Marketing PASSED:Layout 1 17/02/2009 09:32 Page 60
MARKETING
Making your mark
in sales
There’s a curious art to securing those all-important sales. Business expert Paul
Clapham investigates the do’s and don’ts of approaching marketing strategy.
A
journey of 1000 miles starts with the first by Top Banana Sportswear and it’s a first class make and so much likelier to result in an
step. The same can be said for finding new example of the approach. They print a personalised appointment than one starting “I sent you our
customers. How successfully you take those bespoke letter on a t-shirt and mail it. This has a list catalogue”.
first steps will define how many new accounts you of advantages: it says they think creatively about I would always stress the importance of that
open. If your new business approach is dull or their business; it’s distinctly different; it’s benefit in any marketing communication. Is this idea
haphazard it’s not going to make you rich. By memorable; it doesn’t go straight in the bin (or if it going to get me in front of more people? If you
contrast, if you develop an effective technique for does, who’d want that client anyway?); it don’t feel very positive that it will, you’re probably
kicking open those doors - no matter how simple – communicates the benefits of printwear; it samples wasting money. Following up mailers isn’t the most
you can work it to death and it will lead to more a product. Perhaps the biggest advantage is the exciting job at the best of times, but if the response
sales. follow-up benefit. A phone call that starts “I sent to your call is continually “I don’t remember/you’re
In a previous issue I quoted the approach used you a letter on a t-shirt…” is so much easier to on file/ who did you say” the enthusiasm to follow
up evaporates rapidly.
Allow if you will a personal
anecdote. I have used a mailer which
has long-term track record. The
headline says “Give your marketing a
boost” Stuck beneath it is a Boost bar. I promise
you, few people object to having chocolate sent to
them and they certainly remember it. A nice side
benefit is that the mailer is printed one colour and
the bar’s packaging does the four-colour work. It’s
substantially the same approach as
Top Banana’s and it works for much
the same reasons.
You probably couldn’t guess how
many of those Boost bar mailers led
to responses. The answer is one -
out of many, many hundreds sent
out. But my follow-up typically led
to appointments with just over
10% of recipients. Without the
creativity I doubt I’d have made the calls and
I wouldn’t have picked up the business. The
key point here is that if you make
the follow-up easy, it
happens.
Banks are not
exactly renowned for
the creativity of their
| 60 | March 2009
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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