Opinion: No customers? No problem; create some

Or it’s 10 am. Your shop is open … and the only folks on the floor are wearing your company name badge.

Sigh. Now what?

It’s up to you. Put on your marketing hat and create some action.

Recently, there was a segment on “Dateline” about an out-of-the-ordinary sailboat race. Fortunately, this adventure is captured on film in its entirety because a camera crew was tagging along on the favored-to-win boat. As the crew worked to increase its lead over the other boats, one of them spotted a “waterspout” – a tornado over the open sea. The rest of the crew turned to look at the phenomenon, and the waterspout turned … and headed straight for them.

They zigged and zagged to avoid the tornado but to no avail. The tornado stayed with them, like stink on a working dog. The sailors pulled the sails and lowered the mast. They filled the boat half full of water so that it wouldn’t get sucked up into sky by the force of the massive funnel cloud. The tornado actually settled right on top of them. In fact, the crew pulled it right on top of them by the power of their focus.

Do you get this? Do you understand that you are so powerful that your every thought, every action is a force of creation? The nature of reality is that we are crafting it.

If you don’t have any customers to serve, it is because you have neglected to create them. Your focus has been elsewhere.

“Winners do not neglect to do the easy things that cause success. The definition of ‘easy’ is ‘something I can do.’” —Jim Rohn

The following is a list of ideas for getting the phone to ring and getting a customer to stop in. Add ideas to the list from your own experiences. Have a brainstorming session with your team, and come up with a few dozen more. When faced with an empty shop, pull out this list and do something.

• Wear a costume. Col. Sanders started his chicken empire at the age of 65. He donned a white suit, with a black string tie, and traded 11 secret herbs and spices for a nickel a batch. Sixty years later, KFC has 12,000 stores and The Colonel is the brand. Put a costume on and press some flesh.

• Craft an elevator speech – a 10-second introduction of you and your company that’s so compelling that people listening respond, “Wow, that’s interesting. Tell me more.” Here’s what an elevator speech is not: “I’m just a car salesman.” A good elevator speech is: “Have you ever tried to kick a few tires and had the salesperson hound you like a cat after a cricket? Don’t you hate that? I make finding the right car a fun, no-pressure adventure.” Craft your speech and give it to 10 people a day.

• Park your nicely decaled truck in high visibility places. Find a parade. Park the truck next to the parade route.

• Write a controversial Letter to the Editor.

• Put a sign in the window of a good friend’s place of business.

• Put a flag or banner with your logo and number on it on your house, car, family member or pet and wave it proudly.

• Call folks who said “no” to a previous offer. Ask them again. Nicer this time.

• Mend a fence. Call a less-than-satisfied customer and apologize. Offer to help with any problems to demonstrate how great you really are.

• Ask, ask, ask for business. They may say, “Yes, I need your help. Thanks for asking.” And off you go – calls on the board, and business is booming. It really is a matter of you making it happen. It’s easy. It’s something you can do. It may be challenging and fear-inducing and a bit stressful to get out there and ask for business, but it is something you can do.

“No mariner ever distinguished himself on calm seas.” —Unknown

Back to the sailing race. Certainly, being run over by a tornado is a good enough reason to throw in the towel. The “Dateline” reporter asked the captain if he ever thought of giving up the race.

“No,” he replied, vehemently. “It was never a question as to whether we would continue to race. If we could, we would. The sail sustained some damage. No big deal. We all assumed that we would continue … and that we would win.”

So the tornado was deviation from the plan. They dusted themselves off and set sail. They came in a close second, an astonishing achievement when you consider that their competitors didn’t get run over by a tornado. They were the only boat to have to pull their sail and mast down. They came in 25 yards behind the winner, and they are working now to take the trophy back next year.

A “no customers” day is unacceptable. When it happens, make a change. It’s like falling down … and getting up again. It’s like getting distracted, getting blown off course and responding with a new focus. It’s up to you to turn the tide. And you are vastly capable of it.

Ellen Rohr is an author and business consultant who offers systems for getting focused and organized, making money and having fun in business. Her latest book is “The Bare Bones Biz Plan.” She can be reached at ellen@barebonesbiz.com.[[In-content Ad]]