In this article you will learn the following:
Your most important and most limited resource
I like telling a certain story about lumberjacks because it reveals the key to success in all endeavors.
Every morning after a hearty breakfast the lumberjacks jumped aboard a huge horse drawn wagon to be hauled into the woods. Then, one after another, they hopped off at their spot. At days end the wagon reversed its course through the woods picking up the tired men.
That evening after all were seated in the community dinning hall, but before dinner was served, the lumber boss announced who had cut the most wood that day. And, everyday the same man, who everyone called The Old Man , won. Everyday!
One day a young, powerfully build lumberjack, Big Buck , decided that he would show The Old Man that he was the king of lumberjacks. So, the next day when he was dropped off in the woods, he swung into action with all the vigor and vitality of youth.
The Old Man still cut more wood at days end.
Rested and with renewed resolve, Big Buck worked harder the next day than in his whole life but to no avail. The Old Man still cut more.
Exasperated, the next day he snuck through the woods to spy on his nemesis. What he saw, he could hardly believe. The Old Man was sitting on a stump, apparently doing nothing, surrounded by cords of freshly cut lumber. Again, later that day, he snuck and spied. The Old Man was upon his stump, but the cords of wood surrounding him had multiplied.
Bewildered and humbled, Big Buck approached the old lumberjack, explained how he had spied on him and asked how he could cut so much wood while sitting on a stump.
"I was sharpening my axe when sitting on the stump." The old man replied.
Abraham Lincoln, who was a great rail splitter, said, "If I had but eight hours to cut wood, I would spend six sharpening my axe."
Your most limited resource is your time. The best use of your time is to engage in constant improvement and learning. Hopefully, the following will help sharpen your axe.
Temporary airbrush tattoos that last forever
This idea comes from William Boynett of Canada. He says customers stand around his booth/canopy starring at the banner trying to figure it out. Eventually they give up and ask, "OK, how?"
"I will take a digital picture of your tat and email it to you so you'll have it forever." He replies. They love it.
William sells a tat, captures the customer's email address, and puts smiles on faces all around. Later he emails the picture (subject: your picture) along with a thank you and a special offer. He tells how he brings family fun and excitement to private events, offers a nice discount to book an event, and offers a referral gift. See article 1: Build your year around business .
We thought so highly of William's idea that we gifted him $500, created new banners using it, and want to know what you think. See banners #46 - #49 at the banners page.
The purpose of your business
What is your most important business asset? What is the purpose of your business?
Your most important asset is your customer base. You have a business to the extent that you have a base of customers.
The purpose of your business is to create customers. That is how you build your business. Your motivation for wanting to build a business is, of course, money or profit.
Confusing your motivation with the purpose of your business, however, leads to short sightedness and low profits. You are not the same as your business. If you were, you would never be able to sell it.
To build your business you create customers. The faster you can do it, the faster you build the value of your business.
How can you most effectively capture customers?
Half the battle is knowing what you want. You want customers. The other half is knowing how to get them. Where do you look for them?
First you must recognize that you want private event customers who might repeatedly want to pay for your services. Who are they? Where are they?
There are other private event vendors like yourself who sell a different service - see vendor list below. Some of these vendors are long established and have a large base of existing customers. You simply need to approach these vendors with an attractive offer to gain access to their customers.
How to obtain a list of 100's of private event prospects
Go to www.partypop.com, click on vendors , and print off the list of vendors. This list is so valuable that you may want to have it laminated.
There are hundreds of types of vendors listed. Let me just pick one, Florists . Here in Grand Rapids, Michigan, there are EIGHT pages in the yellow pages listing florists & ads for florists. Florists could get me into corporate events, wedding receptions, parties, and more.
The idea is to use this list to generate lists of private event prospects.
Here is another interesting vendor category: Party Rentals . Under this category are sub-categories, i.e. Inflatables & Moonbounce , Interactive Games , and Tent Rentals .
Use this list to create a list of local prospects to contact. Use the Internet, Partypop.com, and your phone book yellow pages to identify local vendors. Start by identifying all local Party Planners and Event Planners . Then, send them a letter followed by a pleasant phone call to introduce yourself and answer any question they may have.
A Letter to use in soliciting private event prospects
Here is a letter that Karen McBride, MVP, has used with success:
Dear Event Coordinator,
Hi, how are you? I am writing to introduce myself and my service.
I specialize in Temporary Airbrush Tattoos. They are great for all occasions, from Corporate and Social events to any kind of gatherings. Temporary Airbrush Tattoos are fun for All, from young to old, both boys and girls.
I would love the opportunity to come out and help make your event even more successful. I am a family oriented service provider. Our commitment is to bring fun and excitement to your event.
Temporary Airbrush Tattoos provide a fun, safe way to express yourself with beautiful body art. Our paints are FDA approved, water-based and durable. They can last for up to 2 weeks, yet can be easily removed. They also dry instantly and will not come off on your clothes.
With the increase in demand and overall desire for an interesting venue talent, clients are booking our talented artist well in advanced of their events.
Be sure to check your calendar and contact us to book an event.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Karen McBride
Temporary Airbrush Tattoo's
We do all special occasions from:
Make any occasion fun, special and memorable with tat's !
Any questions or to book a party please call:
Karen McBride
In my next article I will show you the letter that I use. I always send a one page letter with the tat trifold brochure inserted.
A proven way to book corporate events
One MVP tells me he makes a good living year around doing corporate events.
This is what he does:
Unannounced, he drops in at any company/corporation that has a receptionist. He does not try to make appointments. He simply walks in and talks to the receptionist.
He explains that he brings fun and excitement to corporate events by applying temporary airbrush tattoos. He shows the receptionist our trifold brochure with the vivid tat designs displayed on it. He, of course, has his contact information stamped on it. He chats for awhile asking if their company has any company outings, a Christmas party, or anything else. He answers all questions, leaves the brochure, and thanks the receptionist for her time.
That is it! That is all he does.
When I was told all this I was, at first, doubtful. But, the more I thought about his approach, the more convinced I became that it was brilliant. I came to believe that it would work as well as he claimed. Here is why.
Most receptionists are friendly, young females who, themselves, would love to get a tat. They meet and talk with most people in the company daily. Over time they would find allies in the company and a ground swell of support for the idea could develop. Finally, these people would know who to approach in the company to pitch this service for their next event. The decision maker, given the trifold and the in-house support, would be inclined to do it.
Remember to emphasize to the receptionist that a special design, company logo or motto could be created for their event. Also, let her know that you do birthday parties, receptions, etc.
A special bonus
In article 1: Build your year around business , I explained how to use banners, trifolds, and 3D Body Art kits to build your business. Now, to encourage you to use the proper tools to build your business, we make a special offer.
First, know that I went to Kinko's today and learned that they charge $480 to print 1,050 of our trifolds. The 2' x 9 ½' headline banner and seven 3D Body Art tat kits would cost more, of course.
The retail cost of these items is over one thousand dollars. The MVP cost is only $394.29. But, I have put together a special, private event promo package that includes all of these items for only $197. That includes the 2' x 9 ½' banner, 1,050 tat trifold brochures and seven 3D Body Art kits.
To see what you get, go to the promo page.
To see the banner, go to the banners page.
I am certain that the key to our future prosperity in this business is private events. I must encourage, persuade, and induce you to work on building your brand, your reputation in your community. Do it right. And, do it now.
Order your private event promo package now. Go to the promo page or call Ben at 1.800.280.8198.
Earlier in this article I explained additional uses for the promo materials. You have to act. You have to do the things necessary to succeed. I can give you the tools at a bargain price but you still have to get them and use them. Call Ben at 1.800.280.8198 or order online at the promo page.
This offer is subject to withdraw without notice.
Written By Kirk Knapp
"Airbrush Tattoo"
Book Private Events
TATstore.com