You won’t be able to wait for your telephone to ring!
Sometime ago, I had a competing jewelry store in our town go out of business. While looking through the Yellow Pages, I noticed that this jewelry store still had listings for the coming year as well as listings on the Internet, other yellow pages, etc. (Bet you can see where I’m going.)
So, I called my local telephone company and inquired if it was possible to purchase this telephone number since the company had gone out of business, and to my surprise… they said yes! Now follow me closely here… without delay. I purchased the telephone number with the caveat that if the folks who previously owned the number wanted it within a year, we would have to give it back to them (oh, really… now why would they want it now?)
When the new number was installed in my office (by the way, it only cost approximately $50 for the number & new telephone to answer it) I came up with a unique way of answering the phone. The former competitor used the town’s name in their store name, so I said, “Thanks for calling Hudson’s jewelry store, “The Gold Mine”…. how may I help you today?”
Of course, many folks didn’t notice a difference and would ask whatever, “Can I get a ring sized?” or “Do you carry such & such?” When these former customers of my competitor would ask about the slight name change, I would say, “Yes, Hudson Jewelers has gone out of business, but we have obtained their former telephone number so that we may continue servicing their customers with great products and great service!”
After the first week, I had already received five new customers from our former rival and over the year in which I kept this particular phone line operating, I gained at least 80-100 new customers.
Now you may ask, “Didn’t everyone know that this store had gone out of business?” The answer is “NO,” because many new folks were continually moving into our area and of course they either looked in the Yellow Pages or did a search online for jewelers in our area… and those who called my former rival, were actually getting me… (pretty cool huh?) Lets also not forget that not everyone will always see a newspaper ad about a “Going Out Of Business Sale” or hear it on the radio. Don’t assume everyone automatically knows!
Needless to say, at the end of the year when my former rival’s ads were starting to expire and their old telephone number was being taken out of the Yellow Pages, I added up all the new business and customers I had received because of this little $50 telephone line… lets just say the results went kaa-ching…. $$$$$$$.
Now Don’t Be Afraid To Try This…It Works…I Promise!
Bill Warren is the owner of The Gold Mine Fine Jewelry & Gifts in Hudson, NC and a Registered Gemologist Appraiser. He is also the founder of Warren Marketing Systems, a company that helps retail jewelers unlock hidden revenue in their store through proven marketing systems. Bill enjoys teaching & speaking to jewelers as well as associations/groups. Sign up for regular marketing tips & info at www.warrenmarketing.blogspot.com. For further info, contact Bill at 828-729-1020 or e-mail goldman86@bellsouth.net.
