz
    To OP--you nailed it. It is amazing how many businesses use Groupon and other "daily deal" promotions and don't give a single thought to capturing critical customer info for re-marketing after the fact.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gladiator
    I'm have try this Thanks, Blaze! There are a few people who teach a course on grouping some of these coupon sites and sell a client the services of Groupon and others for more money!

    Groupon is loosing money from what i hear.
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