PROBLEM: Bey–Lea Dairy, which delivers milk door–to–door in central New Jersey, is a cyclical business that averages just under 3,000 customers. Owner Tim Sutton says he loses 10–12 percent of his customer base every year. “People think home milk delivery is wonderful in the beginning, until they get the bill,” he points out. “Or they decide to stop the service for some other reason. My customer base is constantly being depleted.” He hasn’t found newspaper advertising to be cost effective and doesn’t believe the Internet would attract many customers.

SOLUTION: Sutton found the perfect old–time solution for getting new customers and driving his business development strategy: he hired a subcontractor he refers to as a “solicitor” to go from house to house in towns that allow it. The method gets results. “The solicitor is good,” Sutton says. “He can sign up 20 customers in a day.”

It’s an answer to the constant turnover Sutton’s business experiences. Not only has the solicitor/salesperson enabled him to replace the customers he loses, but Bey–Lea has increased new business 20 percent annually with this solution. Sutton likes that he can also direct the efforts to specific areas, since he is not interested in customers outside the reach of the company’s delivery routes.

Sutton knows many people will shake their head at him for not making the Internet a bigger part of his business development plan. On the other hand, large companies like Verizon have recently sent salespeople door–to–door to try and sign up new customers. Sutton has his own “wireless” salesperson who’s working out just fine.

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