Lee Dean, owner of Driver Hire Warrington & St Helens, had a cool idea during last year’s heatwave. Instead of driving to new business meetings with a presentation folder, he hitched an ice-cream van to the back of his SUV and offered the chief executive or depot manager an iced lolly. Whilst his prospect enjoyed the free treat, Lee would chat to them about their recruitment needs and how Driver Hire can help.
“I’d seen long distance weather forecasts predicting that summer 2022 was going to be a scorcher,” says Lee. “So, I bought an old BT Telecoms trailer and fitted it out as an ice cream van. I got it logoed up, gave it a thorough polish and added a speaker so I can play traditional ‘Stop me and buy one’.
Lee not only reduced the temperatures at plenty of local businesses, he also hotted up his turnover – adding roughly half a million. “The cost of a lolly is around 35p. It takes about 15 minutes to eat one whilst chatting to me. I reckon that’s a very cost-effective way of buying someone’s time. What’s more, everyone absolutely loves it.”
And the good news is that Lee and his Warrington ice cream team hit the road again this summer – much to the delight of their prospects.