Is customer communication worth the time?

[Tony Shelton]

I've got a little dog groomer account we just started with. These types of places can be challenging. We may have to experiment with a few configurations till we find the least expensive that works well.

On average an account like this would take about 4 quarterly services of about 15 minutes each and would pay about $85.00 each service.

I just spent 40 minutes making this video explaining how we adapt for each individual situation. Was it worth almost reducing our yearly income in half on this account by taking the time to do this video?

So far it has proven to work well for us. I've had my first dog grooming customer for 4 years now. She refers everyone she knows to us. That 40 minutes won't seem like so long in ten years time.

[Guy B]

Tony, that is a Awesome way to communicate with your customer, and others as well. You give them a "Personal Touch" when you make a video like that. But if I were you, I would take it one step further, shoot a live video instead of a picture video. You are a great communicator and spokesperson. Having a video where you are actually talking to the customer, would take "Personal Touch" to a whole new level!!!

Great Job Buddy!!!

[Mathew Johnson]

Great video Toni. I dont know if we would have invested the time to make a video as we dont do 85.00 stops (200.00 minimum). But hey, what the hell, if it works for you than go for it.

I agree with Guy, you should do one in person, with your great communication skill, it can only add value to showing your professionalism and what your selling.

[John-Clean County PW]

Cool Video Tony. I also think it would be great to hear you talking in there because your a good verbal communicator. Everything counts these days to make a few bucks and with a video like that your ahead of at least 85% of most people in the business community. Great job and thanks for the info and Idea.

[Tony Shelton]

We've got $35.00 stops. But they are all on schedules and clustered together.

We build these by getting one customer in a shopping center or office plaza and offering them a 10% discount for every neighbor they can sign up all the way up to 60% off. We give the customer a month to work his neighbors. If he brings any in we give him another month. But sooner or later Shelly will go in for the kill. (Chris has not had as much luck at this in the concrete cleaning side but he's still working on his pitch)

What starts off as a single $35-65 stop ends up being a rooftop of 10-15 accounts where $500-$800.00 each stop is not uncommon and involves little more than an hour of work each service. We are so relentless in chasing these "filler" accounts we only have 3-5 orphan accounts at any given time.

I'm not a good spokesman Guy. If I think I'm on camera or being watched I freeze up and forget everything I'm trying to say. It used to take me 30-40 tries just to make a message for my answering machine so I finally gave up and let Shelly do it. I hold the world record for saying the word "UH" the most times in a presentation! Live camera action and me don't mix. :)

[Ron Musgraves]

Thats all Great, wait till you have 1000 of those. Can you maintain that?

[John-Clean County PW]

We've got $35.00 stops. But they are all on schedules and clustered together.

We build these by getting one customer in a shopping center or office plaza and offering them a 10% discount for every neighbor they can sign up all the way up to 60% off. We give the customer a month to work his neighbors. If he brings any in we give him another month. But sooner or later Shelly will go in for the kill. (Chris has not had as much luck at this in the concrete cleaning side but he's still working on his pitch)

What starts off as a single $35-65 stop ends up being a rooftop of 10-15 accounts where $500-$800.00 each stop is not uncommon and involves little more than an hour of work each service. We are so relentless in chasing these "filler" accounts we only have 3-5 orphan accounts at any given time.

I'm not a good spokesman Guy. If I think I'm on camera or being watched I freeze up and forget everything I'm trying to say. It used to take me 30-40 tries just to make a message for my answering machine so I finally gave up and let Shelly do it. I hold the world record for saying the word "UH" the most times in a presentation! Live camera action and me don't mix. :)

Hey Tony so you get like Ralph Kramdan(Jackie Gleason) from the "Honeymooners" when in that episode he is all pumped up and ready to do that commerical and then the lights and camara's go on...then he is going blank like a lost puppy. I love that episode. I think we all have been there. Some love public speaking and they even Ham it up....I hate it even though I've been told that I do a good job. I rather have someone else do it.........