Business monitor july:Layout 1 12/06/2009 14:49 Page 22
BUSINESS MONITOR
bit generic, but it’s the right approach. The British obviously proud of his business, and that’s exactly
“
A final point: do
people are diffident – we’d rather not ask for help, the sort of company everyone wants to buy from.
unless it’s openly offered. Wetherspoons pub staff Tight targeting is the great god of direct mail and
you use printwear to
wear shirts promoting current and up-coming most businesses just don’t do it at all well. What
events and products. They change the message they tend to do is write a standard letter and send
death for your own
regularly, too. it to all and sundry, often with a brochure. It is
business? You should. If you
This then should be the sales message for transparently better to focus attention on a small
printwear. While looking smart and distinctive is sector. Let us say you aim at landscape gardeners;
and your staff are not
good news, this actually generates enquiries. More you know a number of common factors they all
walking, talking billboards
than that, they’re qualified enquiries. If your share: they work outdoors; there’s a design
customer is told “I’m looking for a new gym” or “I element (maybe a big element) in what they do;
for at least eight hours a
need a Volkswagen specialist” he or she will find referrals will be important to them; it tends to be a
out a lot of pertinent detail, fast. It also establishes young industry. Hence, your letter can talk very
day, how can you expect
a personal rapport which is essential to creating specifically about the needs of landscape
customers to buy into the
sales. Although a little flippant, there is also the gardeners, which will prove to them that you’re
basic point that everybody has to wear something the right supplier. This also has the advantage that
proposition? If your shirt
to work, so it might as well be something that some product features become benefits eg
said “We print selling
brings in business. different cloth weights for different seasons, lots of
Coming back to my piece of micro-research, the sturdy pockets and so on.
messages on shirts; this
response that they thought it expensive was, I I hesitate to recommend business sectors to
suspect, just a gut-reaction. In a recession business attack, but those selling skills and expertise to the
one creates enquiries for us
owners are inclined to regard all purchasing as general public are first choice. I would also aim at
– we could do the same for
anyone who solves emergencies. The public need
to know a washing machine repair man before it
you” anyone reading it and
breaks down or a pest controller before the rat
getting the message will be
turns up. In all such cases printwear can prompt
the request for card or phone number. Incidentally,
tapping you on the
the recession may be gouging some industries, but
not all. A friend of mine (who, incidentally, is a fan
shoulder.
”
of printwear) is a kitchen specialist and he has
work booked for six months.
The same principle can apply in mainstream press
advertising, although it’s more difficult. Talk to
fact that business owners your local newspaper about any features they have
appear not to know the planned addressing specific business sectors. While
generic benefits of those features are aimed at driving readers’
printwear. That’s a great custom to the advertisers, they will also be studied
start point because the by the people in that business sector, notably
industry has a very strong those advertisers, but also other competitors. A
story to tell. little less targeted, but still relevant, is the ‘local
Apologies for teaching my experts’ section most papers have. These are
grandmother to suck eggs tradesmen of all sorts but they are all potential
but the core benefits are as customers. Again, business owners check their
follows in my view: own ad and what competitors might be offering.
a71 it’s highly visible publicity; Apply a bit of lateral thinking and you may be able
a71 the cost is low; to do the same thing based on location, rather
a71 it works every hour it’s worn; than business sector. Tenants at a small, out-of-
a71 it makes a business look more professional; town retail park have the same interest –
a71 it is personal; persuading people into their cars to shop there.
a71 it offers a large canvas to tell your message; Printwear can sell that message in the town centre
a71 it helps develop team spirit. and do it 12 months of the year, not just when
Those benefits are worth restating because it’s they run an advertising feature. Big garden centres
easy to ignore elements that are important to are a potential source of this business because
some customers but which don’t come up many of them have concessions on-site. Granted,
regularly. this is not the easiest business development
Overall, my favourite reason for recommending activity, but for that very reason, competition is
printwear is that it turns wearers into talking expensive. However, it’s a standard sales objection unlikely and it can develop multiple new accounts.
billboards. Here is an advertisement that can and one that is very easy to counter, because A final point: do you use printwear to death for
actually answer questions, give out business cards printwear is not expensive, especially compared to your own business? You should. If you and your
and take note of personal contact numbers. For other media. staff are not walking, talking billboards for at least
that reason, I strongly believe that the industry PR experts will tell you that their work helps drive eight hours a day, how can you expect customers
should aim to turn its output into something more word-of-mouth advertising. Well, OK, it does, but to buy into the proposition? If your shirt said “We
aggressively advertising orientated. While the ‘logo since they don’t all own Ferraris, it doesn’t drive a print selling messages on shirts; this one creates
on left breast’ is fine for corporate uniform, it vast lot of it. But I assure you I have never met a enquiries for us – we could do the same for you”
doesn’t shout “stop me and buy one” and I think small or medium sized business owner who didn’t anyone reading it and getting the message will be
printwear can and should do that. boast about getting work through referrals where tapping you on the shoulder.
Let me quote some examples. About 20 years ago it applied. Apart from the warm feeling it creates,
there was a diet programme being aggressively this is almost always non-competitive. An enquiry Paul Clapham is a marketing consultant with over
marketed with the line “Lose weight now, Ask me generated by a message on printwear is next door 25 years’ experience covering a broad range of
how”. I confess I don’t recall seeing it on to word-of-mouth – let’s call it ‘word of shirt’. business sectors and a full spread of marketing
printwear, but it definitely should have been. More There is another important benefit. That customer disciplines. He works with small, medium and large
recently, Tesco staff have been wearing shirts with responding to the message on a piece of printwear companies alike to increase their profitability
the message “Here to help”. That’s necessarily a is partly prompted to do so because the wearer is through marketing. Tel: 01453 765432
| 22 | July 2009 www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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