93 Gorilla Marketing Tactics

Marketing doesn't start and end at PPC. Here are some ways other companies spread the word to their targeted customers/buyers.

1. MAKE CUSTOMERS A BIRTHDAY CARD

Guerrilla Ray Fisher of Keylock Mini Storage in Pinellas Park, Florida, celebrates his tenants' birthdays by creating a custom card. He prints a poem on each card and uses 8-1/2 x 11 cardstock to produce four cards per sheet. After printing and cutting at Kinko's, Fisher sends them out. The response has been positive—one tenant even stopped by the office to express their appreciation. Fisher has a file organized by month, pre-addressing cards to make them easier to mail a week before upcoming birthdays. Any service business can profit from this personal touch.

2. A STICKY SUCCESS STORY

Guerrilla Mike Cohen reports on Captain Tony's Pizza in Cleveland, Ohio, where monthly coupons are printed on Post-It™ notes and placed on doors throughout the delivery area. The typical response rate is an impressive 30%. This "Guerrilla Mail" tactic owes its success to the familiarity of the sticky notes, which resemble UPS delivery notices and are often posted on refrigerators or near phones.

3. THE ICE CREAM INCENTIVE

Marketing Consultant Bob Janet shared a variation of an old ice cream trick. Sales staff would find out where customers lived, then call them with an incentive (such as a discount or special offer) just as the customer arrived home with melting ice cream. The time-limited offers, which expired by the end of the day, proved highly successful in generating sales.

4. BEACH PARTY BINGO

Dusty Simmons, a retail store owner in Central Florida, offers surf, skateboard, and beach supplies but struggled to differentiate his store from competitors. He created a "Christmas Wish List" for customers to send to loved ones, inviting adults to an after-hours event with live music, snacks, and drinks. The promotion led to record sales, and the event's success has left customers eager for its return.

5. TALKING HOUSE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

Guerrilla Scott Matthew, president of Realty Electronics Inc. of Fond du Lac, WI, introduced the "Talking House"—a small radio transmitter that plays a customized marketing message to prospects sitting in their car outside a property for sale. The system has applications in various industries, from restaurants to automobile dealerships.

6. MARKETING TO THE DISABLED

Guerrilla Kimberley Barreda runs Cripmedia, which offers marketing services to firms targeting the disabled community, a group responsible for over $700 million in consumer spending. Barreda founded the company after being denied a commercial audition due to using a wheelchair. She now publishes an annual "Consumer With a Disability" profile survey to bring attention to this underserved market.

7. FREE DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATION

Guerrilla Pat Messick from Bronxville, NY, discovered an advertiser-supported website offering free domain name registration, saving him $50. Messick has since referred several friends to the site, passing along the savings.

8. BUSINESS CARD AS POCKET-SIZED BULLETIN BOARD

Guerrilla Scott Miller from Aurora, Colorado, transformed his business cards into marketing tools. On the inside of the folded card, Miller lists his products and contact information. For his next card run, he plans to add vendor details on the back.

9. ADD MEMOS TO YOUR MARKETING

Frank Pipia, Jr. of Pipia-Graphics & Advertising in Wauwatosa, WI, recommends attaching a personal note on a Post-It™ to your business card when sending out correspondence. Keep the message brief and personal, and include any new products or services that could benefit the recipient.

10. IMEDIAFAX IS RIGHT ON TARGET

Guerrilla Paul J. Krupin of Kennewick, WA, launched ImediaFAX, a custom news distribution service that faxes business messages to selected media outlets. The service allows users to target specific industries, states, or market areas. According to Krupin, better targeting reduces over-broadcasting, and the service costs only 25 cents per faxed page.

11. A DELICIOUS SALES PLOY

Guerrilla Walt Gibson of Dracut, MA, recalls a seasoned real estate agent who used to give prospective buyers a quart of ice cream on hot summer days after showing them a house. This tactic kept prospects thinking about the house as they rushed home to put the ice cream in the freezer, making them less likely to visit competitors' properties that day.

12. A TALE OF HOLIDAY CHEER

Guerrilla Dane Colby of Magical Landscapes in Whidbey Island, WA, promotes collaboration over competition in his local community. Rather than competing with other landscapers, Colby encourages creativity and focuses on the joy of landscaping, believing that fostering goodwill in the industry benefits everyone involved. His marketing strategy is rooted in bringing value and fun to his clients, which he says is more fruitful than traditional competition.

13. ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE

Venetia Flowers, a private investigator from San Antonio, TX, utilized her network to sublet office space in a downtown building housing over 100 law firms. By reaching out to lawyers she'd previously met and asking for leads, Flowers gained 65 contacts and built a robust database, illustrating the power of simply asking for help.

14. BUSINESS CARD DOES DOUBLE DUTY

Carol Parenzan Smalley, owner of Small Business Consulting Services in Palmyra, PA, created a unique business card that also functions as a bookmark. The front contains her business information, and the back lists free resources, such as library sections and government agencies. Smalley reduced costs by bartering services with a client for the design of her stationery.

15. FINDING THE UPSIDE OF DOWNSIZING

Guerrilla Diane Ernsberger, who runs a resume consulting business in Columbus, OH, offers her services to companies undergoing downsizing. By providing resume assistance for laid-off employees, Ernsberger taps into a steady stream of clients, as companies often pay for these services to support departing workers.

16. CREDITS NOT COUPONS

In a highly competitive environment, Guerrilla Jack Barth of Barth's Cleaning Centre in Ontario, opts to give his customers a credit on their account rather than issuing coupons that competitors might accept. Barth sends personalized letters to customers, keeping his promotions under the radar of competitors.

17. AUTORESPONDER OR URL?

Jim Daniels from Smithfield, RI, realized that many people still prefer email over browsing the web. After switching from autoresponders to just listing his website URL in ads, his response rate dropped. By including both options—autoresponders and the URL—in his ads, Daniels increased inquiries by 20%, ultimately boosting profits.

18. BECOME A MARKETING MATCHMAKER

Guerrilla Dana Burke of Mind Your Business distributes her clients' business cards with a sticker that reads, “Referred by Mind Your Business.” This tactic reminds recipients of Burke’s involvement, helping her stay top-of-mind with potential customers. It’s a win-win situation for her clients and her business.

19. CAT SHOOT CAPTURES COMMUNITY'S CONCERN

Jim Valovic of Van's Harley-Davidson in Gloversville, NY, promoted a "Cat Shoot" event, drawing attention from media and local authorities. On the day of the event, instead of shooting live animals, participants shot at a large cartoon cat with paintball guns, with proceeds going to the Humane Society. The event generated widespread publicity for Van's Harley-Davidson.

20. FREE TEST MARKETING

Guerrilla C. Whitlock of Cellular One in Beckley, WV, came up with a clever way to market pagers by giving them to customers who were waiting for their car’s installation to be completed. This allowed customers to run errands while they waited and marketed the pager service for free.

21. CUSTOMER ADVOCACY

Guerrilla Nicole Baker of Millennium Marketing Solutions advocates for putting the customer's needs first. Instead of hard-selling, she practices objectivity and honesty, fostering long-term loyalty. This approach positions her as the go-to resource when customers need advice or new products, even if it doesn't yield immediate sales.

22. RETAIL MARKETING FUSION

Guerrilla Gary Brummond witnessed a great example of marketing collaboration when a portrait studio featured pet portraits in their window and cross-promoted the pet store across the hall. The partnership benefited both businesses, with the pet store gaining exposure and the studio getting fun subjects for their displays.

23. GUERRILLA GREETINGS

Ron Foster keeps in touch with his customers year-round by sending them simple and inexpensive holiday fax greetings. Customers appreciate the personal touch, and Foster stays top-of-mind, ensuring continued business and goodwill.

24. FLOWER POWER

Guerrilla Caty Woodstrom of San Francisco's South Park District made her floral business visible by placing simple flower arrangements in parks and cafes. Each arrangement included her business card, generating calls and business inquiries. This tactic became her primary form of advertising.

25. CREDIBILITY FOR SMALL COMPANIES

Guerrilla Adir Shiffman boosts credibility for small businesses by implementing tricks like getting an 800-number, using voicemail boxes, listing titles like “Sales Manager” instead of CEO, and upgrading business cards. These tactics help small companies appear larger and more professional.

26. DIRECT MAIL GAMBIT

Guerrilla Pablo Naranjo enhances direct mail response by sending out empty envelopes with a headline offer and a phone number. Recipients call to inquire about the empty envelope, opening the door for further engagement.

27. RICH OR FAMOUS?

Guerrilla Marc-André Rampon boosts newsletter content by allowing volunteers to contribute articles in exchange for recognition. This arrangement helps him save money while providing value to contributors, and it’s a win-win strategy.

28. TARGETED AND FREE ADS

James Bond, an investigator, boosts his business by placing his business cards inside law books at a local law library. Lawyers and paralegals who find the cards assume his services are highly recommended, leading to increased credibility and new clients.

29. FISHING FOR LEADS

Guerrilla Cyndi Stout collects business cards from fishbowl prize drawings at local restaurants. By offering incentives, she acquires valuable leads, often at little or no cost.

30. GET ONLINE LINKS

Guerrilla David Gresser increases traffic to his sheet music website by linking to other music sites. He then notifies those sites and asks for reciprocal links, quickly growing his network to over 50 links.

31. FREE P.R.

Guerrilla Margaret Briggs of a computer training company came up with a unique P.R. tactic by announcing their class cancellations during a storm through local media, similar to how schools announce closings. This clever approach garnered free publicity and kept customers informed, turning an inconvenience into a marketing win.

32. HOOKING NEW CUSTOMERS

Guerrilla Betsy Berman, who runs Charley’s Steakery, used a “sampling” tactic called “hooking” to attract new customers. By measuring the results of their sampling program and refining it, the company expanded from a single outlet to over 50 stores in just six years.

33. DON'T GIVE IT AWAY!

Guerrilla Wayne Schulz discovered that people value something more when they have to pay for it. After struggling to get attendees for free software demonstration seminars, he started charging a fee, which increased enrollments significantly and ensured higher attendance.

34. A LAUGH DISCOUNT

Guerrilla Drew Roberts created a unique promotion for his clients—he offers a discount if a customer makes him laugh within the first five minutes of their interaction. This fun approach not only lightens the mood but also leaves a lasting impression, ensuring customers remember him.

35. GIVE A WEB PAGE

Guerrilla Thaddeus Frick boosted traffic to his consulting website by giving away personal web pages to his clients. In turn, his clients promoted their pages, driving traffic back to his site and increasing customer loyalty.

36. BOLD AND DARING WINS

Guerrilla Mike Weiner, a freelance voice talent, cut through the clutter with a daring marketing campaign. He sent out demo tapes with a bold photo of himself without a shirt, captioned "The Naked Voice." This bold approach caught the attention of clients and proved to be his most successful campaign.

37. MORE P.R. TRICKS

Guerrilla Cliff Stepp promoted a client’s lawn furniture, made from recycled plastics, by sending the press release inside recycled milk cartons. This unique packaging caught the attention of the media, leading to great coverage.

38. DRIVE YOUR PROMOTION

Guerrilla Jeffrey Ross found an inexpensive way to promote his business by putting his website’s URL on his car. By doing so, he turned his daily commute into a moving advertisement, helping to drive local traffic to his new website.

39. FREE RADIO TIME?

Guerrilla Jack Livingston secured a year-long radio campaign for a car dealership by trading a car for the ad budget. Jack made sure that DJs could check out the car at station events, and when the car was eventually given away in a contest, he gained attention from both local TV and newspapers, boosting the dealership's visibility.

40. CONTESTS WITHOUT A BIG BUDGET

Guerrilla Scott Harvey of AOL's Hecklers Online ran contests using prizes donated by other companies in exchange for promotional plugs. By offering these prizes, Scott kept visitors engaged and returning to the site, building a loyal audience at no cost to his business.

41. MARKET RESEARCH WITH A TWIST

Guerrilla David Murphy conducted market research for his website by asking visitors about their web browsers and internet speed through a simple online survey. He turned the results into a press release, generating publicity, new clients, and further insights into his target market.

42. LAUNCH A PRODUCT WITHOUT A BUDGET

Guerrilla Danna Munley promoted software for locksmiths by giving it away to locksmith schools and associations. This cost-free marketing strategy helped generate product awareness, and schools began recommending the software to their students, leading to sales without a significant budget.

43. GET MEDIA ATTENTION THROUGH GIVING

Guerrilla Charles Larsen hosted a blood drive to help his local community and used the event to gain media coverage for his business. The charitable act not only benefited the blood bank but also generated valuable publicity for his company.

44. STRETCH YOUR AD BUDGET

Guerrilla Jack Livingston bartered ad space on his outdoor signs for radio time from a local oldies station. This mutually beneficial fusion marketing effort resulted in both companies gaining exposure. Jack's approach even led to a radio show about antiques, aligning with his antique mall business.

45. BOOST SALES DURING THE OFF-SEASON

Guerrilla florist Hugh Atkinson used a simple but effective sign in January after the holiday rush: "How mad is she?" The humorous yet impactful sign attracted attention, prompting more people to buy flowers and keeping sales steady during an otherwise slow season.

46. USE HOLIDAYS AND EVENTS FOR SALES CALLS

Guerrilla Diana Ratliff finds unique excuses to make sales calls by referring to obscure holidays and awareness weeks. For example, she informed one prospect about "National Reminiscence Week," which led to local radio coverage and turned the prospect into a loyal customer.

47. CREATE SOMETHING UNIQUE

Guerrilla Dennis Buchner, who runs Buc's Aqua Farms, was struggling to sell his minnows because of market saturation. Instead of competing, he bought hybrid minnows and crossbred them to create his own unique fish, giving him a one-of-a-kind product that customers couldn't resist.

48. TURN MISTAKES INTO OPPORTUNITIES

Guerrilla Arthur Mickelson secured a sale even after sending a rusty umbrella sample to a customer. By immediately visiting the client, acknowledging the mistake, and keeping a good sense of humor, Arthur turned the situation around and won the order.

49. USE OUTDOOR ADS FOR RADIO TIME

Guerrilla Jack Livingston found a way to use his outdoor advertising budget for more than just signage. He traded ad space on his billboards for free radio time from a local station, benefiting both parties and driving additional traffic to his business.

50. OFFER SERVICES INSTEAD OF WHAT YOU WON'T DO

Guerrilla Shawn Bishop suggests turning "No" signs into opportunities. Instead of posting signs about what services you don’t offer (like "No change for parking meters"), provide those services and advertise them, using friendly staff and strategic impulse item placements to attract more business.

51. ASK NOT, AND YE SHALL RECEIVE!

Guerrilla Dave Sunde managed to get a celebrity endorsement for his t-shirt line from boxer Evander Holyfield, without even asking for it! Dave gave a mutual friend some free samples to pass along to Holyfield, themed around topics important to the athlete. Holyfield was photographed wearing the shirts, and even wore them on camera after taking off another company's paid endorsement shirt. The secret? Offering the samples with no strings attached.

52. TIMING YOUR PROMOTIONS

Guerrilla David Murphy developed a customer-centric approach to timing promotions. For example, on a customer's fifth anniversary with his business, they receive a 5% discount for the entire month. Murphy matches promotions to significant life events—such as births, graduations, or anniversaries—creating long-lasting relationships and increased sales.

53. WHY YOU MIGHT WANT A WEBSITE

Guerrilla Michael Turco, a computer consultant, found that having a website wasn't just about attracting new customers, but about retaining and serving existing ones. He created a website full of useful resources, which his customers used as a starting point when navigating the online world. This added value led to higher customer loyalty and increased referrals.

54. TWO SIMPLE WORDS TO INCREASE SALES

Guerrilla Brian Morris uses a simple technique to boost sales. When a customer is about to complete a purchase, he asks, "Something else?" with an upward inflection. This gentle prompt often encourages customers to think about additional items they may need, leading to more sales.

55. BUY SOMEONE A TASTY BEVERAGE

Guerrilla Dave Forman took advantage of a no-host bar at a fundraising event by offering to pay the bar tab in exchange for kind mentions in the program and the chance to place his marketing materials at the bar. This small investment resulted in five orders from the event and repeat invitations to future events.

56. REPEAT TRAFFIC

Guerrilla David Murphy found a way to generate repeat visits to his website by running a contest that asked visitors for suggestions on how to improve the site. The winning suggestions received coffee mugs with Murphy's logo and contact information. This tactic encouraged visitors to return to the site and feel involved in its development.

57. WORD-OF-MOUTH ADVERTISING

Guerrilla Gary Brody generates word-of-mouth buzz for his independent record label by distributing new music to online music lovers. He sends free copies to people in online discussions and forums, asking them to share their thoughts with friends or post reviews if they enjoy the music. This tactic spreads the word without spending money on traditional marketing.

58. ONLINE MARKETING

Guerrilla David Scherer switched from faxing urgent bulletins to emailing them, quickly building a list of subscribers who wanted to receive his information. This method was faster, cheaper, and allowed for instant communication with his audience, resulting in great marketing results with minimal costs.

59. NEED REFERENCES?

Guerrilla Ronald Smith improves his skylight installation business by sending out customer satisfaction surveys after completing jobs. In return, customers often give permission to use their feedback in marketing materials. Additionally, Smith offers a free dinner to any customer who refers new business, generating both great testimonials and new leads.

60. WEB PUBLICITY

Guerrilla Wendy McClelland ensured that her website was seen by putting the URL on everything that left her office—stationery, t-shirts, press releases, and even her car. This strategy helped her gather over 4,000 guest book registrations on her website in the first two months, while also earning her local press coverage.

61. TEMPORARY TATTOOS

Guerrilla marketing can be as simple as temporary tattoos. The SLO Brewing Company in California created branded temporary tattoos and handed them out at a trade show. People proudly wore them, creating buzz across the event floor. This simple, low-cost tactic made their brand memorable to attendees.

62. REACHING HOME-BASED BUSINESSES

Home-based businesses can be hard to reach, as they are often not listed in directories. Guerrilla Deborah Wilson suggested creating a special committee for home-based businesses within the local chamber of commerce. Appointed as the committee head, Wilson was able to organize and connect with this niche group using the chamber’s resources, benefiting both her business and the home-based business community.

63. TROUBLE MAKING MONEY ONLINE?

Guerrilla David found success online by shifting his strategy. Instead of selling training and technology products directly from his website, he began using it to collect leads and provide useful information to prospects. By qualifying leads through online questionnaires, he improved follow-up efforts and achieved better results.

64. SILLY PROMOTIONS CAN WORK

Guerrilla Terry Stone found that "silly" promotions can be highly effective. For instance, he hands out rulers imprinted with his business name and phone number, saying, “Use these to measure the effectiveness of my presentation.” Although the line is corny, the promotion leaves a lasting impression, and customers remember him.

65. EVEN THE BEST-LAID PLANS CAN GO WRONG

When Guerrilla Larry Rudd received trade show premiums with the wrong phone number, he turned the mistake into a success. Instead of panicking, he held a drawing at the show and collected contact details. When the corrected premiums arrived, he mailed them with a personalized note of thanks, creating a stronger impact and follow-up.

66. MAKE THE MOST OF CHANGE

Guerrilla Melanie Deardorff capitalized on changing her company’s name from Birchwood Publishing to Birchwood Marketing Communications. She sent postcards with images of the new $100 bill alongside her new logo, with the tagline, “Both got a new look… only one increased in value.” The campaign explained her expanded services and generated attention for the rebranding.

67. ATTENTION-GETTING PITCH

Guerrilla John Rowley uses a creative pitch to get the attention of prospects—he attaches one-half of a $20 bill to a simple mail pitch. He promises the other half in exchange for a 20-minute meeting. One out of three prospects responds positively to this offer.

68. CUSTOMER LOYALTY PROGRAMS

Guerrilla Larry Gaynor builds customer loyalty by sending a Tootsie Roll Pop with every order, along with a client survey card. Over 80% of customers respond to the surveys, and those who leave positive feedback receive a follow-up letter and a free issue of the company’s paid newsletter. This strategy not only boosts loyalty but also turns satisfied customers into newsletter subscribers.

69. DO YOU FEEL FORGOTTEN BY CUSTOMERS?

Guerrilla Helen Cottreau ensured that her customers wouldn’t forget her by sending packets of forget-me-not flower seeds along with her business’s relocation announcement. This thoughtful and creative touch kept her business top of mind during the move.

70. TROUBLE SETTING PRICES?

Guerrilla Marvin Mansky ran a unique promotion at his dental practice, allowing patients to pay what they thought was fair for a basic exam and cleaning. Surprisingly, most paid close to the regular rate, and some even paid more. The promotion filled his schedule and generated a surge in new patient referrals.

71. NEED CUSTOMERS FOR YOUR NEW BUSINESS?

Guerrilla Wendy McClelland helped a client build a bridal makeup business by offering free makeup demos in local bridal stores every Saturday. Attendees received brochures and could enter a drawing for a free makeup session. The exposure led to great word-of-mouth referrals, a mailing list of potential brides, and strong business growth.

72. LOW-COST COMPETITORS GOT YOU DOWN?

Guerrilla Kara’s Hair Studio combated cheap competition with a bold marketing campaign. They ran ads featuring people with bad haircuts wearing bags over their heads, paired with the tagline, “Kara’s fixes $5 haircuts.” Students were even hired to wear bags on their heads and walk around outside the competitor's shop with sandwich boards featuring the same message. The humorous campaign helped drive traffic back to Kara's.

73. GIVE FREE SAMPLES

Guerrilla Lil Zielke grows her desktop design business by giving away redesigned flyers and promotional materials to prospects. She marks them as “draft” and includes an introductory letter. This tactic has resulted in significant business growth, as recipients are often impressed with the improvements and seek her services.

74. COLD CALLS

Guerrilla Ramil Cueto uses emotion and timing to get through to prospects. He makes his calls after 6 PM, when prospects are more relaxed, and uses an emotional appeal by asking why they think, feel, or say what they do. This tailored approach, rather than a scripted pitch, helps him connect with prospects more effectively.

75. TOP TEN REASONS TO USE YOUR COMPANY

Guerrilla Don Snyder leaves behind a list of the "Top Ten Reasons" a prospect should use his company, instead of traditional business cards or brochures. The humorous, yet truthful, list often leads to follow-up calls from prospects who appreciate the creativity, giving Snyder an opportunity to further qualify their needs.

76. THE VIP TREATMENT

Guerrilla Bill Symons treats visiting salespeople like VIPs by taking them to lunch. In return, these salespeople spread the word about his company, leading to referrals and rapid growth.

77. USE WAL-MART TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

Jim Mayfield, a small-town retailer, used Wal-Mart's presence to his advantage by running ads that encouraged customers to visit Wal-Mart for everyday items, then come to his store for specialty products. This doubled his sales.

78. USE ADVERTISING SPECIALTIES

Guerrilla Thomas Kan promoted his Hong Kong internet marketing firm by distributing 3,000 mousepads with his phone number. This simple giveaway generated many calls and boosted his business visibility.

79. SAY IT WITH CHOCOLATE

Ann Douglas sent a large chocolate "YES" to a prospective agent with a note requesting representation. The creative approach helped her stand out and get noticed.

80. REVERSE PHONE LISTING PROMOTION

Guerrilla Doug Hannan improved newsletter responses by offering a reverse phone directory, a helpful tool for confirming unclear phone messages, which generated a great response.

81. MAKE STAFF CHANGES AN OPPORTUNITY

Mark Brodie monitors want ads for companies hiring marketing or design positions. He contacts the new employees, who are often looking for new vendors, and turns them into clients.

82. DELIVER QUALITY

Guerrilla Ed Clark offers to rewrite resumes for dissatisfied customers without obligation. His method has a 100% success rate, as prospects are impressed by the quality and become paying clients.

83. INCENTIVIZE STAFF-GENERATED SALES LEADS

Southern New England Telephone Company rewards non-sales staff for generating leads, with lunch certificates and gift points. This program brought in $1 million in revenue.

84. ELECTRONIC MARKETING TACTICS

Guerrilla Bill Barbee helped a city councilman win re-election using a web campaign when he discovered that over 55% of the county owned computers, proving the effectiveness of targeting digital audiences.

85. TEST MARKETING ON THE CHEAP

Jim Servies tested logo designs by showing them to customers at a Waffle House, gaining valuable feedback and ensuring he picked the right design before launching his business.

86. USE HUMOR

John Weiss boosted traffic to his acne treatment product's website with humorous content like "Confessions of a Pizza Face" and a game called "Zit Hunt." The playful approach attracted attention and media coverage.

87. FAXBACK RESPONSES

Guerrilla Jeff Rubin offers a free report on "How To Produce Newsletters That Get Results" via faxback form, driving 5-8% response rates on each mailing by making it easy and quick for prospects to respond.

88. BUSINESS REFERRALS

Guerrilla Vince Furlong refers customers needing Macintosh training to a competitor, and the competitor refers non-Mac training clients back to Vince, creating a mutually beneficial partnership.

89. FLEXIBLE REFUND POLICY

Rather than sticking to a strict refund policy, Guerrilla Ronald Smith asks unsatisfied customers, "What would you consider a fair deal?" This flexibility builds trust and goodwill with customers.

90. USE A FUNNY PITCH

Peter Schroeder runs a collection agency and sends humorous postcards from Florida, saying, "I'm having too much fun with your money here!" The humor helps him get attention and win clients.

91. GENERATE IDEAS THROUGH CONTESTS

PaperDirect runs quarterly contests asking customers for new product ideas, resulting in about 500 suggestions each time and helping the company grow from $1.1 million to $17 million in three years.

92. FREE HOTLINE PHONES

Norwegian transport company Toll-post Globe installed free hotline phones on the desks of top executives, providing direct access to their services and demonstrating customer care on a personal level.

93. ASK FOR 43 SECONDS

Financial planner Michael Marteloni asks prospects for exactly 43 seconds of their time, an unusual request that piques curiosity. He uses that time to introduce his services and often secures longer meetings.

These quick-hit guerrilla tactics are a great way to inspire creative, cost-effective marketing strategies for various businesses.