National Clothesline

aybe this article should be titled “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” since not many cleaners have ever done what they did… especially in a shaky economy. Twelve months ago, Bill and Ted (not their real names) set out on a fantastic business adventure. They committed themselves to an aggressive, hard-hitting and very costly marketing plan.

In fact, during that time they boldly devoted more money to advertising than most cleaners take home in a year. It was certainly risky to spend that kind of money not knowing if there would be a pay-off, but they stuck with it anyway.

Not only did they withstand a gloomy economy, but they also survived the comments of cost group members who thought they’d suddenly gone nuts.

And now?

Well, now they’re enjoying double-digit growth. Twelve months later, the big question they face is… what’s next? How do we keep this thing rolling? How do we leverage our success?

Last week, we met with Bill and Ted to evaluate their progress over the last year. They wanted suggestions on how to proceed next.

When it came time to share my thoughts and advice, the answer in my mind was crystal clear. I feared, however, that it might be considered far too simple. I was afraid that Bill and Ted might dismiss it as lacking any great impact, but I was compelled to offer it anyway.

Edward Hallowell, senior lecturer at Harvard medical school, writes in a recent book that for most people, the two most powerful experiences in life are achieving and connecting. Most of what grabs our attention and commands our energies falls into these two categories.

Achieving has to do with the world of accomplishments such as winning a contest, pursuing a successful career, setting sales records in a drycleaning business. Connecting has to do with our relationships. Falling in love, forming great friendships, hearing words of deep affection from parents.

Our society is increasingly devoted to, obsessed with and enslaved by achieving. In fact, our society, compared to other societies in the world, is impoverished and almost bankrupt when it comes to connecting or making relationships.

Achieving is not a bad thing, but it’s no substitute for establishing and nurturing a relationship. In today’s business environment, however, we are sometimes too focused on achievement.

We’re obsessed with adding to the ranks. We depend on more and more customers to bring us bigger and bigger sales figures. In the end, the real irony lies in the fact that you can have a Rolodex full of contacts but not have a single friend.

My advice to Bill and Ted at this stage of their business growth is to become relationally intelligent drycleaners. In short, they have to work at making friendships. After all, they’ve just made hundreds and hundreds of new contacts in a short period of time. Why run the risk of allowing them to slip away?

I suggested that they pen some “love notes.” Not the mushy kind… but something personal. It only has to be one or two lines of longhand, in ink with a handwritten address and a live stamp. These notes must have a personal look and feel about them or they won’t accomplish what they’re meant to do, so put away the printer.

If you choose to do this yourself, it can be done anywhere, any time… even from your kitchen table in your underwear. But if you don’t have time, ask your counter people to do as many as they can. After all, they’re the ones who meet these customers. They’d probably love to do it. If you have to, hire a person just for this job. Do it. Don’t worry. It’ll pay for itself in ways you can’t imagine.

As we talked, Ted’s face lit up. He had gone into a store to buy a refill for his Monte Blanc pen a couple of weeks before. Several days later, he got a handwritten note in his mailbox thanking him for his little $7.50 purchase. It made a huge impact on him. And that’s precisely the point. If you’re not used to receiving this type of contact, it can blow you away!

My dentist left a note on my answering machine to inform me that due to an illness, Barbara, my regular hygienist, would not be able to work on me and that Linda would be filling in for a week or so. As it turns out, Linda and I have something in common… a love for dogs… especially black labs.

A week later, I got a letter in the mail from Linda. It said, “Thanks for letting me work on you. Thought you’d like to check out the North Shore black lab foster program. Here’s some info.”

Guess what? I’ve just been drawn closer to my dentist. Doesn’t take much, but only a few businesses will ever do it.

Are you still wondering if a little thing like a “love note” can really make a big impact?

Consider the ant

Yankari Game Reserve is 2,000 square miles of savanna woodland and brush in central Nigeria. It’s inhabited by almost every kind of wild creature from roan to rhino and from baboon to bushbuck. It was always a favorite weekend retreat when I was growing up.

While on one trip, I had a particular fascination with a herd of elephants and while watching them, I asked our guide whether elephants have any enemies. His response was, “The elephant’s only enemy is the ant.”

As I questioned further, I learned that although an elephant is normally quite careful where he sticks his trunk, sometimes he could uncover an anthill. Ants can then get inside the elephant’s trunk and sting unmercifully. In desperation, the elephant can begin to madly swing his trunk, sometimes banging it against trees.

As a result, the elephant’s trunk can swell, making it impossible for him to eat or drink. If this condition continues for several days, the elephant will die.

Lesson: Although the ant is very small… it’s powerful enough to affect the very existence of the largest creature on the face of the earth.

In much the same way, doing the little things that make you a relationally intelligent drycleaner will have a huge impact in your business. Believe it.

If you’re like most cleaners, you probably read trade articles in search of ideas to help you grow your business. You want to discover something new… something original… a different way to showcase your business and ultimately boost your sales.

If I’ve let you down here, I’m sorry. I’ll be the first to admit that this idea isn’t new. In fact, it’s just common, old-fashioned horse sense. But if you put it to work, it will change your business and your life in ways you never thought possible.

Again, the key is to do it. Being a relationally intelligent drycleaner will demand large chunks of your time, so be prepared to spend a lot more time on others and a lot less on yourself.

Before contacting all of your customers with these love notes, though, why not try this one out on your spouse in the next day or so? All it takes is a few lines on a card. Send it to her at the office, slip it into her purse or hide it in a place where you know he’ll see it within a few hours… maybe in his briefcase. You already know how important it is to stay connected to your spouse. Right? The same applies to your customer.

Bill Bishop has been a consultant with the Golomb Group for the past 12 years, designing marketing and promotional programs for drycleaners. He can be reached at the Golomb Group at (800) 679-5856 or by e-mail at billbishop@golombgroup.com.