“Brains Over Bucks.”

TEMPO
STREET FIGHTER
Mercantile marauder uses his wits to give small business an edge.
Clifford Terry

   WISMAN’S TRUSTED Appliances & TV Inc. of Ft. Wayne, Ind., was hurting. It wasn’t that customers weren’t coming into Bruce Wisman’s store but that, after checking out the prices, they were drifting across to the mall and buying at Pennys, Wards or Sears.
   “Bruce wanted to know if there was anything he could do to at least have a shot.” recalls Jeff Slutsky. “Since they weren’t the biggest guy, they couldn't always have the best price. So one of things we did was to offer free half gallons of ice cream to anyone who looked at a freezer. The customers would client into their cards an then realize they ha to go home right away or it would melt. So ended their comparison shopping.”
   Slutsky is the diminutive [compact, he might say] president of [Street Fighter] Marking Institute, a consulting firm that uses a technique —such as that meltdown maneuver—he calls street fighting.
   “Basically, it’s low-cost promotion and advertising for small businesses—something that can give you a little edge.” he says. “The important thing is that it has to be done on the cheap. Anyone can throw a major promotion and spend a fortune.
   TWO YEARS AGO one of Slutsky’s clients who owns a group of printing shops was asked to be a $750 sponsor for the Mad Anthony Hoosier Celebrity Gold Tournament, a charity event in Ft. Wayne.
   “He’d be on of a couple dozen people, and he’d get his name on a little plaque on the 18th hole. Instead, he said, ‘Listen, I want to do something special. I’m going to put up a $10,000 for the first hole-in-one that’s made on the ninth hole—$5000 to the charity, $5000 to the golfer.’
   “Well, they were excited. He was interviewed by all three network affiliates and made the two newspapers. He easily go $10,000 worth of exposure. What no one knew was that he had bought a policy from Lloyd's of London in case someone made the shot— which they didn’t—so there was no risk involved. The premium cost $450, or $300 less than the sponsorship Of course, he totally dominated the tournament.

   Slutsky has developed plenty of tactics himself, but is not above stealing—which he prefers to call “creative borrowing”.

   “We don’t use the idea exactly but modify it. I got the ice cream bit from a mobile-home salesman.

   “ONCE YOU COME up with a few examples, all of a sudden they get real sharp and often com up with their own. There was a Pizza Hut next to a Happy Joe’s, also a pizza place. That folded. The Pizza Hut manager called up the phone company and paid to have the Happy Joe’s phone number installed. When people called, they’d answer, ‘Hello, this used to be happy Joes, but we’re out of business. This is Pizza Hut. May we help you?’
   “They come out of the woodwork. When I give seminars, someone will come up afterwards and say, I’ve got a good one.’ One guy told me about a video store in Denver that found out a competitor was dome in close.

   ‘Actually, there’ probably no station that’s to death with me, because I teach my clients

how to negotiate with these guys on commercials. I’ll show them the little tricks.’
   By and was planning a grand opening with giveaways. The first store waited until that day and set up a miniature blimp with the lettering, ‘Now Open.’ They ended up stealing at least half of the customers, who became confused and though they were going to the other’s kickoff.” Slutsky also likes to tell the story of one the restaurant owner in Lexington, KY.

   “He looked through the local phone book—this was a few years ago—and came across a guy named John Wayne. He called him up and

   ‘Street fighting’ puts clients on road to success.