How do you get retail business?

[glassdude]

Trying not to focus on fleet and dealership accounts, How do you get your retail business?
What marketing methods work best for you?
Direct mail? Bill Boards? The coupon mailers? Do you constantly run an advertising campaign or just when your business is slow? Etc.

Thanks,
-Jeff

[jonnyques]

I have a busness card just made up for windshields. The front has "Fix it BEFORE it Cracks OUT", Price, FREE With insurance ask for details. Busness logo name etc. The Back has a windshield with pictures of different brakes down one side. At the to it just says You have a Chip Here. I walk parking lots at malls, busness, soccer games etc. Where ever ther is a group of cars. I dont as a rule make a point of doing it, but at a mall, Ill park at the far end of a line and check glass as I walk to the store. Ill leave a card in the door/window if I see a break. It targets your customer rather than a random flyer etc. It has gotten myself work.

[Chips_Away_Windshield_Repair]

Chips Away Windshield Repair in large letters on back of shirts, white letters on black or dark blue stands out the best.
Triangular sign on top of car, graphics on back and side windows, magnetic sign ?FREE? Windshield Repair" on hood.
Always park in highly visable spot anywhere you go.
Put cards on cork boards where ever possible, right at the top center. My cards on front have "Windshield Repair" in largest letters with company name much smaller. "Insurance Approved--Certified Technician"
"Truck and R.V. Specialists"
"Mobil Service--We Come To You"
Phone numbers.

[Sneck]

$25 dollars worth of "do-it yourself" lettering on my trucks hood, doors, rear quarter panels, tailgate and back glass. Even though it's a do-it yourself job, it actally looks pretty darn good. Results are great, the truck gets noticed everywhere I go, and I get new customers here and there. Very effective.

$20 dollars worth of paint and stencils to make a very nice sign out-side my residence (along a busy road) really reels them in. Also very effective.

$50 dollars on nice business cards to give to everybody. Very effective.

$60 dollars on magnetic business cards. I have not had these long enough to know that they work, but I'm sure they do. People use magnets, but regular business cards only go so far.

Word of mouth is free of course, and its results are amazing.

The one thing I have tried a few times but was never impressed with the results is advertising in the local nickel paper. I'm giving it another run for a while to see what happens, but by far the other advertising I have mentioned has worked the most for me.

[mrchip]

hi sneck covered all the basics i would say is that if you choose a paper make the local yokal and keep it in for a while you can't just do one week
and bow out people need to see it every week any retirement villages by
you put cards in clubhouse or advertise in their local paper once your in your in