Free beer?
Two of my best friends - Danny and Katie - are hairdressers. Brilliant hairdressers, in fact.
This means two things:
- Looking this good costs less.
- I don’t go into salons much.
I went to Katie’s salon today though. It’s spanking new and pretty swish. So swish in fact, I could’ve had a glass of cold Budweiser while my barnet was being chopped.
I questioned Katie about how they get around licensing laws. Turns out that you don’t buy the drink; you rent the glass. The drink is effectively free.
They don’t make a profit on it either; it’s done for the benefit of the customers.
Which is pretty cool I think.
It demonstrates that not every element of your business should make a profit. Some elements that only break-even are worth talking about.
So what about if you made a loss? What if those drinks were absolutely free? What if I was brought a cold Budweiser without even asking for one?
Cold Budweiser, sir?
Yes please. I’ll happily drink it, relax during my haircut, and then tell all my mates about your salon. Never underestimate how much blokes talk about the time I got a free beer.
I know of companies that give away £10 vouchers if you refer your friends to them. Why not spend £10 giving a service worth talking about?