Before you can enjoy the benefits of having a life-time relationship with your customers, you first have to get them into your restaurant, store or other business. Good directions can make or break that fragile budding relationship. Here are tips to give great directions! Make triple sure you directions are accurate, that is, read through them yourself while looking at a map, have someone else who doesnt know the area drive them and give you feedback, and be sure to ask real customers if the directions are working. Your customers dont care how hard you worked or how many times youve been through them, if the directions dont work, they dont work, period! Layout your directions in bullet points and a large font so they are easy to follow while driving a car through a strange city, at night, in heavy traffic, in the rain. Be ready to fax or e-mail directions at a moments notice. (Super tip: For fast and easy e-mailing, put your directions in signature files in your e-mail program.) Some people like directions with numbers, street names and mileage (proceed 1.5 miles on Harper Road then turn left onto 2nd Street East). Other people do better with directions based on landmarks (drive about 5 minutes past the Mall, then turn left at Hollywood Video). Consider offering both types of directions. Be sure you include your full physical address (some people will prefer to call up a map or directions from a place like mapquest.com). Dont forget to include your logo, a photograph of your restaurant (or other business) and a blurb about why you are the greatest destination on earth. This will keep your potential life-time customer motivated if they make a wrong turn. One final tip: Offer free coffee, soda or dessert to anyone who tells you they got lost. And when they tell you what happened, listen closely and thank them sincerely: They are helping you put thousands of dollars in your pockets from dozens of future life time customers. |
