[julianb]

Hi has anybody set up a carpet cleaning stall at a summer village show/festival?  I thought it could be a good way to drum up business.

[Jennifer w]

It's not exactly a family fun topic is it.......

Stain removal Demo versus win a prize games.....

Mind you , you never know ....Iv seen people standing glued to seeing someone shear a sheep before, so I guess anything goes...

[julianb]

True agricultural shows have all sorts of things nail acarpet to a pallet and do a few demos was my idea

[Megan lovelock]

I was thinking about doing the same thing. I might just do one and see how it goes !

[Kev Martin]

If you want it to be a success get a jumbo pot of lollies or something to keep the kids amused and offer a decent prize for guessing the amount of tufts on a piece of carpet or something.   Put a sign up free prize draw and you have their attention because no one can resist a freebie.  If you are hoping by standing there with a carpet cleaning machine and a price list or leaflets you will be about as interesting as  a wet weekend.  You could also do a special offer of a something like a  bottle spotter and a spotter brush cheap!!!  That should bring you in a few quid to cover costs

[dustee]

Raffle a prize , a free one hour clean £1 for a strip of tickets

But at the end of the day is it really worth it , you will need public liability insurance , cost of show etc

[Hilton]

I remember when Chem-Dry franchisees had to do these on their patch  it was more about raising awareness in their area, as understand it. Don't know how successful it was but one or two franchisees that I knew at time time hated doing them.

[julianb]

Maybe a small village show for a couple of hours? On another note I've just dipped my toe into Facebook community group ads I'm not sure if it's me but it appears to be a price shoppers paradise!

[John Kelly]

More of a marketing excercise to get public awareness. Need to make sure your stand rams home exactly who you are. Another good marketing excercise and I've only heard one person do it, is to give a talk to local womens institute groups and the like. Simple presentation such as describing and showing the different carpet constructions, differences in fibres. Fitting issues and how to not let sky and alarm fittings just lift to put cables under. Basic stain removal principles etc. These groups are crying out for things like this. Takes some bottle but make rapport with these people and usually customers for life.

[Jennifer w]

Good grief john really?

And I thought the talk last week was dull.....

Surely this has a negative effect on the industry...a trapped captive audience  gasping for breath....

I reckon a demo would be equally as cheesy, but more impressive....although I suspect a number of the audience will feel duped in an amway/Kirby sales kind of way.....

Regards

Jen

[John Kelly]

Yes Jennifer, Glyn Charnock does these regularly and Pierre De Wet actually used to do talks and demos to the general public in pubs believe it or no with great success.  How on earth can it have a negative effect on the public when you are actually teaching them how a professional service works. Believe me putting together a good talk and display would be a lot more interesting than listening to someone  droll on about their latest trip to Borneo which is what most of them ammount to. There again a good speaker can make even the most mundane subject interesting and funny.

[DB]

Your so right John

I used to do the Women's Institute meetings and didn't try to sell my services....one of my talks was entitled  'the selection and maintenance of upholstery fabrics'

I always managed to get a couple of jobs out of each talk....I almost always overran answering questions... I do  remember my first talk for the W.I.  the organiser came to me afterwards and said , ''they must have found that interesting Mavis didn't go to sleep''

[Jennifer w]

Well I'm happy that my view is obviously wrong!!!

Perhaps my WI group is a slightly lower age range!!

Who's Pierre de wet by the way?

[john aitken]

they would book when it seemed like a good idea ..then when the excitement cooled off ..the excuses would start

[julianb]

The sight of a truckmount carpet cleaning machine gets me excited surely the general public feel the same!