Friday, August 31, 2012

Start Spreading the Word About Your Full Product Line

If your marketing focuses too sharply on just a few key products or services, your customers may be unaware of your additional offerings...and you may be missing out on a great deal of potential revenue. Here are a few ways to spread the word about your full product or service line:
  • Create a monthly or quarterly product spotlight postcard campaign that highlights various products or services, including a tearaway coupon as an incentive to try.

  • Distribute product and service overview flyers or brochures with every purchase, either by inserting them into the purchase bag or stapling them to the receipt.

  • Include a Q&A section on your website that provides additional details about your various products and services.

  • Give new customers a three-ring binder welcome packet, and periodically send them new product pages or updates that are three-hole drilled to update their binder.

  • Publish a blog and offer regular tips and articles that help customers get the most out of your products.

  • Offer a product catalog with in-depth product features and highlights.

  • Highlight a different product or service in your email tagline every month, with a reminder to check your website for more details.

  • Cross-sell or up-sell your products to increase revenue by bundling items together, suggesting complementary items, or including customer testimonials that recommend some of your lesser-known products along with your more common offerings.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Plant a Seed with Catalogs, and Watch Your Business Grow

While online ordering is a must-have for many businesses, a printed catalog can provide a great supplemental marketing tool for your website. Many people still prefer perusing catalogs at their leisure without being connected to a computer. For these customers, a printed catalog provides increased exposure to a wider variety of products. In addition, catalogs can be easily shared with others and offer staying power...with a message that can be seen again and again.

Here are a few tips for creating a printed catalog that will do the selling for you:
  • Include a mix of customer testimonials that give readers a more consumer-centric look at your products.

  • "Tell your story" by including background information about your business and the history of your products.

  • Cross-sell complementary products through suggestions in the product copy, call-outs, or the placement of companion products together.

  • Feature best-selling products in the upper right-hand corner, where the eye is naturally drawn when flipping through a catalog.

  • Think small. If you have a frequently changing product line, consider a mini catalog booklet that offers a brief overview of your product line with colorful product photos to pique interest. Refer readers to your website for an extended product line or more in-depth information.

  • Include an order form. While few customers mail in their order, many will use it to organize their orders before ordering online or calling.

  • Include seasonal inserts that can be easily updated for relevant sales and offers.
Remember, the more information customers have about your products, the more confident and satisfied they'll feel with their purchasing decisions.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Tips to Wow Prospects at Trade Shows

Trade shows are a proven way to showcase your company's products and services, but it can be challenging to stand apart in what can seem like a never-ending sea of booths. Here are a few tips to ensure your company gets noticed before, during, and after the event:
  • Send teaser pre-show mailers that encourage prospects to visit your booth. Include a raffle ticket for a giveaway, promote a prize drawing, or encourage recipients to stop by your booth for a free giveaway item.

  • Consider a theme for your booth, such as a Hawaiian theme, coffee shop theme, or sports-related theme. If you don't want to go the theme route, simply wear attire that is appropriate for the products you're selling. For example, if you sell ski equipment, you could dress in ski apparel and offer visitors hot cocoa and free demos.

  • Attract visitors with a delicious treat they can't resist, such as homemade cookies, cupcakes, ice cream bars, cinnamon rolls, or even full-size candy bars wrapped with your marketing message.

  • In addition to having a widescreen display that offers engaging, informative content, videos, and product highlights, remember that print materials (including business cards, brochures, and flyers) are a must for ensuring visitors will remember you after they walk away.

  • Use a spotlight to draw attention to a new item or promote a "show special" or "best seller" item. Consider offering a significant discount for placing an order during or within a few days of the event, and have promotional flyers ready to pass out detailing any exclusive offers you provide.

  • Be on the ball when mailing follow-up information. If you're on the road, email someone at the office daily with requests to send info packets immediately.

  • Consider sending a lumpy mailer shortly after the event that includes a thank you card or flyer featuring a photo of you and/or your booth (to spark memory), a small promotional item, and a sample or trial offer of your product. You may also wish to promote an extension to any exclusive offers you marketed at the event.
Let us know if we can help you create stunning marketing materials that will not only spread the word but also help turn prospects into customers!

Friday, August 17, 2012

Educated Customers Are Your Best Customers

One of the biggest marketing mistakes many businesses make is failing to educate buyers about the unique advantages of their products and services, as well as their industry in general. Educated customers are not only more satisfied with their purchasing choices, but they are also more likely to share their wealth of information and tips with other information-savvy buyers. Here are a few ways to increase sales by educating your audience:
  • Educate about pricing. If you're offering a special discounted price because you purchased in volume, let your customers know, so they understand why your prices aren't always so low. The same is true if your prices are higher than the competition -- explain that your products are of a higher quality, that your warranty is longer, or whatever other reasons you might have.

  • Offer information on industry trends, developments, and new products via newsletters, blogs, social media posts, and the like. Provide webcasts, seminars, and guest speaking engagements at area events. Recommend helpful industry resources, such as books, magazines, and blogs.

  • Use your background or experience to become involved in industry forums, where you can share your enthusiasm and knowledge. Offer valuable contributions, such as useful answers or tips that demonstrate your expertise. Back up your information with trusted sources.

  • Provide reasons why you do business with select manufacturers or vendors, such as if they provide unbeatable quality, industry-leading warranties, or have been a dependable partner for several years.

  • Offer a comparative analysis of your products versus the competition. Define the differences between your company and the competition with factual, credible information. Back it up with customer testimonials and references.

  • Consider using on-hold messaging to educate and inform callers while they wait on the phone. This brief time slot offers a perfect opportunity to tell your audience something they may not know.

  • Include educational content on your website, such as a "tips" section, an archive of blogs, e-newsletters, a glossary of industry terms, or other types of industry resources.
The more you can teach someone something they don't already know, the more they will trust you and gravitate toward you as an expert in your field. If you'd like help creating marketing materials that will not only impress but also educate your audience, give us a call.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Break the Barrier

During the mid 20th century, the one-mile run was a centerpiece event in track and field. In its illustrious history, no one had ever broken the four-minute time barrier. For years, doctors, scientists, and the general public believed that it was physically impossible for humans to run that fast. Then in 1954, Roger Bannister came along and proved all the experts wrong by running the race in less than four minutes.

What's more amazing is that within one year of Bannister's record-breaking race, 16 more runners broke the four-minute mile as well.

How could it be that all of a sudden so many athletes were able to break a seemingly impossible record that had stood for so long? There hadn't been a new technological breakthrough, nor could it be explained in any outward way.

One possible explanation is that none of those athletes truly believed it was possible to run the mile in under four minutes. Roger Bannister not only broke the physical barrier of running a sub-four-minute mile. He also broke a mental barrier that had been holding runners back for years.

We all have these types of mental barriers in our lives. We all have reasons in our minds why something can't be done. Most are self-made inner doubts and excuses.

Isn't it time to break through your four-minute-mile barrier?