Catchy headline, eh? And what does it have to do with the gift card photo? Everything.
Here’s a quick example. I just had a small family owned air conditioning and heating company, Fisher Air, come out to my house to service our heater (yes, we still use them sometimes in Southern California). They showed up on time, did a nice job, and charged about $75.
Three days later we get a thank you card in the mail with a really nice, credit card quality, $50.00 gift card for their services. But it wasn’t for us. It was to give to a friend or neighbor. And, they noted in the thank you card, when our friend or neighbor uses it, Fisher will send us another one for $100.
Since I already had a feeling of TRUST with the company, I didn’t see this as a scam. I saw it as a genuine effort for a small business to build quality relationships with their customers. So maybe they’ll give up $150 in labor to retain our business and earn another household’s. But how much word-of-mouth (and mouse) might they get in return? A lot more than $150. And a lot more than a $150 ad in some local circular. But remember, they had to have a QUALITY PRODUCT for me to earn their TRUST. And their product was integrity, honesty, kindness, knowledge, efficiency and, oh yes, a reasonable price.
So, you want to save money advertising? Give your customers a gift they didn’t expect. Don’t be cheap. Make it count.
