Ten Ways to Stand Out in the Crowd
Everybody is a Swag Seller today. There was already a glut before the print industry collapsed and printers across the country, large and small, were looking for a way to add sales to their enterprises. Then along came Mass Market stationary stores and office supply businesses, soon to be followed by franchise operations being promoted at home and garden shows. With so much competition, what can YOU do to Stand Out. Here are 10 that I know will work. Use the comment section to help out your fellow promotional product pro's with your ideas.
1. Be where the others aren't. Do you have a customer who goes in early, stays late, or works on Saturday? Are they so busy during normal working hours that they would appreciate you seeing or calling them at an odd hour? Are they located in some remote location where less aggressive sales folks may not want to use the gas? Is their next available appointment in 3 months? Take it. Do they need you to jump through some huge hoop just to get a quote in with no guarantees?
Clearly, there has to be a reasonable expectation of valuable business some day to justify these extra efforts. But, often enough, the payoff comes now or in some unexpected way later.
2. Offer what the others can't. Come up with slight variation on various products and work out an exclusive with the factory. Most plastic products come in a limited range of colors. Maybe the factory would let you offer one or more special colors. Is there a wearables company who only offers a favorite item with buttons, but you see a market for the same thing with a zipper? They might co-operate with your effort. You will generally make a much greater margin on something that is exclusive.
3. Follow up with several non-sales touches. From your notes of the phone call or presentation, go back and Google something that was of interest to them, business related or not. Find out something that you know will be valuable to them and e-mail the link.
Send over a thank you card with a Starbucks gift card, "coffee on me." Include some kind of personal comment in the card. Send samples and catalogs out in at least two mailings if it won't detract from the presentation effect. Send virtual samples of items beyond what was discussed to show that you are still thinking about the need.
4. Squash the Competition. This idea is only to secure the first order, and assumes that there is more business to come from this customer. Once they know the item, call the factory and ask for a "door buster" special. They won't have a clue what your asking about (I will, so call me.) Explain that you won't ask for this favor with this client again, but you need a big break on this order to get in the door. The factory might say yes, they might say no. Now, go back to your client and tell them that you have arranged (or if the factory said yes) you have arranged with the factory, to give them an unprecedented price to get their business. Of course, you made the factory no promises about the future, but when the promotion is successful , you hope to be able to repay the factory's kindness. (If the factory said no, suck it up out of profits and commission. Your in for the long haul.)
5. Make your first call without a briefcase or sample bag. Have some kind of funny new product in your pocket or purse, but only pull it out after you've broken all the ice. At some point during the time you and the prospect are getting to know each other and one-another's needs and capabilities, there will probably come a time to suggest you go to the car and get your samples.
The other five ideas will be posted tomorrow (Saturday) at 9:00 a.m. PSD.
1. Be where the others aren't. Do you have a customer who goes in early, stays late, or works on Saturday? Are they so busy during normal working hours that they would appreciate you seeing or calling them at an odd hour? Are they located in some remote location where less aggressive sales folks may not want to use the gas? Is their next available appointment in 3 months? Take it. Do they need you to jump through some huge hoop just to get a quote in with no guarantees?
Clearly, there has to be a reasonable expectation of valuable business some day to justify these extra efforts. But, often enough, the payoff comes now or in some unexpected way later.
2. Offer what the others can't. Come up with slight variation on various products and work out an exclusive with the factory. Most plastic products come in a limited range of colors. Maybe the factory would let you offer one or more special colors. Is there a wearables company who only offers a favorite item with buttons, but you see a market for the same thing with a zipper? They might co-operate with your effort. You will generally make a much greater margin on something that is exclusive.
3. Follow up with several non-sales touches. From your notes of the phone call or presentation, go back and Google something that was of interest to them, business related or not. Find out something that you know will be valuable to them and e-mail the link.
Send over a thank you card with a Starbucks gift card, "coffee on me." Include some kind of personal comment in the card. Send samples and catalogs out in at least two mailings if it won't detract from the presentation effect. Send virtual samples of items beyond what was discussed to show that you are still thinking about the need.
4. Squash the Competition. This idea is only to secure the first order, and assumes that there is more business to come from this customer. Once they know the item, call the factory and ask for a "door buster" special. They won't have a clue what your asking about (I will, so call me.) Explain that you won't ask for this favor with this client again, but you need a big break on this order to get in the door. The factory might say yes, they might say no. Now, go back to your client and tell them that you have arranged (or if the factory said yes) you have arranged with the factory, to give them an unprecedented price to get their business. Of course, you made the factory no promises about the future, but when the promotion is successful , you hope to be able to repay the factory's kindness. (If the factory said no, suck it up out of profits and commission. Your in for the long haul.)
5. Make your first call without a briefcase or sample bag. Have some kind of funny new product in your pocket or purse, but only pull it out after you've broken all the ice. At some point during the time you and the prospect are getting to know each other and one-another's needs and capabilities, there will probably come a time to suggest you go to the car and get your samples.
The other five ideas will be posted tomorrow (Saturday) at 9:00 a.m. PSD.
posted by Randy W. Kirk at 1:37 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home