Many Times It’s the Presentation that Makes the Sale

Receiving a gift is one of those times that you truly feel special. You can hardly wait to rip open the wrapping and uncover the treasure inside. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by the gift and other times, somewhat underwhelmed depending on what you were expecting. One thing that stays constant however is the presentation of the gift in the first place.  If it was wrapped you knew someone took the time to conceal the item and add some fun to the festivity, if unwrapped, there is a slight hesitancy of what could be inside. Unless, for women that unwrapped box is a “Robin’s Egg Blue” with a small white ribbon. For the uninformed men out there this is the distinctive packaging from Tiffany’s. Think presentation means something now? Buy an empty Tiffany’s box online and place something other than Tiffany jewelry in there and see what happens…

 

Like Tiffany’s, many upscale department stores use a similar approach by utilizing much heavier wrapping paper and their own designer boxes. Jewelry comes in crushed velvet boxes for a reason, who wants to receive a ring or bracelet in a plastic bag? If you think about it, you can remember the last time you received a gift wrapped in heavier paper or presented to you in a unique fashion? You expected more and usually were rewarded for those expectations. All of these examples lead back to our title – Many Times it’s the Presentation that Makes the Sale.

 

Presentation is probably one of the most over looked facets in the marketing world. When it comes to delivering the product a lot of work goes into the packaging: design, color, shape, functionality, etc. This is great for when the product is sold but what about the initial contact with the prospect, many times weeks or months before the product is even ready for sale? What about the beginning of the overall sales cycle when you are introducing your company as a viable source for your prospect to turn to for their needs?  Brochures, folders, web content and white pages provide much needed information but what impact do they make on the recipient, no matter how carefully they are prepared or colorful to the eye. In the recipients mind these are only words chosen to represent your product or service, nothing memorable to take away.

 

Right now you are probably asking “if the packaging the product comes in and the brochures and web information are not part of the presentation – what is?” To get to that let’s look at what is pretty common knowledge when it comes to first time meetings. They say that the average person gathers their first impression about someone in the first three to ten seconds that they meet.  How much can the average person read in three to ten seconds? Sure they see the colors and design but they get things like this everyday in the mail that they never read. How can you really pull them in?

 

Promotional products have always had a stigma to them, often called “Chotchkies, Trinkets & Trash and just plain Giveaways” and in the context that most businesses use them these titles are rightly earned. However, if used correctly and given in a manner that they should be used, many of these items can become the key to anchoring your name and that of your product and service to the minds of your prospects and clients.

Just to give a product away with your company name on it means little to the recipient, those that see the product in use will see your company name but gather little information, if any, beyond that.

 

Let’s look at another scenario.  Mr. or Ms. Prospect is attending a trade show where you have a booth and are handing out the holy grail of promo heaven – a t-shirt with your logo on it. Mr. /Ms. Prospect stand patiently in line to get their badge scanned. A line that is most pleasing to the marketing director, as people are coming to the booth. Mr./Ms. Prospect have their badge scanned, using political correctness, ask to have information sent to them, grab the loot and stuff it into their bag and are off to find their next treasure. Upon returning home they pull the shirt from their bag and stick it in the laundry to be done later. A few days or weeks go by and they pull out the shirt they so gallantly waited for and triumphantly wear it to the gym.  If they wear it regularly the company logo will be viewed almost 60,000 times in a single year, a marketing coup. What about Mr. /Ms. Prospect, they do not see the logo that often, what did it do to help them purchase your product? How were they really affected by the free giveaway?

 

Now scenario two is set up in a similar way, Mr. /Ms. Prospect wait patiently to get their badge scanned, request info and place the shirt into their bag, etc. Only this time your marketing team has attached an “anchor card” to the shirt label. A simple card that reminds Mr. /Ms. Prospect of the product or service you were at the show promoting. Nothing too wordy, a mention of the product name and three or four bullet points of the things it does best and on the other side a memorable tie in to the show or the product name. Now Mr. /Ms. Prospect return home pull the shirt out of their bag and toss it… wait, what is this attached to the shirt? Can’t wash it with this card attached.  Enterprise Content Manager… yeah saw that demo at the show; let me keep this as a reminder to follow up. SPLASH! The anchor has been dropped and they still wear the shirt and give you 60,000 logo views. Big difference between scenario one and two and scenario two cost you far less than a load of laundry to add. Scenario two could have even been carried out further by adding a call to action to the tag to visit your web site to sign in and see if they won a prize. Anchor aweigh.

 

The same scenario can be carried out with virtually anything you present to clients and prospects as a gift, a simple reminder of why you are there and what you can do for them.  Warming up the dreaded cold call is another opportunity to let presentation set the stage for a successful reason to meet. Presenting a thought provoking package with a value added gift and message inside will go much farther than a blind call and rambling on about what you do and why you are the best. Ask a question on the outside of the box and then simply answer it on the inside with the inclusion of an item that ties into your offering. Remember the three to ten second rule; this is where first impressions are made. The packaging and presentation get you in the door; the included gift merely greases the wheels of progression. With thousands of products to carry your logo and brand, choosing one that anchor’s your message and presents the most thought provoking reaction is key to the outcome of your marketing and sales actions. Presentation makes the target a prospect and helps sales capture a new customer. When you meet the parents of your prospective mate or partner you look your best – should business “courting” be any different?

Survive the Storm – Put a Little Fun Into Your Marketing

Let’s face it – the economy sucks. Sales are down, jobs are being threatened, people are losing their homes, etc., etc, etc… Is that your view of our current situation? If it is, lighten up and remember, the media looks for the most devastating and gloomy news that it can report on. When was the last time you saw a news channel lead with a positive story? The truth is many people and companies are thriving despite the doom and gloom. Why? They choose not to look at what is happening and focus on what should be happening and their future that lies ahead.

So how can you do the same? First, stay on course with your current goals; even if the economy is slowing your sales why lower your expectations? Second, rather than look for new sources of sales delve deeper into your current clients and closest prospects; they may need your help now more than ever. Finally, have some fun. Your attitude and how you approach any situation shows. Price cuts, a two for one sale and any other price reductions can be interpreted as calls for help and a weakness in your business.  

Show your clients, prospects and even your competition that you are here to weather any storm and are stronger for it. While you’re at it why not cheer yourself and someone else along the way? There is a saying that “Laughter is the best medicine”, what better way to begin to fix what is ailing your sales than by using a little humor.

We’re not talking knock-knock jokes here but a break from the corporate rut of information first, second and third. There are plenty of examples to learn from and no one says you can’t copy what works (barring full copyright infringement of course). Take Chick-fil-a, who hasn’t seen the famous cows and Eat Mor Chikin campaign? Budweiser’s Real Men of Genius? For us older folks – the “chow, chow, chow cat? Why are these remembered? Why do they still make you smile when thinking of them? Because humor makes us feel good and we like to remember good times more than the bad. Humor works in the business world just as well as in the consumer markets because it has the ability to catch your clients and prospects off guard and at the same time put them at ease. Instead of receiving a staunch brochure with selling points that they may not even look at they enjoy a little wit to go with the wisdom of your offering. Getting your information not just opened but digested is just one more advantage of humor in marketing. Humor engages people, providing you the breakthrough you need to secure that elusive appointment. 

Where to start? There are more options out there to add humor to your marketing than you might think. Create a mascot, use branded children’s toys or tie in a humorous offering or packaging to your message. Interested? Need some help in finding your prospects funny bones?  Give us a call and we will be happy to provide a few ideas and example on how to turn “funny into more money” for your organization.                        

 

 

 

Say Goodbye to “Chotchkies”

Gone are the days of giving away pens, key chains and simple items that have your logo on them.  According to a recent article in USA Today, traditional media like television and radio ads are no longer working like they once did.  Consumers need to be engaged and brought into your marketing for it to take an effective hold.

 

All along tech gurus were touting digital media as the next big marketing avenue, new technology was going to broaden the market and make advertising accessible everywhere. Little did they realize that all of this over stimulation was going to backfire and start turning the very consumers they craved against their efforts.

 

People actually wait thirty minutes before watching their normal programs on TV, this way they can simply fast forward through the commercials with their digital recorders. Radio ads, a thing of the past with satellite radio and MP3 players. Billboards, bus ads, subway ads? Who needs them with DVD players, GPS units and MP4 players to hold our attention? So what is a company to do to get their edge back?

 

Enter the Sticky Drive®, WOW Card® and Traffic Ticket®, the new line of engaging advertising specialty products. These products and many more like them, bring the consumer into your marketing by entertaining, tracking, impressing and playing with your target prospects and customers. This is technology in action, the old school way.

 

Promotional products have been around for as long as anyone still alive can remember. Starting from a simple burlap book bag to calendars, pencils and the ever popular ball point pen, the notion of getting something for free has always been the hook for these products. Even today at every trade show, booths that are giving away the best “free” stuff tend to get the most visitors. But, like the new technology, is it getting their message any farther than in a bag and then in a drawer once they return from the trade show?

 

Marketing people need to look beyond the show, past the mailing and outside the sales visit. There are too many things in today’s culture to immediately distract the recipient once they are out of sight. Products that are anchored in correctly to their marketing initiative and have repeat need or want of engagement will prove more effective than any ad, brochure or sales visit. These products are the new era in “chotchkie” land.

 

One market that is about to be in great need of engaging products is the pharmaceutical arena. With new Pharma guidelines (self policing rules to help keep companies in check) coming into play, these companies will no longer be able to give out the pens, clocks, notepads, etc. like they once did by the truckloads. Now the products they present must be of an educational nature for the intended recipient. Not a problem when utilizing the new tools available through some of the products mentioned above. All can be used for educational purposes while not only getting the logo and brand in the prospects face but ingrained in their mind as well, with additional information on top of that.

 

Technology has helped the promotional product industry come full circle; back to the days where receiving them was a pleasure and using them just as much fun. Simply the way it should be when marketing products and engaging prospects and customers alike.

Want to WOW Your Clients, Prospects & Employees?

What if you could give your clients, prospects and/or employee’s information on anything, anytime, anywhere with a simple phone call?  Want to know the best way to thaw a turkey? How about the time and temperature in Turkey? No GPS unit but need to know the closest Gas Station, Chinese Restaruant or Book Store?

Enter the latest thing in personal luxury…the WOW Card. The WOW Card provides you a personal concierge at your finger tips.  You present the WOW Card as a gift or reward for sales, suggestions or whatever. Each card has a designated phone number to call with a pin number. When entered they are greeted by name and with your company name – “Hello, Ms. Gallo thank you for calling your company name personal concierge service. How may we be of service today? You decide the greeting and closing, want to start by announcing a new product release or end with a reminder of your booth number for an upcoming show? The entire program can be custom designed to your budget and expectations – stock or custom cards, email invitations and even custom websites.

So what can your personal concierge provide?

Driving Directions          Price Comparisons          Ticket Procurement      
Traffic Conditions          Weather                           Phone Numbers              
Addresses                      Reminder Service             Stock Quotes                 
Election Results             Travel Arrangements        Sports Scores
Schedules                      Movie Times                     Reservations                 
And a Lot More…

True one on one VIP service from you to your most valued assets – employees, prospects and clients.  This is definately marketing that you and your card designee’s will enjoy and remember for quite a long time. The uses are limitless – send ahead of a trade show to help with scheduling, restaruants, directions, etc., golf outings, Medical Pharma use, VIP Employee Appreciation, even Holiday Gifts and Greetings. The cards work similar to calling cards based on minutes and all calls are handled as quickly as possible to ensure you receive more touches with the card holder.

WOW! A truly unique prospecting, launch kit, reward or trade show addition.  Personal – Powerful – Unique
Give us a call today and we will provide you with FREE access to try this amazing marketing piece yourself.

Personal Concierge

Relationship Marketing

1:1 Marketing can go by many names, Variable Data Print (VDP), Web to Print (W2P) and Relationship Marketing to name a few.  While a couple of these have broader uses than typical 1:1 Marketing they still utilize the same concept – a more personalized approach to marketing.

1:1 Marketing is simply using digital printing technology to input your contacts name and information into your direct marketing mail pieces. By simply designing your mailing with key areas that include personalized information and then providing an Excel spreadsheet that includes this information for each contact in your database, digital printers are able to marry the two together to create a more potent message.

Studies have proven that more focused, more personalized and more relevant communication with your customers and prospects increases response rates and revenue over static same-to-all contact.  Imagine the possibilities this can have on your bottom line. You can address each person differently; you can treat each customer as someone special to your organization. By personalizing your direct mail pieces you begin to establish relationships much faster and draw their attention toward your messaging.

According to one report Direct Mail 1:1 Marketing provides the following advantages:

• 34% increase in response rates
• 35% increase in response time
• 32% increase in overall revenue
• 25% increase in order size
• 48% increase in repeat orders

Costs associated with 1:1 Marketing are generally no more expensive than traditional digital printing, aside from setup charges in some cases. Most printers with digital printers will also handle all of your mailing requirements at the same time, further simplifying the process.

If you have additional questions on Relationship Marketing or an upcoming project that you feel this would be a good fit, contact us and we will be happy to assist you with putting a program together.

 

Trade Show Marketing – Part III

More Than Just a Pen, Scan and a Smile – Part III Follow Thru

Ok, we have sent our initial e-mail alerting our customers and prospects that we will be attending the trade show. The mystery mailer has been sent and followed up with a personal call and in some cases an additional e-mail. Now it is on to the show with our list of confirmed attendee’s. If we have prepared properly our booth has some reflection on the theme of the show or the company. This is achieved by signage, a give-away and/or the booth personnel uniforms. The more the theme is carried out the more the overall message will anchor in your booth visitor’s minds during and after the show.

Time for the follow thru, making sure your guests receive the treatment and attention they deserve.  It is also at this time that you reward your visitors with a giveaway item or have them participate in the creative attraction you have created that pulls your theme together. If truly effective you should be able to not only pull in your list but others attending the show as well. Based on what was presented in your mailing or the theme used, this part of the show is what will bring the majority of potential leads and sales walking right up to your door, the very reason you attend shows for in the first place.

Key personnel should have the list of confirmed attendee’s, these should be divided up for the sales team by territory the prospects and of course their customers are located. Support people should try to memorize as many of the prospect names as possible so when they recognize one in the booth they can attempt to steer them to the proper sales or technical person. This simple treatment can often mean the difference from a prospect aimlessly walking about and being approached with the standard department store greeting “May I help you?” or being impressed with a first name greeting and “Let me introduce you to…” “Did you receive our special mailing?” “Could I have your badge to scan, I will bring it right back.” Even if you can not greet every person in your booth this way, the number that you do will come away impressed and more likely to hear what you have to offer.

Of course the final follow up after the show is sending out the information requested. If you are like every one else you will simply place a form letter with your catalog or brochure to the names on your lead list. If you want to make an impression you will use this opportunity to either further the theme used at the show or use it as the beginning of a new relationship. Either way, emphasis should be placed on how your follow up information is presented. The one thing to learn from this entire process is: People remember and appreciate attention and creativity; your efforts will always be rewarded with more sales opportunities and additional clients.

Trade Show Marketing Part II

More Than Just a Pen, Scan and a Smile – Part II Follow Up

Our last post just took a glance at the importance of sending out a pre-show mailing and suggested three effective ways to go about this.  By using tactics that are sure to get your message read, you improve your ability to draw them into your booth. The method you use will be greatly determined by the theme of the show or of your booth. This determines what, if any, item you may want to include in a mailing and pulls the theme into your marketing message to create the anchor.

With the multitude of exhibitors at each show, all vying for the same attendee’s and their attention, follow up is the next important step in gaining an edge.  Just by sending a unique mailer you will already be ahead of 80% of your competition but you can expand upon this lead with additional attention. The best place to begin is with an e-mail alerting both your clients and prospects that you will have a booth at the show and to look for something “special” coming in the mail. This will act as your teaser e-mail; the less you put in this the better chance it will be read. The teaser email should be sent two weeks before the show and at least three days before sending the lumpy or mystery mail. As a side note, Monday tends to be the worst day to send indirect emails like this, save it for Tuesday or Wednesday.

Once the teaser e-mail has been sent it is time to get ready to send out your mail piece that was designed around your theme. Remember when putting together your mailing to place some thought on the delivery method. Many times how something is presented is remembered more than the actual piece inside. You will want to time the reception of the mailer based on the address of each recipient, the farther it has to go of course the earlier it will need to be sent.

The final piece in the follow up puzzle is to contact each recipient via phone to ask if they have received the mailer and if they are indeed attending the show. Keep an accurate count on those that reply they will be attending and keep this list for booth personnel. Of course you will be leaving quite a few voice mails in this process, to assist in your follow up include in your message that you will send an e-mail message to make it easier for them to respond. In this e-mail, simply reference the voice mail and ask that they respond that they have received the mailer and are attending the show. With your due diligence in following up and your attendance list in hand it’s on to the follow thru at the show. This will be covered in the final part of our coverage of trade shows in our next posting.

Trade Show Marketing – Part I

More Than Just a Pen, Scan and a Smile

You exhibit at trade shows to be seen, meet your customers and if you are lucky walk away with a couple of decent prospects. Unfortunately, this is the status quo and many companies are either just fine with their results or have a difficult time breaking free from the routine. What many do not realize is that it is much easier to change than you think, with a dash of creativity and a little planning up front you can put yourself at the top of the list as the booth show attendee’s want to see.

It all starts well before the trade show begins, the correct pre-planning will map out your road to trade show success.  To start, you will need to answer the following questions:

● What market is the show’s main focus?
     ● Is there a theme for the show?
     ● Are you featuring a new product or product line?
     ● Do you have any off-site functions planned?

Once these questions have been answered you can begin to develop your own theme to present at the show. We will go into developing theme’s (Anchor Marketing™) in a later post, for now we will focus on what to do after your theme has been chosen. With a theme in place you can now begin the process of developing your overall trade show experience.

Arguably, the most successful but least used (at least effectively) marketing technique is the pre-show mailer. While quite common to send an email or two about your presence at an upcoming show, this does little to entice or capture your customers and prospects attention. An effective pre-show mailer will incorporate at least one of the following marketing methods:

Lumpy Mail – a mailing that contains an item that can be felt from the outside
Mystery Marketing – a piece that needs to be revealed to discover or learn the message involved
Treasure Map Marketing – a series of hints, clues or directions is given through single or multiple mailings leading the receiver on a learning journey with a goal or prize at the end

Using any one of these tactics will ensure the invitation to your booth will not only be read but will have a better than 50% chance of attaining your end result. The remaining goals of increased sales and bringing in new clients will depend on your follow up with the initial invitation and your follow thru once the recipient gets to your booth. We will cover follow up in our next post, until then you may want to re-examine the two earlier posts on Lumpy Mail and Mystery Marketing.  

 

Mystery Marketing

Conceal & reveal

In our last post we went over the power of “lumpy” mail. Lumpy mail is a part of what I like to call Mystery Marketing. This type of marketing is based on drawing your clients and prospects in through curiosity and fun. Lumpy mail uses this power quite simply by recipients wondering what the “lump” in the envelope is.

This installment we will examine marketing simply called “Conceal & Reveal”.  Most people at first glance would consider them lottery tickets, the same drive that encourages people to buy lottery tickets drives the need to open conceal and reveal type marketing pieces.  Conceal and reveal pieces are great ways to both educate and entertain at the same time. They come in a variety of styles: scratch-off, pull-tab, prizeIIIIscan, black light, water dip and heat-activated. Each has its specific use based on the degree of award, intended draw and security. For our purpose we will concentrate on the two most popular – scratch-off (lottery) and pull-tab (bingo).

Pull-tab or bingo cards are best used in hand off situations like trade shows and/or employee incentive programs. This is mainly due to the need to have the tabs pulled for revelation and the sound of the tabs being opened helps create additional excitement with others in attendance. With pull tab cards you can ask a single or multiple questions based on your company or products with either the correct answer being revealed from each tab or a single question where a selection of answers is available and only one is correct.

Scratch-off cards provide a number of possibilities, from hand outs to direct mail use in the form of postcards.  Postcards with scratch-off areas can be used to entice prospects and customers to your booth to reveal their cards in the presence of booth personnel who can then ask questions on their interests and hand them off to the proper contact at the booth. As with pull-tab cards these can be a great way to educate through a selection of choices.

Selection of prizes for any of the conceal and reveal pieces are at your control, everything from the total number of prizes that are possible to win to the exact number of winning tickets. Prizes of course are at your own discretion. For a closer look and additional information contact us for samples and brief meeting to demonstrate the power of Mystery Marketing through the use of Conceal and Reveal pieces.

Lumpy Mail

Time is a valuable commodity these days, so valuable that when going through the mail we throw away many pieces without even opening them. Basing our decision on the look and feel of the envelope. Is this how you want your information judged, doomed to the circular filing cabinet without a second thought? What if you could be at least 98% sure that your information will be opened and read?  A better than 76% chance that they will remember your company and the product and increase the chance of doing business by 52%?

This is where “lumpy mail” comes in to play. What is “lumpy mail”? Just what it sounds like…mail with a lump in it. A simple addition of a “free surprise inside”, something to peak the interest of the recipient to find out what is inside that envelope. Think about the last time you received something in the mail with a lump in it. Did you throw it away or was it the first thing you opened? Curiosity is a huge marketing tool that is under appreciated. It is human nature to like receiving things and enjoy the surprise of not knowing what is inside. Use this to your advantage with your marketing efforts.

Promotional products sometimes are only thought of as pens or trinkets and trash you give out at trade shows. Think again. Promotional products are one of the few marketing venues that continue to grow each and every year, over $18 BILLION last year in sales.  Why? Because they work. A study was conducted at a major airport where travelers were asked if they had received a promotional product in the last 12 months. The results were an eye opener to say the least.

71% of travelers received a promotional product in the past 12 months
76% could recall the name of the company that gave them the product
33% had the item on their person
Compare this to a modest 53.5% who had trouble recalling a magazine ad they read in the past week.

The effectiveness of a “lumpy mail” program is not in just throwing something in an envelope with your company name on it. True memory recall comes when you use an item that Anchor’s (there’s that word again) itself to your product or marketing message. Tie it in so there is meaning to the lump, create a trigger so when ever they view or use the item they instantly think of your company, product or service. This is a lot easier than it sounds and we will go more into choosing the right product in the next installment of the Anchor Marketing (TM) system.

For now let us focus on the results that are capable from using your “lumpy mail” item. From the same study mentioned above the following information was also received:

52% of the gift recipients purchased from the company giving the gift.
Those that did not purchase stated that they were more willing to purchase from the company in the future.
52.1% had a more favorable impression of the company that gave the item.

Not bad results for some “trinkets & trash”. The item does not necessarily need to be an imprinted piece either. If the item itself is strong enough to carry your theme and be remembered you only need to make sure your printed piece is dynamic enough to carry your point across. For example: A security company could create a mailer on the importance of using an established, trained staff. The mailer would focus on their strengths over the competition and include as the lumpy part a simple bamboo finger lock, a child’s toy. The same item could be used to simulate a “bond” between products or link to a system. It is all based on the overall message. Rest assured the envelope will get opened though, just to find the free toy surprise inside.

Would you like assistance in putting together a lumpy mail campaign? We can assist with the entire project from creation to printing to the product and finally mailing. Give us a call and let us put our creativity and knowledge to work for you.