Get The Answers: Grab new customers and make the best of it

Offer the customer the same great value or service you would any customer to ensure return business. Photo / Thinkstock

Daily deals provide wide exposure for no upfront cost, writes Campbell Brown, marketing director at GrabOne.

GrabOne, the daily deal site which claims to have 70 per cent market share in New Zealand, is used by all sorts of companies to gain customers. But there are a few preparations businesses should make before starting out. Number one, don't let staff appear disgruntled when people turn up with a voucher - these are paying customers.

What can small and medium enterprises (SMEs) do through GrabOne?

A deal with us can help SMEs grow their business, raise their profile, launch new initiatives, use a booming marketing/advertising channel, access one of New Zealand's largest databases and gain new customers. We guarantee results for clients - something most advertising channels wouldn't dream of doing. Around 95 per cent of the businesses we work with are SMEs and more than 90 per cent of our merchants would like to run another deal.

What should SMEs consider before they start a promotion? Does GrabOne help advise how big to go?

Before businesses get started with us, they should firstly remember that this is a marketing proposition for their company. They should apply the same thought process and define business objectives when working with our team to construct a viable offer in the market.

Things to consider are:

* Timing is everything - are your lunchtimes slow? Are you launching a new product? A good daily deal operator will work with your business to construct an offer that fits with areas in your business that need to be improved.

* Be deal savvy - create a price point or offer that encourages the consumers to up-sell and offer them the same great value or service you would any customer to ensure return business.

* Staff training - making the most of the physical leads that walk through your door as part of a GrabOne offer is one of the most crucial elements. Make sure your team is motivated and trained to handle the influx of new business so that you can increase up-sell opportunities, nurture relationships for repeat business, and encourage word-of-mouth by providing great service.

* Costs - yes, you are discounting your service or product to attract new business and, just like other marketing or advertising products you use, there is a cost associated. The difference with GrabOne is that there are no upfront costs and you get advertising exposure to hundreds of thousands of people for no charge. Everything is transparent.

What is possible when putting a deal on GrabOne?

Orewa-based Three Little Wishes Photography was looking for a cost-effective way to promote its new workshops and a platform to test their theory that more people would like to learn how to use their very complicated cameras.

The offer was successful with 195 vouchers sold at $99 each. The owner, Deborah Foreman, was able to employ four more staff after her GrabOne deal ran and had a notable increase in new business through word-of-mouth. Many people who completed the beginner course then signed up for the intermediate, flash photography, evening workshops and Photoshop courses as well as one-on-one tuition. Foreman didn't have to spend any money up-front but had her business promoted to 400,000 GrabOne customers. She's since run three further deals and will be launching Wellington workshops at the end of the month via GrabOne.

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