How Do I Attract New Customers?

1. Offer Free seminars and workshops. If you’ve tried seminars and workshops before and did not have the best results, give them a second chance. Consumers are hungry for information. These educational opportunities don’t have to be costly and elaborate in planning. Often times, the simplest topic that requires little to no preparation becomes a very important tool in luring new customers to your store and in keeping them coming back.
   
   
2. Sell to new markets. If your market is too narrow, it will stifle your growth. Find new ways your products could appeal to other markets. For example, not all gardeners are women between the ages of 35 and 50. Make an attempt to appeal to men and other age groups. Offer a senior citizens discount day.
   
   
3. Write a local newspaper article or host a radio show. Many times, local newspapers and radio stations welcome the opportunity to feature a credible horticultural source from the community to add interest to their program. Contact your local newspaper and radio station and inquire about their interest in a gardening article or show. This exposure is an great way to get your company’s name out in front of the consumer as the expert in your area.
   
   
4. Try advertising where your competition doesn’t. For example, if your competition is using mostly direct mail marketing, you should take a different route with a heavy emphasis on mass mailing (Advo) or distribution in the newspaper to capture all of the possible customers that the competition is missing.
   
   
5. Giveaway Free samples or plants. Everyone loves something free. Offer a timely product such as a pansy pack in early spring when the consumer is in the market for various plants and gardening products. Feature this as a coupon in your advertising flyer and track their zip codes to identify your market.
   
   
6. Join forces with other independent business owners. It is a well-known fact that there is strength in numbers. Start with local businesses, your suppliers, vendors and customers and look for ways that you can form a partnership to promote each other’s business. For example, provide a gardener’s gift basket (which includes your gift certificate) to a local building company as a thank-you gift for their customers. The building company will enjoy a generous discount on the fitting gift basket, and you will benefit by introducing a new homeowner to your store.