Getting the Word Out

If done well, word-of-mouth advertising not only gets the word out but also gets it to the right people.
Feb 4, 2008

By Steven Batts

The custom embroidery market primarily relies on “word-of-mouth” advertising to generate business. This is mainly because custom embroidery shops tend to be smaller than many companies and have smaller advertising budgets.

In general, the bulk of your business should come from repeat customers. So, an effective way to generate future business is to keep your current customers happy. In addition, having satisfied customers ensures that when they tell someone about your services, what they have to say is good. You can do this by making sure your customers' orders are completed on time and done correctly and that the quality of your work is good.

The Hat Trick
Besides providing good service to your customers, you also can market to them. Selling to existing customers is inexpensive and highly effective. For instance, if a customer is buying 24 shirts from you with a logo on the left chest, sew the same logo on a cap and give it to him when he comes to pick up the shirts.

Sometimes such a simple gesture will achieve no more than good will, but it also might remind the customer to turn to you the next time he needs embroidered items, and maybe he'll even tell his acquaintances. Other times a customer will look at the cap and say, “You know, we really should get some caps to hand out to our clients. Let me order a couple dozen of those.”

Of course, all your business growth won't come from existing customers. You've still got to find ways to get your name out into the community. Let's examine some of the most common effective ways to get that done.

Wear It Out
There's an old saying that goes “The cobbler’s children have no shoes.” What this means is that often people involved in a certain line of work don’t take advantage of using their own services. Imagine an auto body repairman driving around in a beat-up car. What does such a vehicle say about his business? As an embroiderer, you should take advantage of your own services and logo everything you wear.

I often change shirts before I go somewhere to make sure I've got on something with my logo on it. I have jackets, windshirts, sweatshirts, T-shirts, golf shirts and dress shirts all with the Righteous Threads Embroidery logo on the left chest. It's an inexpensive and appropriate form of advertising. My logoed apparel reminds people what I do, and sometimes reminds them to place an order.

Join the Club
Membership in the local Chamber of Commerce also can provide various means of getting you recognized, including access to leads groups. These are small groups of business owners who meet periodically to share ideas and leads. What's more, the members may market directly to one another. When the groups are put together, only one company of any line of business can join so that there is no competition within the group for the same business. These groups can be very effective in generating not just leads but sales.

Other associations offer similar opportunities and are sometimes even more serious about sharing referrals and helping their members increase their business. Business Network International (BNI) is one of those types of associations. What referral groups do is provide you access to companies and organizations that you might otherwise not have access to.

Other associations and clubs can be effective as well. Some, like Lions Club, Rotary Club and such, do more to build a reputation and credibility than generate direct business, as other groups do, but you're still getting the word out, and you never know when word of your good reputation will result in a sale.

Also, joining groups within your niche can build credibility and generate sales at the same time. For example, if you have a niche selling to contractors, you might consider joining the local home builders association.

Again, the key is not only getting your name out there but also getting it to the right person — the one who needs your services.

Steven Batts, a 14-year veteran of the embroidery industry, is a regular speaker at the Imprinted Sportswear Shows. He owns Righteous Threads Embroidery, Greensboro, N.C., which offers digitizing, embroidery, machine maintenance and repair, and consulting. Call him at (336) 379-9380 or e-mail righteousthreads@gmail.com.

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