The Brian Beers Show

Episode Title: 9 Easy Ways To Get More Customers Without Ads
Host: Brian Beers
Date: August 11, 2025
Episode #: 270

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on practical, low-cost (often free) strategies for generating new customers without relying on digital advertising. Brian Beers, a seasoned entrepreneur with an eight-figure franchise portfolio, shares nine actionable tactics that any business owner—especially in franchising and local services—can use to build a more resilient, lead-generating enterprise. His advice is rooted in real experiences, eschewing trendy digital tricks for proven methods that consistently deliver results.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Customer Referrals: Turning Customers into Your Sales Team

• Ask Directly for Referrals:
  After delivering your service and receiving payment, personally ask customers if they have “any friends or family who might need our service.”
  • Quote: “Key words here, friends or family members, it narrows someone down.” (00:44)
• Be Specific:
  Focus on particular services or promotions to jog a customer’s memory.
• Pay-it-Forward Program:
  Example: Give customers a discount gift card for themselves and one to share.
  • “Here’s $500 you can give to a friend or family member. This is a really good strategy that I like...” (01:31)

2. Follow Up on Estimates and Declined Work

• Keep the Pipeline Warm:
  Don’t interpret silence as rejection; create a system to tag and regularly follow up on unanswered estimates.
• Persistent (but respectful) Follow-ups:
  “A non-response is not a no, it’s just an ‘I’m busy and I’m not going to call you back right now.’” (02:33)
• Ask Why Not:
  Inquire about their reasons for not moving forward—timing, price, or other quotes.

3. Re-engage Past Customers

• Existing Customers = Future Sales:
  Customers who bought once are far more likely to buy again. Don't neglect them after the first sale.
• Tailored Offers:
  Reach out with special offers exclusive to previous customers.
  • ChatGPT for Scripts:
    “If you’re looking for ideas...ChatGPT can be your best friend.” (05:03)
• Maintain Good CRM Habits:
  Meticulously tag and annotate customer information to avoid redundant outreach.

4. Referral Partners

• Build a Network of At Least 25-30 Partners:
  Cultivate active relationships with other professionals who share your customer base (e.g., realtors, contractors, property managers).
  • “You want to build a list, I would say at least 25 to 30 who you have an active relationship with.” (07:15)
• Lead with Value, Not Requests:
  “The best practice here is to send them leads without asking for anything in return.” (07:47)
• Stay Top of Mind:
  Use occasional thoughtful gestures (like cookies or coffee) and be there when partners need your help, no matter the circumstances.

5. Door Hangers

• Hyperlocal Saturation:
  When serving a customer, tag at least 10 homes in every direction with an enticing offer or discount.
• High-Impact Incentives:
  Provide offers that rival your typical digital ad spend (e.g., $300-$500 off), increasing perceived value.
  • “I would much rather give $500 off vs. my $300 off to get the neighbor of a job that I just did.” (14:45)
• Track Effectiveness:
  Use unique phone numbers to track which door hangers result in calls.

6. Yard Signs

• Borrow Visibility from Customers:
  With permission, place yard signs during and after jobs for high neighborhood exposure.
• Strategic Placement (Even If Risky):
  Place signs on busy streets, accepting a potential (small) fine as the cost of massive visibility.
  • “There is like a board that they track the amount of dollars that they've been fined for yard signs in comparison to the amount of money they've made from them.” (18:31)
• Simple Design & Unique Phone Numbers:
  Use bold names, large phone numbers, and QR codes—keep it legible for drive-bys.

7. Trade Shows & Local Events

• Attend Events with Your Target Customer:
  Don’t restrict yourself to industry-specific expos; think creatively (e.g., boat shows, gun shows, pet shows).
  • “The topic itself is kind of irrelevant, to be honest...” (23:03)
• Book Appointments On the Spot:
  Engage face-to-face, show product, and lock in estimations at the event instead of just collecting contact info.

8. Community Events

• Increase Local Presence:
  Participate in regular local happenings (e.g., Food Truck Fridays) to meet potential customers in a relaxed setting.
• Interactive Booths:
  Create fun, engaging activities—like a putting contest or beer giveaway—to drive foot traffic to your stand.
  • “We could have a little putting green. It says, hey, putt to win $25 or free beer or like whatever it is, like we can have a lot of fun with it.” (25:36)

9. Networking Groups

• Intentional Group Memberships:
  Join groups like BNI or local chambers of commerce for regular, trust-based business referrals.
  • “You should really attend every meeting. You should have the goal of being the top refer and try to get everybody business because people are going to feel the need to pay you back.” (28:03)
• Experiment and Commit:
  Test a few networking options to find the one that delivers, then go “all in.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Overreliance on Digital Marketing:

  “Everyone's obsessed with funnels and ads and SEO right now, but you're playing with fire if your entire success is built upon Google and meta with algorithms that change daily.” (00:04)

• On the Power of Referral Partners:

  “If you lead with value, you lead by trying to pay it forward, they will be the best source of leads that you have, and they will be endless.” (10:24)

• On Advertising Spend vs. Local Incentives:

  “Think about what does it cost me to buy a customer online through digital marketing... then why wouldn’t you give $300 for a local lead who you may be the only person they call?” (15:34)

• On Measuring Yard Sign ROI:

  “For them, it’s a no-brainer to pay a $50 fine to have a yard sign that's getting tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of eyeballs on it.” (19:44)

• On Community Engagement:

  “It gets us out in the community and it gets us meeting people. And so later when they see our stuff, it’s not the first time.” (26:09)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Referrals & Pay-It-Forward (00:00 – 02:10)
• Follow Up on Estimates (02:10 – 05:00)
• Past Customers & CRM Tips (05:00 – 07:10)
• Referral Partners (07:10 – 13:00)
• Door Hangers (13:00 – 17:00)
• Yard Signs (17:00 – 21:00)
• Trade Shows & Local Events (21:00 – 25:30)
• Community Events (25:30 – 27:50)
• Networking Groups (27:50 – 30:00)

Tone, Style, and Approach

Brian Beers delivers his advice in a candid, practical, and no-nonsense manner. He makes a strong case for getting “back to basics,” emphasizing persistence, creativity, and relationships over chasing short-term digital fads, and his examples are drawn from personal experience in the franchise and home services sectors.

Summary Takeaway

Business growth does not require pouring money into ads or relying on volatile digital algorithms. By mastering these nine "boring" but proven tactics—referrals, follow-up, leveraging past clients, building referral partners, door-to-door engagement, strategic signage, in-person events, networking, and community involvement—you can control your destiny, lower acquisition costs, and build a more robust, scalable business.

“Those are the nine different ways that you're able to generate leads without meta, without Facebook. Like you can control these, you can take ownership of all these things and you can start tomorrow.” (30:24)