Attracting Customers

[trashman87]

Hello,

I am a recent college grad and I just started a curbside trash pickup company in NH. In NH, there are a lot of towns that do not provide trash pickup, so residents must bring their trash to the dump themselves or hire a private hauler, like me.

While I have been gaining new accounts almost every week, I would like to be gaining accounts at a more rapid rate. I have done some postcards - weak results. I have done yard signs - weak results. Google ads has been my best tool by far. But what are some other methods?! I don't simply want to wait for people to Google "trash pickup" - I want to be proactive and find customers rather than wait for them to find me.

Any ideas?! Thanks!

[ChrisHeggem]

Can you leverage your current clients? Something like giving them a free trash haul for every new client they refer.

[jawzishere]

This is a great problem to have for any new business, great work so far!

Yes, ChrisHeggem is right, definitely leverage your current clients. Asking for referrals is the oldest trick in the book to drum up new business and adding an incentive, such as a free trash pickup, just makes it more effective. This is the first and easiest thing you should do. The results from this could incredibly effective especially if your current clients really like your service and can recommend it with enthusiasm to their friends and neighbors.

Another option could be getting a bunch of door hangers printed up and distributing them around the neighborhoods you're looking to gain new clients in. Just as with increasing effectiveness for referrals, offering new clients 'Their first pickup free' so that's is completely free to test your services, can increase the amount of people who sign up for your service.

I think that would certainly work much better than postcards.

Best of luck.

[china9]

do some radio advertising. It's expensive, but very effective

[borisfowler]

Flyers. I would suggest spending 50 bucks on 1000 flyers and putting them on people's houses, especially on streets where you pick up trash.

Grassroots all the way!!

[iPowerCoach]

Referrals, referrals, referrals.

Offer existing clients an incentive to refer people.

Good job!

[cborodescu]

@trashman87 Do you have a website? You can try out QR codes on you flyers that will redirect prospects to a mobile-friendly version of your existing website. Search more about the subject on Google or PM if you need more details on the matter.

[SallyY]

Flyers. I would suggest spending 50 bucks on 1000 flyers and putting them on people's houses, especially on streets where you pick up trash.

Grassroots all the way!!

I totally agree with this. But there maybe a way to getting a better response rate than 1-2%,(average in direct mail/flyers).

Instead of posting the flyers, when the homeowner comes to the door use this:

"Sorry to bother you sir/madam. Just wanted to leave this with you. If you ever need to throw out some trash . . . drop me a call . . . my rates are good". Then hand the flyer to them and walk away.

I've seen this done and it can be very effective. It's very tame and unoffensive cold-calling I guess

[ClaireM]

Although you may not want to do passive marketing, making sure your business is properly listed in all the Local Search Engine Directories would be really important. That way when people do "google" for a trash business, you will come up at the top of the listings because these directories rank high with the search engines. You can also issue Press Releases about your business and become an "expert" in your field, being the "go to" person for quotes when local media need them.

Another idea is to submit coupons to on-line coupon directories.

I have a great resource to help you do all this. Check it out at my website!