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“Mr. landlord, I asked to have this meeting because I wanted So, what should you give away, and how should you dis-
you to know that I am really struggling right now to keep my doors tribute your offer? I suggest giving away a FREE 12oz. drink of
open (whether you are or not). This recession has really put a crimp your customer’s choice. Your cost on any 12oz. drink should be
in my business. I’ve aggressively cut costs and have launched multiple under a dollar. $1 to get someone into your store is an incredibly
promotions to try to increase business, but it hasn’t been enough to cheap price! I remember running a news paper ad with a coupon
offset the business I’ve lost (you want to let them know you have for one of my past restaurants, and it cost me $650 to run that
tried everything you could think of, before coming to them for a rent ad just one time. I got back two coupons. It cost me $325 per
reduction). I know you don’t want to loose me as a tenant, because it customer; ouch!
will only create another vacancy for you to fill, and in this economy, Now, you might be tempted to cheap out and offer a 50%
it might be difficult to find someone who has the financing to open off or buy-one-get-one-free campaign instead; DON’T DO IT!!! If
a new business in my space. Also, I’m sure you are aware that my you distribute a coupon giving away a free drink, you might find
business draws hundreds of people to this shopping center each day, that 20% to 25% will end up coming into your store. But if you
which also helps fuel your other tenant’s sales. So, I’m appealing for offer a 50% off or buy-one-get-one-free, you’ll probably be lucky
your help. I’m asking you for a temporary rent reduction to help me to persuade 1% to 3% of those people to pay a visit. Also, it’s been
make it through until things improve. Will you help me?” proven that when you give someone a free drink, a significant
Similar to the request we made to our purveyors for number will end up buying a pastry or sandwich too, so when it’s
lower prices, an honest appeal for help will work better than all said and done, the free giveaways will cost you little or noth-
making demands. Also, did you notice that I have tried to play ing. In fact, you’ll probably actually end up making some money
off of the concerns and fears that I know the landlord must be off of your promotion.
experiencing? (1. it might be difficult to find a renter for my space if Hand distribute your free drink coupons along with a to
I leave, and 2. if I shut my doors you will loose the hundreds of people go menu to all the surrounding businesses and households within
that come to this shopping center each day to patronize my business, a 3-block radius of your store. Do this once a week, for an entire
and that loss of customers will certainly effect your other tenant’s month. Yes, we are going to give these folks 4-free drink coupons
sales, possibly forcing some of them to shut their doors as well). over one month! We want them to establish the habit of coming
Be prepared with some numbers as to what you would to our store. Nothing reinforces a habit like repetition. You have
like. You don’t want to be caught off guard when your landlord to provide them with the motivation to keep coming back.
say - “OK, what kind of rent reduction are you looking for?” Be When distributing your to go menus/coupons to the
sure to throw out an initial request that far exceeds what you surrounding business, you, the owner, should be the one doing it.
actually want. It is likely that you will have to negotiate down It’s important for you to be the one promoting your business to
from your initial request, so you want to ask for more than you the other shop owners in your area. Take advantage of your visit
expect so that when negotiations are completed, you might be each week to establish some rapport. Ask about them, their busi-
near what you actually wanted. Be bold, ask your landlord for a ness, talk about the economy, local events, and of course, throw
50% rent reduction for 3 years. They’ll probably laugh at you, but in a pitch or two for your business while your at it. It’s important
if you end up with a 25% rent reduction for the next 18 months, to get on a first name basis with these folks, because you are going
I’m sure you’ll probably be happy to take it. to ask some of them to help you market your business in the near
future.
Increasing Sales To further insure we will capture new people when they
For many coffee bar owners, just applying the cost cut- come in with their free drink coupon, have your cashier hand
ting measures I have suggested will easily yield the extra $1,000 them a ½ off your next purchase coupon. I know, this may seem
a month bottom line I promised. But if you already run a tight a little over the top, but you will only be doing this extensive
ship, cutting costs alone may not do it. You are going to need to discounting for about a month. The goal is to expand your daily
increase sales! customer base; significantly. It takes these extreme measures to
Now, before we move into sales building techniques, you achieve exceptional results.
need to do a reality check on the fundamentals of your business! Consider the following. If your average purchase per
There is no sense in trying to attract more customers, if you are customer is $4, then here is what an increase in daily customer
going to disappoint them when they show up at your store. counts can produce in increased sales:
Is your store clean and appealing? Are your employees
friendly and helpful? Are the products you’re serving wonderful? 10 new customers X $4 = $40 a day,
If you aren’t doing all of these things well, then your marketing $1,200 a month, $14,400 a year
efforts are only likely to bring new people through your door one 25 new customers X $4 = $100 a day,
time. Everything has to be perfect, and make sure that it is before $3,000 a month, $36,000 a year
you embark on your marketing campaign! 50 new customers X $4 = $200 a day,
The goal here is to give your business a $1,000 bottom $6,000 a month, $72,000 a year
line boost in 30-days, so we’ll only concentrate on a few ideas that 100 new customers X $4 = $400 a day,
always seem to yield good results. $12,000 a month, $144,000 a year

The power of FREE Do you now see why giving away a few hundred bucks
The two most powerful and persuasive words in adver- in free product is worth the investment? How much better would
tising are New, and Free. If your business has been open for six your business be doing if you pulled in an additional $6,000 to
months or less, you can probably use both of these terms in your $12,000 a month in sales?
promotions. If you have been around for a while, then obviously If you have a website for your business, and a data base
you want to concentrate on the term,Free, (unless you are launch- of the E-mail addresses of your current customers, shoot them all
ing a new feature). a free drink coupon to thank them for their loyal patronage. Set it
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