When it comes to ground marketing, one of the most common questions I receive is “where do I even begin?”
While I have an article that shares the 3 steps you need to take to begin your ground marketing efforts, this article will focus on the 3 stores (and the strategy you need) that you can ground market to today to grow your practice.
This article is your blueprint to get started on ground marketing ASAP so if you’re ready to grow your practice through easy-to-follow ground marketing strategies, keep on reading.
3 Stores to Start Ground Marketing to Today to Grow Your Practice
We’re going to focus on ground marketing to the following 3 stores in this article:
- Costco
- Starbucks
- LA Fitness
The reason why we’ve selected these stores is that we’re all very familiar with them. Chances are, you have one (if not all three) of these stores in your neighborhood.
This article will be split into different sections so that you can pick and choose the store you want to ground market to and follow the specific strategy it requires.
If you’re feeling ambitious, you can start ground marketing to all 3 of these stores today.
But without further ado, let’s begin with the first store.
How to Start Ground Marketing to Costco
Costco is a major wholesale chain where you can find everything from groceries to electronics. Just like any great ground marketing strategy, you’ll want to start with your community research and radius check.
Your community research and radius check are especially important because you want to make sure that the store is within reach of your practice.
Once you’ve done your research, you want to call them and speak to their manager.
While on the phone with the manager, you want to ask them if it’s possible for you to give the employees some “hygiene kits & freebies” as thank you for everything they do. Let them know that in the past, you’ve had some colleagues set-up a small booth in the break-room and handed out freebies and answered questions to everyone who decided to take their break or eat lunch. You’ll want to ensure them that by setting up a booth, you’re not intending to bother them or their employees. Instead, you’re simply there to provide their employees with value and answer any questions they have.
At that point, the manager will either say yes or let you know that now is not the best time and to call later on.
If they say yes, that’s great! You’ll want to schedule a date and time to set up your booth.
But if it’s a “not right now”, it isn’t the end of the conversation. The next thing you want to do is ask the manager if you can just come by and DROP OFF some free hygiene kits (or whatever your freebies might be) for their employees.
More than likely, the manager will say yes. They’ll most likely be shocked that you’re offering their employees free gifts. After they say yes, when you are in person DROPPING OFF your freebies/ hygiene kits, you could pitch your “booth set-up in their break room” in person. In person, they will most likely say yes and you can come back later that month and set-up.
Key Tip for Ground Marketing to Costco
If the freebie you’re offering Costco is something the store sells, you won’t want to highlight the specific freebies that you’re offering. Instead, you want to focus on the information and value you’re providing.
For example, you can highlight the fact that you want to give their employees information about oral cancer screening, other oral health information, and generally very important information about how they can take care of their oral health. You also want to mention that you take their insurance.
You can also ask them if you can leave a sign-up sheet for anyone who might be interested in the information you’re providing and your services after you leave.
We cover all of this in the Ground Marketing Course along with 2 scripts you can use to get your foot in the door with Costco and other larger corporate stores.
The scripts are very easy to follow and they give you an exact blueprint to follow in order to get your foot in the door. Otherwise, the steps highlighted in this article are a great starting point for you in order to start ground marketing to Costco.
How to Start Ground Marketing to Starbucks
No matter where you’re intending to ground market to, you always want to come from a place that delivers and provides value. Again, your ground marketing efforts need to start with your community research and radius check.
But if there’s a Starbucks that you’re often popping into on your way to work, you can start ground marketing to them as soon as today.
Start by making friendly conversation with the barista. Thank them for always getting your order right or for always giving you the pick-me-up you need at the beginning of your day.
Next, you want to present the value you’re offering. Introduce yourself by letting them know that you own or work at the practice nearby and if it’s ok for you to come by to drop off some freebies as a thank you to their employees.
Key Tip for Ground Marketing to Starbucks
There are 2 key components for ground marketing successfully to Starbucks. The first would be your freebie. You don’t want to offer anything too large or expensive. Instead, you want to offer them something like toothbrushes, a small care kit, bleach trays, etc.
The second would be your sign-up sheet so that you can capture interested prospects. You’ll want to make sure that your sign-up sheet includes the benefit that you’re offering, whether that’s a free bleach tray, 20% of their first visit, or whatever benefit you see fit.
Finally, you want to follow up with a motive to come back. Ask them when would be a great time for you to come by and pick up your sign-up sheet.
The key here is to build a strong relationship and rapport with the coffee shop. Once they know you well and know that you’re part of the community, they’ll be more than likely to allow you to set up a booth in their store. After all, teeth cleaning and oral care are something that many coffee drinkers will be interested in.
How to Start Ground Marketing to LA Fitness
The last store we’re going to talk about is LA Fitness. If you don’t have a LA Fitness close to your practice, you can always do your community research and radius check for any large corporate gyms such as 24 Hour Fitness.
The strategy I share in this article will work exactly the same no matter what.
Ground marketing to LA Fitness (or any gym for that matter) is a great opportunity to grow your practice. If you think about the types of people who sign up for gym memberships, they tend to be individuals who are invested in their physical traits and appearance.
Since oral hygiene and care are a part of your physical appearance, ground marketing to LA Fitness or any gym will produce a mutually beneficial relationship.
Before you begin ground marketing to LA Fitness, you want to be aware of the structural hierarchy of the establishment. You can typically expect the structural hierarchy at LA Fitness to go as follow:
- Operational Manager
- General Manager
- Personal Trainers
- Group Fitness Instructors
- Service Technicians
- Cleaning Crew
While it might not be exact, you’ll always want to get on the phone with a sales manager or anyone above that role.
When you first make your phone call (or walk-in) to LA Fitness, you’ll speak with a receptionist. This is when you ask to speak with a sales manager or anyone above.
Key Tips for Ground Marketing to LA Fitness
Remember, ground marketing is all about how you can provide value and help the store that you’re ground marketing to out.
First and foremost, you and your practice are part of the community, and providing value to your community is a great way to build authority, trust, and rapport.
One of the best ways to provide value to LA Fitness is by referring your current clientele to them. So ask LA Fitness for any promotional material that they might have that you can set up in your practice. And likewise, you want to offer LA Fitness your promotional material and your sign-up sheet.
Additionally, you can ask LA Fitness about any upcoming events, such as a customer appreciation day, that you might be able to participate in.
In any case, I want to provide you with a script to follow so that you can walk-in or call LA Fitness with ease and confidence. All you need to do is click this link, enter your email, and you’ll receive the script (which has helped many members of the Ground Marketing Course) in your inbox.
Start Ground Marketing to These 3 Stores and Grow Your Practice Today
You’ll want to bookmark and save this article since it provides you with a ground marketing blueprint that you can start implementing right away.
The best part? Anyone at your practice can implement these strategies.
If you want to take it a step further, be sure to take photos of your process and post them on your social media channels. That way, your clients and prospects will be able to see your involvement with the community. And at the end of the day, Ground Marketing really is all about getting your name out there while showcasing the expertise and value you provide to your community.
