The best way to track the effectiveness of your CDA Idaho business marketing activities is to simply ask your customers how they heard about your business. Create a simple form like the one shown on the next page, listing all the marketing methods you are currently using to promote and market your shop such as print ads, radio or television ads, direct marketing, coupons, referral, drive past, and any other types of marketing you use. Print numerous copies of the form and keep them beside telephones and the cash register so they can be completed quickly and conveniently.

You will find that the clear majority of customers you ask will not mind telling you how they heard about your Coeur d’Alene Idaho business, in fact most will likely be impressed that you care enough to ask. Also make sure that all staff get a quick rundown in the theory behind the new practice, that they fully understand the importance of asking customers how they heard about your business, and that the forms are completed accurately.

Tabulate the results monthly and use the results to increase the marketing activities that work and drop marketing activities that are not working and therefore are not cost efficient. This is a really simple marketing trick that can pay off large so be sure to create “How did you hear about us?” forms and put them to work for your shop today. On the next page is a sample form that you can use.

Additionally, ask for specific information such as the name of the person who may have recommended your Coeur d’Alene business (so you can thank him), and the newspaper they saw the ad in if you’re running more than one display advertisement at any one time. Once you and your staff are in the habit of asking, you’d be amazed at how quickly the form can be completed and even more amazed by the results this simple exercise can have on bottom-line profits.