Want to know what people love? They love:

• Being pleasantly surprised and
• Feeling special

That's why our Rose approach toward expanding your customer base is such a success. Here's how it works:

For every female customer who comes through your doors, send her a single rose, accompanied by baby's breath, in a simple yet attractive vase. But don't give it to her while she's at your shop. That won't help you expand your reach. Have it delivered to her office a day or two later (assuming she has an office), with a note attached thanking her for her patronage.

Why would you deliver the flower to her office? Simple, all of her coworkers will flock to her desk to find out who the flower is from. When she answers "My mechanic" no one will be expecting it. It's so far removed from what's typical that you're bound to win over a few new customers. Everyone will think (and some will say) "Your mechanic goes out of his way to do that? He's got to be good!"

Even one new customer will more than pay for the cost of the flower.

Questions about our Rose approach

1. How do I find out where my female customers work? Ah, simple. People usually spend the bulk of their days at work, so ask your customers if you could have the address of where they work just in case you need to have something sent to them regarding your service.
2. How do I get the flower delivered? We'd recommend you handle the delivery in-house. You can make these deliveries daily, or just once per week (with a special "ladies day.") But assign someone to handle the deliveries and switch off responsibilities (unless someone really loves making the deliveries). If you choose a porter, just make sure he/she is dressed well.
3. Isn't there something I can do for my male customers? There sure is! You can offer him the rose to bring home with him to his wife/daughter/girlfriend/mother, etc. Or better yet, you can still have the flower delivered to his significant other, at her place of business, on his behalf.

Want to get creative? If you want to work with one florist regularly, try to spark an I-scratch-your-back-you-scratch-mine relationship. Offer discounts to fix the florists' delivery vehicles and/or all personal cars, in exchange for a savings on the flowers. Keep in mind: florists meet a lot of people every day. Getting in good with one can have a great impact on your business.

The unexpected is the most memorable

Whenever someone thinks of an auto shop, they think about loud noises, sparks, metal on metal, and grease ... lots and lots of grease. What they don't think about is flowers and flattery. There is a resounding juxtaposition involved with flowers given by a mechanic that it makes a lasting impact.

Couple that with the fact that most of the time, mechanics only have bad things to say ("Your car needs X. It'll cost Y. It'll take Z days/weeks to fix") and, technically speaking, they're always asking for money (meaning that whenever someone goes to see their mechanic, they're bound to open up their wallets).

This type of repeated cycle causes some people to dread going to the mechanic. That's where the rose comes in. It adds a touch of color and class to the transaction, while also serving as a marketing ploy to gain the attention of others.

You'll make your current customers happy and will win over new ones. That's the type of marketing strategy anyone can get on board with, right?