Free Food for Referrals

The other day the owner of a tree trimming service stopped by my lawn and garden center with a dozen donuts for my staff. He left several business cards and asked that we refer to him anyone who asks about tree trimming. The staff was excited and I'm sure will send business his way.

This got me thinking about how retailers can do the same with other complimentary businesses. Think about your store - what other stores or service businesses deal with the same type of customer you target?

For instance, if you are a shoe store that specializes in hard to find sizes, you could bring some free food and business cards to plus size stores or clothing stores that cater to petites in your area.

Your free food does not need to be limited to donuts - you could bring coffee, fruit or veggie platters, cookies, sandwich platters, or even pizza.

Your main purpose is to establish a relationship, and then drop by with another food offering every couple of weeks so that your store stays top of mind with the referring business.

Word of mouth is one of the most powerful ways to grow a business. Some free food for these mouths will very likely result is additional sources of customers for your store.

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