Is Your Business Getting Stagnant?

It is sometimes difficult to keep a windshield repair business from getting stagnant because unlike other retail and service businesses, windshield repair technicians often do not utilize traditional marketing like television, radio and newspaper ads.

What you do to keep things fresh and get noticed depends on your business model, your personality, the time you have to devote, and obviously the amount of money you have to spend, but what I want to focus mainly on is the inexpensive do-it-yourself options, and just pass on some ideas from other successful windshield repair professionals.

I have seen some storefront and portable locations that are pretty well placed, but after you drive by them a million times you tend not to notice them anymore. However, those operators that are willing to wave a colorful sign around or dress up in a crazy outfit are much more difficult to ignore. For years I thought this was the stupidest idea there ever was, but when I started researching marketing for small businesses, I realized that there is a reason that this practice is continued.

A good example of this type of marketing is a local doughnut shop located near a busy street, but not very visible due to dominating business on either side of it. They have this guy that stands out there in the most pathetic doughnut suit you ever saw, and boy does it draw attention. It took me weeks to figure out that he was supposed to be a doughnut, but every day I slowed down and looked until I finally figured it out. The guy doesn’t wave, or move, or anything, he just stands there on the street corner being a chocolate doughnut with white frosting and sprinkles. It’s kind of creepy, but certainly the visual speed bump that it is designed to be.

For those of you that attend the national IGA, NGA, or NWRA conferences, I’m sure you recall the 8’ tall pencil that walks around waving and standing uncomfortably close. I have never figured out what the heck the significance of the pencil is, but I know the company that it belongs to. Can you imagine how many people would remember your name if you had it plastered on a giant broken windshield costume that you wore around the mall? If you are too busy, or just don’t have the personality to do this yourself, you may consider hiring someone to work for you during peak traffic hours, or better yet, make your spouse to do it!

Raffles create that visual speed bump you are looking for, and are a little more comfortable for some people. A big sign that says sign up here for a free TV or DVD player will always generate interest. If you do raffles on a regular basis but change the prize frequently, people will start watching for your sign to see what you are giving away next. Obviously the bigger the prize the better, but people like getting anything for free, so you can value your prizes and base the length of your promotions on the volume of your business.

Contests can also work well and do not require a large budget, and you can get your customers to do all the crazy stuff instead of doing it yourself. If you have a bit more money to spend, doing a live radio show in conjunction with your contest can draw a lot of attention.

If you are strictly mobile, be sure your vehicle is very visible. The extroverts win at this game, so don’t hold back. This is your mobile billboard, and you need to use it to your advantage.

Have a discount code printed on your vehicle, another one on your business cards, another on flyers, etc., and you will be able to track your marketing efforts. Offer referral fees to customers, car washes, lube shops, tire shops, and any other automotive related business. Why wouldn’t they do it?

The whole idea is that you need to do something to keep your business fresh in the mind of the consumer. Some of these ideas may seem foolish, but it’s better to feel foolish during the day and proud when you make your bank deposit, than the other way around.

Laws vary, so please check all local and state laws before running any kind of promotion, or contest.

-Brent Deines