Anyone visiting a typical supermarket cannot fail to notice the variety of displays used to attract their attention. There are many benefits for POP merchandising: Benefits for the marketer - Keeps the company and brand name/s visible to the consumer - Reinforces brand image - Calls attention to special offers - Stimulates impulse purchases   Benefits for retailers - Attracts consumers' attention and direct them to product/s featured - Increases consumer interest in shopping - Extends the number of time consumers spend in the shop •    Helps optimize space utilization •    Benefits for the consumer •    Provides useful information that often assists in the purchase decision •    Simplifies the shopping process Not a lot of imagination is needed to realize that all these benefits lead to increased sales. A wide variety of POP materials are available, one is only limited to one's imagination. They can be temporary or permanent, static or moving, interactive with the consumer and video merchandising centres. A sample of the items that can be used would include a wide variety of signs, posters, mobiles, plaques, banners, shelf tapes/talkers, mechanical mannequins, lights, mirrors, plastic reproductions of products, check-out units, dump bins, racks of various literature, flags, bunting (string flags) etc. POP materials perform four very important marketing functions: •    informing, •    reminding, •    encouraging and •    merchandising. For POP displays and materials to be effective they should conform to a few requirements: •    be the right size and format (in proportion to the location in which they are...

Sales promotion is a blend of marketing activities and promotional items to intensify the efforts of your sales force, induce your intermediaries to stock and sell your products, and persuade your customers to purchase the offering within a specified, limited time period. Why do customers respond to sales promotions? * They have a positive feeling about your brand which is linked to an unconditional stimulus such as a discount * Reinforced reward - in-pack discount voucher and once tried, they keep coming back. * Their attitude changes after trial - repeat purchase. * Foot in the door' technique - sample is tried to gain a larger order. * Salesforce promoting benefits to alter customers perception of the offering. * Price perception - the perceived benchmark by customers. Used by quoting the reference price and sales price to assist the customer to calculate the savings. * Decision-making process - end of isle items trigger recognition to purchase or seeing a machine in a magazine and it reminds them to place an order for a service or part. Type Of Sales Promotion Objectives * Encourages sales force to move slow-moving items * Challenges sales force to locate and qualify new prospects * Set up more store displays * Train more distributor salespeople * Induce wholesalers to carry a new product line * Persuade distributors to promote (push) a brand in their promotional activities * Persuade retailers to give a particular brand shelf space * Encourage retailers to support sales promotion campaigns by carrying...

According to a study performed by the Association of Sales Executives, 81% of all sales happen on or after the fifth contact. But what if you only follow up with your prospects and customers 2-3 times, or worse, not at all? Imagine all the business growth opportunities you would be missing. Smart marketers know that follow-up is one of the most important keys to growing a successful business. You've heard the old adage, 'Out of sight, out of mind.' It applies directly to your sales opportunities. If your prospects or customers don't hear from you on a regular basis, they can easily forget about you.At that point, your competitors have an ideal opportunity to come in and escort your prospects and customers over to their businesses. Now you see them - now you don't.If you want to successfully grow your small business, effective follow-up is crucial.Here are a few follow-up tips to get you on the right path: 1. Who should you follow up with?You want to follow up with both your Prospects (people who have responded to one of your past marketing messages but who haven't purchased yet), and Customers (People who have purchased from you in the past). 2. How often and how long?You want to follow up with them on a consistent basis so that they don't forget about you and your offerings. That may be once a quarter, once a month, or even once a week.You should follow up with your lists for as long as it...

Case Study: Acme Screens - Part 2 In Part 1 of this case study I shared the following problems with a follow-up letter Dan, owner of Acme Screens, was sending to his recent customers. Problem 1: Too much WE-ME. Not enough YOU-YOUR Problem 2. Too many thoughts and offers for one letter Now let's continue with Problem 3. Problem 3. Discount Certificate for a Future Purchase Side-Bar Comment: Dan was asking his recent customers to keep a discount certificate for R25 off their next purchase of replacement screens, until a future date when they were ready to purchase again. My advice to Dan: Any time you ask your prospects or customers to take some action, you are going to be met with resistance. People are busy. They are easily distracted, forgetful, and they love to procrastinate - and that's with activities for themselves. They will take even less effort for someone else, especially a business.' - R250 DISCOUNT CERTIFICATE: You are asking your customers to consider purchasing additional screens in the future and to file and remember this certificate. They won't do that. Your certificate will probably be lost or tossed within a day or two. Solution 3 If you want your customers to apply a R250 Discount Certificate to a future purchase of replacement screens, then you must send them the Certificate later, at the time when they may be ready for another purchase.  Then you can follow up with a phone call a few days later. When you mail...

Hi all, I read an article written by Joe Garcia which I thought is most informative. A follow-up letter needs a special way of writing to your customer. These letters are normally sent by email without the marketing department having a look at it before it's sent. I would like to share this with you over the next 2 newsletters. I know it's a bit long but it's worth it! Case Study - Follow-up Letters - Part 1 Here's a case study from my files that I thought you might find interesting.A few years ago I was asked by Dan (not his real name) to critique his follow-up letter to his newest customers. His business, Acme Screens (not the real name) sold a special screen for open doorways that would allow you to enjoy a cool breeze and let you walk in and out of the doorway without letting bugs in. It was a unique idea and a quality product. He was very disappointed in the results he was getting from his follow-up letter to his recent new customers. He wanted the letter to accomplish three things: help him sell backend replacement screens,get some referrals from these recent customersand get some testimonialsThere were a number of problems with the letter that were preventing him from getting the kinds of results he was hoping for. Here's what I told him. Problem 1: Too much WE-ME. Not enough YOU-YOUR People get bored and distracted VERY easily. If you talk about your product, your...

Here are 7 low-cost but highly effective marketing tips to help any small business find customers and generate sales quickly. 1. Don't advertise like a big businessBig businesses advertise to create name recognition and future sales. A small business can't afford to do that. Instead, design your advertising to produce sales ...now. One way to accomplish this is to always include an offer in your advertising - and an easy way for prospective customers to respond to it. 2. Offer a cheaper versionSome prospective customers are not willing to pay the asking price for your product or service. Others are more interested in paying a low price than in getting the best quality. You can avoid losing sales to many of these customers by offering a smaller or stripped down version of your product or service at a lower price. 3. Offer a premium versionNot all customers are looking for a cheap price. Many are willing to pay a higher price to get a premium product or service. You can boost your average size sale and your total revenue by offering a more comprehensive product or service ...or by combining several products or services in a special premium package offer for a higher price. 4. Try some unusual marketing methodsLook for some unconventional marketing methods your competitors are overlooking. You may discover some highly profitable ways to generate sales and avoid competition. For example, print your best small ad on a postcard and mail it to prospects in your targeted market....

Getting customers may seem like a difficult, mysterious process, but marketing is simply communication. You have to know what your message is, then get it out to others. People are used to getting information in soundbites. When you meet someone, you have only a few seconds to get their attention and make a strong impression. The 10-Second Brag can do that for you. We were all taught that it is not polite to talk about ourselves; however, it is important to express clearly and concisely what you do. The Brag is a short, to-the-point statement of: WHO you are, (Reds Advertising - your advertising agency) WHAT you do, (We increase your market share) WHO you do it for (For a diverse group of satisfied clients) HOW they benefit. (Their profit margins exceed their expectations) It is benefit-oriented, to catch the attention of your customers. Most of us talk in feature language. We talk about our titles and experience, or the equipment we use, or the tasks we perform. Customers don't care about any of that. They care about what's in it for them. When you talk about what you do for your customers -- the problems you solve, how you make their lives better -- you are using benefit language. Where, when and how can you use your Brag? Use it when you meet someone new, to introduce yourself at a networking meeting, while standing in line at the post office, when your mother asks what you do, on your business...

Each of these 8 marketing tips reveals a proven low-cost marketing tactic many other small businesses have used to boost their sales and profits. Integrate them into your marketing program now and you'll quickly start enjoying the same results too. 1. Don't Just Sell Benefits Don't just tell prospects what they gain when they buy your product or service. Tell them what they lose if they do not buy it. Most people fear loss more than they desire gain. Customers want your product or service to enjoy the benefits it provides.  They will want it, even more, when you remind them of what they lose by not buying it. 2. Use Pleasant Surprises to Close Sales An unpleasant surprise can kill a sale. But a pleasant surprise can help close a sale. For example, adding an unexpected bonus immediately before your prospect takes the last action to complete a sale will eliminate any last-minute hesitation. 3. Provide Fast Delivery - Even When You Can't The faster you can deliver your product or service the more sales you will get.  If you cannot deliver all or part of your product immediately, add something to the purchase that you CAN deliver immediately. It could be as simple as a series of  helpful tips related to your product posted on your web site ....available only to new customer 4. Make Buying Easier Every non-essential action in the buying process is an opportunity for customers to reverse their decision to buy. Look for ways you...

Attracting and retaining long-term clients is a powerful strategy for growing your business. Long-term clients are likely to feel more satisfied, are more likely to refer others, and are more likely to purchase additional services from you.  Here are 10 retention marketing strategies any business can use to turn average customers into loyal clients: 1. Focus your marketing on existing clients. Your current customers have already overcome certain hurdles to doing business with you and are more likely to buy from you again. Focus most of your time, efforts, and resources on better serving your current clients. Go deeper rather than wider. 2. Be consistent in your approach and interactions. Treat your clients with honesty, humour, and respect and maintain this over time. Present a consistent, solid, and professional style to your clients - one that they can grow to depend on. 3. Follow through on your commitments to them. If you promise to send information or to follow up, be sure to do this. You'd be surprised at how many professionals promise to send information, but then ever do. You will gain loyalty and trust by doing what you say you will do. 4. Allow yourself to connect with them. Find out about their lives, their hopes, goals, and desired outcomes. Ask questions that encourage a deeper sense of shared understanding. The greater the level of connection, the greater the mutual satisfaction. 5. Have fun.  It's easy to get caught up in goals, outcomes, deliverables and all of these are, of course, vitally important....

Our society is bombarded with advertising and marketing messages. How can you make your marketing stand out and be effective to your target market? The answer is easy, it's by taking the time to listen and relating your message to the pain of your client. Keep in mind that it is easier to sell a solution to a problem than to sell a positive benefit or substantial features. What problems are your potential clients facing? A great way to find out is to spend some time networking and doing market research by contacting potential clients. Find out what their needs are by spending time asking questions and intently listening to their answers, taking mental note of their needs, problems, and pain. Once you see the presence of a problem that your product or service can solve, study that problem and reposition your marketing so that it is offering a benefit and a solution to that problem. You will notice that by doing this marketing and selling will become a lot easier. Not sure if this works? Take a few moments and consider the products and services that are currently hot on the market. These products include products that help you quit smoking, lose weight, grow hair, and diminish wrinkles. Why are these products reaching a high level of success in sales? They offer a benefit and a solution to a negative situation or problem. Once you've identified the problem that your product or service solves, it's time to get to work...