In the April 2009 edition of Franchise Times I am featured for some of my unordinary marketing techniques. The most diffficult thing is to get the attention of a new customer and I go through some of the interesting ways I have acquired new clients.

1. www.FranchiseTimes.com The News and Information Source for Franchising April 2009
[BizWise] Marketing
By Jonathan Maze
C
hris Hurn loves attention. Or at company information, a booklet, a copy
least he loves it when his busi- of the company’s FDD and a plaque
“If you can’t make
nesses get attention, because with the prospect’s name on it. “That’s people walk in the door,
attention frequently translates into sales. our piece that competes against (most you don’t have much of
companies’) two-pocket folder that may
So over the years, the marketing a business,” according to
or may not have a DVD in it,” Hurn
pieces he’s sent to prospective custom-
said. “That’s the push-them-over-the- Chris Hurn.
ers of his lending company, Mercantile
edge piece.”
Commercial Capital, have included
prescription bottles, fake wallets, bank Hurn has a simple, yet shrewd reason been a matter of debate.
bags and even sealed popcorn bags. for what he calls his “shock-and-awe
“All to basically get my message out,” box,” which easily takes up a large Hurn, however, says that such pro-
Hurn said. “Whatever your message is, chunk of space on whatever platform motional materials should be part of a
it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t get read.” on which it is resting. “What usually broad marketing strategy that takes ad-
The point: As outlandish as they can happens if you don’t want to do the vantage of numerous mediums. When
seem, attention-getting packages at least two-pocket folder franchise, you just a company has a strong marketing
ensure that a message is read. throw that folder in the garbage,” Hurn plan, he said, it could often be difficult
said. “But that box is difficult to throw to measure the different components.
So it’s not entirely surprising that “Sometimes it’s a cumulative effect,” he
away. It’s a nice looking piece. It’s going
Hurn has brought this marketing said. “You’re not sure what one thing
to sit on your desk a while, staring back
sensibility to his franchise, Kennedy’s tipped them over. If you’re creative,
at you.
All-American Barber Club. Hurn and disciplined and send things regularly
his partners have been aggressive in “It gives us a better chance to work through different multimedia, it’s diffi-
marketing the hair care membership with them. They might even give us cult to track the one thing that worked.
concept despite an economy that would another look because we went to that And it’s probably not one thing, but the
seemingly make any perceived luxury a extent.” accumulation of all the things that you
difficult sell. do.”
Marketing is a vital component in a
That marketing plan is highlighted franchise’s growth prospects, but with Despite that, Hurn said, market-
by a big, black box that the company so many franchises out there looking ing should be viewed as an investment.
sends to all serious candidates. Inside for owners it can be difficult to stand Perhaps the response rate may not seem
the box is a straight razor - without out. But whether flashy or eye-catching good, but the item you’re selling is big
the blade - a shaving brush, DVD of marketing strategies work has generally enough that price paid for a market-
(continued...)

2. ing campaign would still have a strong amid discussions about how to rescue
return. Hurn added that, when some- banks - was designed to look like a
thing works, companies shouldn’t limit wallet with a “note” that said, “In
themselves to budget constraints. this wallet you’ll find your financial
rescue plan.”
“Say you budget 9 percent of revenue
for marketing,” Hurn said. “But you’ve Tell people the benefits
found something that really works and
Many marketing pieces focus on
has a really strong return on investment.
a business talking about how great it
Are you going to say that once you hit
is, Hurn said. The message should be
your 9 percent of revenue, you’re done?
the other way around. “What do I
Of course not. You’re going to keep
care if 80 percent of the Fortune 500
doing it. That’s what a smart business
are your clients?” Hurn said. “What’s Kennedy’s prospects get this box from
person does.” the franchise in part because it’s tough
in it for me? You’ve got to convert
Hurn said that franchisors have gen- the message into how it’s a benefit for to throw away.
erally been good at franchise sales, but me.”
not so much when it comes to market-
Personalize your marketing month like clockwork, pretty soon
ing. “If you can’t make people walk
in the door, you don’t have much of a Yes, a marketing piece with a lot of they’ll come to expect it,” Hurn said.
business,” he said. personality may turn some people off, Yes, it might take you time for the
but it’ll turn others on. “And the people message to work, but in the end it’ll be
He spends 80 percent of his time at worth it.
you attract will be your rabid fans,”
his businesses on marketing matters. “I
Hurn said. Variety helps
guess I’m a banker,” he said, “but I tell
people that I market our commercial More information, please Don’t limit yourself to a single me-
lending services. That’s what I do. Remember: Not everybody does dium. Use ads, TV, radio, the Internet,
“I could be the world’s greatest bank- e-mail. And some people - gasp! - don’t e-mail, DVDs, publications. And don’t
er, but if I didn’t have the ability to tell even like the Internet. So include mul- forget newsletters, which many busi-
people about my specialized knowledge tiple methods of communication in an nesses don’t do even though they are
and skills, it wouldn’t matter. There are ad or marketing piece, including phone highly successful at getting a message
plenty of broke geniuses out there who number, address, fax and, yes, the Web across. And direct mail also works. “You
have no idea how to market their abili- site. can’t do just one thing and expect it to
ties and talents. The same thing applies work,” Hurn said. “You’ve got to do lots
Differentiate yourself of things.” 
in the business world.”
Many prospects look at multiple
Marketing 101 brands and get inundated with mail-
Given the steady stream of interesting ings, many of which look similar. And
marketing ideas coming from the offices a lot of direct mail pieces are little more
of Mercantile Commercial Capital, than a single-page letter in an envelope.
we figured that its CEO, Chris Hurn, Do something with that piece to stand
would have some tips. He did. The big- above the clutter. “You can send four
ger question is whether we have enough pages in an envelope with the same, 42-
room in the magazine to fit them all. cent stamp,” Hurn said. “Use them.”
What are they thinking about? Be consistent
Some of the best marketing pieces Marketing should be consistent
take advantage of what people are think- and steady. But not everybody has the
ing about at a given time. So a direct- patience or wherewithal to do it. “If
mail piece from Mercantile late last fall - you arrive in someone’s mailbox every