Frequently asked questions
What is a customer broker?
A Customer Broker connects stores, like you, with customers. These are people who would buy from you, if they simply knew more about your business. In effect, The Customer Broker sells your store to other people.
Simply put, The Customer Broker buys and sells customers. Much like any "broker" represents any form of "commodity". The revolutionary idea is that these good paying customers can be "ordered" much like merchandise from a catalog. Then, they are delivered right to your store. This provides you with a steady, reliable stream of
store-traffic and revenue. NO more worries and head-aches over where your next customer or dollar is coming from. Call Mr. Russo. Tell him how many extra customers or dollars you want next month. You set the goal, quota, or target. He'll show you the best way to get them ... fast, easy, inexpensive and without the cost, waste, risk of traditional advertising.
The Customer Broker is a turn-key service, specially designed for busy store owners. It's really a team of local professional practitioners at your service. Each has their own specialized area of expertise. Each skill and each team member is dedicated to building your business success.
Why Would A Business Owner Want This Unusual Service?
Our goal is to achieve a bold ideal: "Customers Without Advertising". This does NOT mean that all advertising is bad. It refers to a revolutionary way to supplement the advertising you may be doing right now. In effect, the idea is to draw in More Customers, without spending more money in advertising cost. In other words, get more customers with fewer ads. The concept is to simplify and streamline the entire vital process of Marketing, Advertising, and Sales. Imagine how simple, quick, and easy it is for you to re-stock your inventory. When you run low on stock, you simply call a wholesale supplier and order more. It's delivered right to your door, and you have 30 days to pay. What if you could do the same with Customers? Imagine the power and control you would have, if you could order customers, and have them delivered right to your store.
How long have you been in business?
We have been serving small business owners for 46 years -- since 1979.
What Is The Back-Story Behind "The Customer Broker" Concept?
Going back to 1979, I helped small business owners "run" their business -- by designing software systems. These were custom made for unusual types of enterprise -- newsletter publishing, food manufacturing, collectibles sold by auction, fuel-oil distribution, even cutting lumber to pre-fabricate the walls for house construction. Today, there is pre-written "canned" software available for operation of almost every conceivable type of company.
From "run" the businesses to "build" it. Yes, these companies now ran smoothly, with their new computer-driven systems. But, I watched as smaller clients struggled constantly to draw enough customers. They wanted to build their business, but could not make progress from month to month. So, 18 years ago, I stepped away from computer programming, to learn a whole new side of business -- Marketing, Advertising, and Sales. In that time of intensive study, I amassed a private library of 4,800 volumes, which occupied over 195 running feet of book-shelf space. I quickly learned what is the #1 Head-ache of 90-95% of all small business owners. It all boils down to money. In some industries, profit margins have been squeezed too thin. In others, there is too much competition. There is never enough cash-flow, because there are not enough good, paying customers. Why not? Because traditional advertising no longer works as cost-effectively as it once did. It's been losing steam since the 1970's. This most recent deep recession has been particularly rough.
I felt there had to be an answer. So I went looking for it. It took years to uncover, field-test, perfect, and finally prove that solution works. Now, I have a wealth of accumulated facts -- documented, measured, results. The numbers don't lie. The solution works. It improves on advertising effectiveness by at least 7 to 1. And we stand behind this bold claim of 7-to-1 ROI, with a unique written guarantee. It works, or you don't pay.
Now, this proven idea is open to you. You probably already possess half of this marvelous solution. All you need is for me to show you the other half.
What areas do you serve?
The Customer Broker serves Adams, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York.
"Results are guaranteed" ... please explain your 3-way guarantee
1. MORE cost-effective than any advertising you have EVER used, or we waive our entire fee.
2. Minimum 7-to-1 ROI (Return on Investment). We will cut our fee, by up to 100%, to bring in ROI at 7-to-1.
This means you see at least $7 come back into your cash register for every $1 of cost. (Keep in mind 83%
of all ads yield ROI of less than 1-to-1. How well did your last advertising campaign do?)
3. Better than a "Money Back Guarantee" ... Because you Don't Front the Money ...
In fact, You don't pay our fee until AFTER you SEE visibly more customers shopping in your store,
and actually COUNT their dollars in your own cash-register.
This is how we can say "NO More Risk". What could be more fair?
What are the Top 5 Complaints Merchants Have About Advertising?
Here are the compiled results of 2 nation-wide surveys. How many of these 5 seem familiar to you, too?
1. Ads don't produce results we want -- they don't draw enough customers into our store.
2. The Ad Agency or Media Sales-reps don't take time to learn about our business.
3. They develop plans that take too long to work. We need results NOW!
4. The cost is too high. Money spent on advertising is not worth it.
5. Worst of all, it's too risky. There is NO Guarantee on results -- it's like gambling!
All 5 of these problems simply and automatically vanish when you use The Customer Broker approach, instead of traditional advertising.
What are the 4 hidden costs of advertising?
1. When you place an ad in mass media, you pay for the full circulation. Your ad must be printed in every copy of that paper. It's like the dangerous gambling mistake of "bet the whole farm on one roll of the dice". Focus on your true customers. Tighter targeting saves much of your heavy media cost.
2. Advertising prices are inflated by a 15% "agency commission". This kick-back is added to the media costs. For example if you are quoted a price of $500 to run an ad, the real price is only $425, but you pay an extra $75 kick-back to the sales rep or ad agent who sold the media space to you. Cut out this hidden 15%, immediately.
3. You pay a fee for "creative". This is the cost of a graphic-artist to design your ad. It is based on an hourly rate, and is either quoted separately, or hidden in your bill. Sadly, these ads are knocked out quick and dirty, like on an assembly line. They are designed to look good to you ... because YOU are "the customer" of the media. You are buying their ad. But there was too little effort put into making them sell your product to your customers. You are undoubtedly aware that most ads don't work as well as you hoped or expected.
4. Most ads scream "On Sale". When you discount your selling price this cuts into your profit margin. For example a common offer might be: "$5 off any purchase of $25 or more". This is a 20% cut in your profits, which is HALF of a 40% margin. When The Customer Broker provides customers to you, they pay your full retail price.
"I know that fully half of the money I spend on advertising is wasted. The problem is, I don't know which half!"
-- John Wanamaker, Founder of Wanamaker's, the giant department store in Philadelphia
This quotation is over a century old. Today, his "half" that is wasted is Over 83%!
Increase your bottom line by cutting out the money wasted on ads that don't work or don't pay.
The Customer Broker eliminates ALL 4 of these hidden costs for you.
What are the 3-R's of measured advertising
Have you seen the 3 things business owners are using to control advertising cost-effectiveness?
Most small business owners are told: "Advertising effectiveness can NOT be measured". They are totally unaware that advertising effectiveness CAN be measured precisely. It's really simple. There are 3 things you can use to judge whether every ad was profitable, and to inter-compare various ads. When you see one that doesn't work you can fix it, instead of wasting more of your money. Success "by the numbers" ... This is the only realistic way to assure that you are in control.
1. Revenue Dollars. This is simply the amount of money spent by customers drawn in by a particular ad.
2. Response Rate. This is a ratio or percentage of how many people bought, compared to how many people
saw your ad or received your mailing. For example: if you mail out 500 pieces and draw in 10 customers,
that 10 out of 500 is 2 out of every 100, or a 2% response rate. (Keep in mind the national average response
on mass mailings is a pitiful 0.5% or less.)
saw your ad or received your mailing. For example: if you mail out 500 pieces and draw in 10 customers,
that 10 out of 500 is 2 out of every 100, or a 2% response rate. (Keep in mind the national average response
on mass mailings is a pitiful 0.5% or less.)
3. ROI (Return On Investment) This is a ratio of gross revenue to ad cost. For example: if you spend $500
to run an ad or launch a mailing, and you see $3000 come back into your cash register, that's an ROI of
3000 / 500 or 6-to-1. (The rule of thumb is that ROI of 5-to-1 is the minimum needed for any business to survive.
7-to-1 is better, profitable, sustainable. Anything above 7 is considered excellent.)
to run an ad or launch a mailing, and you see $3000 come back into your cash register, that's an ROI of
3000 / 500 or 6-to-1. (The rule of thumb is that ROI of 5-to-1 is the minimum needed for any business to survive.
7-to-1 is better, profitable, sustainable. Anything above 7 is considered excellent.)
"Take the opinion and verdict of nobody, who knows nothing about his returns."
-- Claude Hopkins, Early Advertising Pioneer, Author of "Scientific Advertising"
"Gambling ends and control begins with measurement."
-- Mr. Russo, Early Pioneer of Data-Based Marketing, Author of "Customer Connect!"