by Coffee News AUSTRALIA

Jean Daum, an international expert on Advertising, Super-Learning and Subliminal Techniques, and founder of Coffee News tells a real life story about two hairdresser’s different approach to advertising:

"I once had a community newspaper I called the Suburban, and once, I had 2 hairdressers - who happened to be right across the street from each other - advertise exactly the same perm special with the same 1/4 page ad size. They also paid the same price for their ads. The first hairdresser was Unisex Scissors, who had been at the same location 10 years and who had an ad budget that allowed them to buy one quarter page ad once every 3 months or so.

The other hairdresser was a new franchise called Singleton’s - just 2 years in business before they opened up their new location, right across the street from Unisex Scissors. They had been there 1 month before advertising in my newspaper.

During Singleton’s previous 2 years in Winnipeg, they had advertised quite extensively on TV, radio and paid circulation newspapers. By the time they opened across from Unisex Scissors, they already had at least 8 locations compared to Unisex Scissors’ one location.

The results from both ads were real eye-openers for me. The graphics and context of both ads were equally good, so the only thing different was their previous advertising. Unisex Scissors got 13 coupons back from their ad and they were thrilled with the results. The 13 perm sales not only paid for the ad but gave them more profit than usual since 1 or 2 people using the coupons were brand new customers. Singleton’s got 413 coupons back. Why… that just stood very, very high on the shoulders of EVERY OTHER Singleton’s ad, read or seen by every one of my readers. Every $100 spent on advertising returned a MINIMUM $5,000.00 profit to the Singleton’s Corporation. Unisex Scissors - although very happy with the ad results - got $100 or so expense paid profit from their $100 investment - after being a neighborhood hairdresser for 10 YEARS!

Was Singleton’s a better hairdresser than Unisex Scissors? NO! They just made people BELIEVE they were better. (In fact, I found out years later as well that the "Special Singleton’s Way of Cutting Hair" was the SAME training EVERY hairdresser gets. Singleton’s just made it ‘appear’ as if it were only available to Singleton’s-trained hairdressers.)"

Every new business has the potential to be a Unisex Scissors or a Singleton’s or anywhere in between or beyond. Be careful with your planning, strategy and vision for your business. Review it regularly.

It’s not who or what you are that determines success or failure. It’s who or what you ‘appear’ to be in the eyes of people who are your potential customers. Excellent products and service, coupled with how often they see you and how you have branded your business is crucial.

No ad ever works alone! All ads generate results compounded by all the previous advertising you’ve done. Stop/start/stop/start approaches to advertising is a cost. On-going repetitive advertising is an investment.

Brand new businesses are starting from square one - no residual effects whatsoever - so YES, you are NOT going to get your investment back on your first few ads - especially if you allow your advertising to get too cold. (This is why most small advertisers think advertising just doesn’t work.) On-going repetition is the key. Find an affordable medium that allows you weekly repetitive exposure in your local marketplace.

Find your niche and make a pest of yourself! Do not let your potential customers go even a week without saying "Hi - here I am!" in as many fun and creative ways as you can. You don’t win friends or customers by coming on hot and heavy and then disappearing for three months - until you are hot and heavy again. Keep your business ‘top of mind’ for your customers.

When asked who your potential customers are - do not answer "EVERYBODY!" That’s the easiest way to go out of business - trying to reach ‘everybody’ with every kind of advertising that presents itself at your door. Be choosy and do not waste money advertising to the ‘entire city’ when your only truly potential customers live locally.

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