Simple stuff Ollie, my Plumber, can teach you

What makes people choose you rather than someone else? Ollie knows

The other day a lady called Raluca from Romania wrote asking me about marketing plans.

She runs a travel agency called BeyondDracula.com. They organise tours of Transylvania where Dracula came from. Isn’t that great?

I’ll tell you more about her in another post, but I told her this:

“Marketers think they’re professionals like doctors or lawyers. Absolute rubbish.”

I quoted an authoritative report which ends: “Every Tom, Dick & Harry is a Marketer” lacking scientific and financial knowledge.

And I added: “It’s a great business to be in because almost all your competitors are useless.”

This brings me to Ollie, my plumber.

For some time the boiler in my flat has been on the blink – no surprise as it should have been replaced about 10 years ago – maybe more.

Why haven’t I haven’t done so?

Because I’m as cheap as chips and I’m selling the flat

Ollie could probably have sold me a new one but he’s kept it going, sometimes without charging anything, as he did the other day. He just told me what to do on the phone.

Ollie is a better marketer than most of those with fancy titles, like Worldwide Chief Bullshit Officer.

When we move I shall always use Ollie.

He knows stuff far too many marketers don’t.

Your best prospects come from two sources.

1. Your current customers. They are 3 – 8 times as likely to buy from you as identical people who aren’t customers.
2. By recommendation from your current customers. I shall tell the new owners the boiler is f**ked and they should use Ollie because his prices are reasonable and his service is excellent.

Also he’s a nice guy.

That helps. Don’t you prefer to do business with people you like?