Before you spend your 1st dollar on marketing there is one piece of information you MUST know. This is literally the foundation to all the marketing your dry cleaning company will do. In fact this rule is so universal it applies in some way shape or form to not only ever dry cleaner and dry cleaning route business but to EVREY business.
The Number One Dry Cleaner Marketing Rule is…
You must know what the average value of a customer is to your business. There are a number of variables when you are determining what the “average value of a customer is”. A few of those variables are Average value per use, per month, per year and the average lifetime value of a customer.
Many marketing sales people like to focus on the average lifetime value of a customer as a way to sell dry cleaners marketing programs. Unfortunately this number best serves the marketing sales person much more than the dry cleaning business owner.
In my route business I prefer to look at what the average customer spends per use, per month and on a annual basis. By knowing these numbers I have the ability to make wise marketing and business decisions, let me show you what I mean.
Let’s assume my average customer spends $25.00 per pick up and $50.00 per month with those numbers I now know the average annual value of a customer is $600.00 per year.
If I am marketing my dry cleaning route business and it is costing me $50.00 to get a new average customer, I can decided based on the value of a new route customer if that is an acceptable price to pay. Personally I will pay $50 for a new route customers (I always try to spend less if possible). If I open my dry cleaning marketing bag of tricks and try some new form of marketing and that new form of marketing ends up costing me $150.00 per average route customer again because I know my numbers I can decide if $150.00 per customer is worth it to me or not. For me $150.00 bucks per new customer is a bit on the high side.
If you are new to dry cleaner marketing for routes the above estimates are pretty safe numbers to use when estimating what your average customer will spend with you. If you are a grizzled vet you should easily be able to pull these numbers from your route software.
I’ll leave you with this thought knowledge is power and knowing the value of an average customer puts you in the marketing drivers seat.
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Hi Shaun, I think this is excellent information. Often times I think we move forward in things, not knowing valuable knowledge like this. This type of stuff you are teaching is what builds success. Thanks! Brandy
I need help on starting dry cleaning business
What should be the first thing i need to do concerning locating my customer