May 12, 2022

Canmore AB  – “Are you sure this hotel is safe?”

Can’t read the full email – click here for the online version.

This is not a question a parent likes getting asked.

We had just driven another 14 to 15-hour day and it was late. The room was clean but bare. There were no chairs. The wardrobe had tape keeping its door shut. There were no bulbs in the nightstand lights. Inside the bathroom, where a fan should be, was an empty space. The door to the room itself, looked like it had been broken into and repaired.

To top it off, upon walking up to the second floor where our room was, we passed three very sketchy people. Maybe stoned, likely drunk. Didn’t look like they had 2 cents between them.

I went to call the front desk asking for a room change only to discover that not only was it unplugged, but the wall socket was also a mess of loose wires, meaning there was no way to make it operable.

The beds were at least clean – the floor looked new. Given we had to be up in 6 hours, and were very tired, we decided to crash where we were.

The hotel was with a nationally branded chain. We had spent the previous night at the exact same chain the previous night.

Night and day difference.

One in a small prairie town. The other in a large city. Maybe that was it. Goes to show, sometimes a bargain price isn’t a bargain. And sometimes, reviews aren’t to be trusted….

Prior to this “life-experience”, during the last hour or so of daylight, we had passed a large billboard.

“Massive Fireworks” or “Best Fireworks” next exit.

Then, every 100 feet or so for the next quarter/half mile, there was billboard after billboard, promoting one unique thing after another, encouraging travelers to make the turn at the next exit.

This, where there was no other activity for miles. In the middle of the desert.

If it hadn’t been so late and we didn’t have such a deadline, I would have stopped for sure, just to check the place out.

This business had figured a few key things out to crafting a successful promotion.

• Use curiosity to entice prospects
• Frequency of messages is key. Never rely on just a few.
• For signage especially, one has only seconds to read your message. So, keep it short. Simple. With large, easily readable type.
• Each sign – one message. One product. One offer.

The only improvement they could have done is make some real, tangible offer. They had a gas station too, so why not offer cheap gas. They would surely have enticed many. Use the gas as a low margin, loss leader to sell other stuff. This is the model of most gas stations today. They make more money on the pop and junk food than they do on the gas.

Take this week to examine your marketing and promotions. Do they have the above components? Do they follow the conversion equation?

Until next week…

Stay healthy and focus on profit!

- Hugh
The “Profit Accelerator” Expert

P.S. Did you know that even tiny improvements of 1-3%, in just 12 fundamental areas of your business could give you 50% and more improvement to your bottom-line? Test out my brand-new Profit Acceleration Simulator^TM  and discover the true impact of a conservative estimate of Profit Acceleration initiatives on your business and see for yourself. (https://hughtafel.com/simulator/)

 

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