|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sleigh Bells Ring...And Cash Registers, Too
During the holidays, folks everywhere shop many long hours to buy gifts for the important people in their lives. Spending at this time of year is one of the driving forces of our economy, and retailers go to great lengths to make the frenetic experience a festive one. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the NeimanMarcus catalog, FAO Schwarz toy decorations and Saks Fifth Avenue window displays are all part of Christmas marketing lore.
When our kids were young, we lived in the Fort Worth, and each December we drove an hour to Dallas to take our children to Northpark Center. There, our family truly got into the holiday spirit. From the sarcastic Scrooge puppeteer who preys on unsuspecting shoppers, to the bigger-than-life clock tower that performs the 12 Days of Christmas, to the most authentic Santa Claus we've ever seen, shopping at Northpark was truly something we looked forward to every year.
Northpark's objective is to give shoppers a memorable holiday experience and put them in the spirit to buy more products from the mall's stores. In reaching a buying decision, retailers understand buyers go through filtering processes they weigh against their "scarce" resources: time, money, knowledge and affinity.
The Filtering Process: The first thing a customer does to filter information is to review options (think about what you do when you're in the market for a new computer). With a universal list at hand, customers begin distilling options by comparing them based on their own scarce resources. Ultimately, they reach a logical conclusion by placing a value on the various options.
Example: Alan owns a foreign car that won't shift into gear. A quick phone call to the dealership where he bought it four years ago reveals that they are no longer in business. What does he do?
In the first stage of his decision-making process, Alan considers all possible means to satisfy his core need ? getting transportation quickly. He starts by filtering out options: find another dealer in a nearby city; look up non-dealer mechanics in the yellow pages; call AAA; park the car in his garage and wait to see if a new dealership opens; fix the car himself; call his brother-in-law; buy a new car; take the bus; etc.
As Alan considers all of these options, his own scarce resources come into play. His busy schedule won't allow him the time to drive to a nearby city. This is his only car, so parking it won't solve the problem; he'd just have to rent another one, and he doesn't have the money to do that. He has no knowledge about fixing brakes. He doesn't really have much of an affinity for his brother-in-law. After working through all the scenarios, Alan finally decides to find another mechanic.
As you might imagine, how he chooses that mechanic activates an entire new set of filters that take into consideration Alan's scarce resources. For instance, since he doesn't know any non-dealer mechanics, he will have to rely on a friend's knowledge of which local mechanics are qualified to do the job right.
The Marketing Opportunity: Looking at the above example from the mechanic's point of view (both non-dealer and those at dealerships in nearby cities) unveils some solid marketing opportunities.
By undertaking this same filtering process to understand the situation similar car owners of that defunct dealership are in, either of these segments could provide the knowledge Alan and others need to make them his choice.
Non-dealer mechanics qualified to work on this car could obtain a list of local owners from the manufacturer. They could then initiate a direct mail campaign that focuses on educating car owners about the benefits of doing business with them. They could also mail a postcard to all of their existing customers: "If you have friends or family affected by the loss of XYZ dealership, we are standing by to help them."
A dealer in a nearby city, presumably with a bigger budget than non-dealer mechanics, could establish a temporary service center to assist car owners of the out-of-business dealership. While it may not be possible for Alan to get there this time to fix his car, there's a good possibility that the next time he's in the market for a new one, he would take time to drive there and make a purchase much bigger than brakes.
Success Handler: With your team, reenact the filtering process that your clients might go through in specific situations. Set up several scenarios and look for the best opportunities for your small business. Then develop an action plan to capitalize on these.
Consider the following:
? What is your message and how will you share it with prospects and clients? What will it look like? How will you deliver it? (Direct mail, advertising, Web site, community event, sales call, brochure, open house, newsletter, industry association, etc.)
? Once you get their attention, what do you want them to do next? (Call, fax, write or e-mail, schedule an appointment, order something, subscribe, enter a drawing, pick out their free gift, turn in their coupon, etc.)
? Once they contact you or allow you to contact them, what will you do? (Who takes the call? What do they say? What other materials do you provide them?)
? How will you follow-up? (Call every XX days, place them on your mailing list, invite them to an event or seminar, etc.)
? Once they buy from you, how will you exceed their expectations? How will you say thank you? How will you keep in touch?
? What are the opportunities for repeat or additional business from them? How will they know all of your capabilities and services? With what other scarce resources can you identity?
Remember, you have to climb inside the shoes of your customers and prospects occasionally to understand how they think and how you will best solve their needs. Whether it's designing better marketing materials to help increase their sales, shipping computers across the country while taking all worries off their minds, or simply making the holiday shopping experience for parents a little less stressful, you need to understand why they buy from your small business.
Happy holidays and Happy shopping!
Copyright © 2004 by Success Handler, LLC. All rights reserved.
The Coach, David Handler, is the founder of Success Handler, (http://www.successhandler.com), and specializes in helping small business leaders find clarity and take action. He understands the challenges of running a business, because he's been there ? as a small business owner, franchisee, franchisor, corporate leader and trainer. Much like sports coaches, his coaching will show you how to compete on a level playing field in your industry.
Advertisement: Honest Riches - Click Here!
Advertisement: Lost AdWords - Click Here!
Advertisement: Get $1 Million A Month In Google Pay-Per-Click Ads Free! - Click Here!
Advertisement: Who Loves Money? - Click Here!
Advertisement: SEO Elite, the GrandDaddy of SEO Software - Click Here!
Bizjournals.com, NC - 3 hours ago
Database marketing firm Merkle Inc. has signed up the Limited as a new client in a three-year contract. The Columbia firm will analyze customer data to help ...
Merkle Selected by The Limited to Support Integrated Customer ... MarketWatch (press release)
all 16 news articles
Reuters
Bizjournals.com, NC - 7 hours ago
United Parcel Service Inc. rival FedEx Corp. will cut its marketing budget by more than 25 percent for 2009, the company recently disclosed on its blog. ...
FedEx cuts marketing spend by more than 25 percent Reuters
FedEx to reduce marketing budgets by 25% Brand Republic
all 78 news articles
Bizjournals.com, NC - 7 hours ago
Downtown Greensboro marketing firm Bouvier Kelly has won three awards from the Carolina Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Society for its work with ...
Washington Post
Sun-Sentinel.com, FL - 5 hours ago
By Sarah Talalay | South Florida Sun-Sentinel University of Florida fan Michelle Jackson has her outfit for college football's national championship game ...
BCS is a political football in 2009 CNN
all 2,421 news articles
Bizjournals.com, NC - 21 hours ago
But the HTA will wait until at least late January to spend another $607000 on marketing to South Korea, as well as spending an additional $238000 for ...
Tourism agency holds back funds for Korea marketing Honolulu Star-Bulletin
all 9 news articles
CNNMoney.com - 8 hours ago
Proton will start by marketing a variety of enhanced water products that provide health benefits for people and the planet as well as the commercial product ...
CNNMoney.com - 7 hours ago
Ace Marketing & Promotions Inc. (OTCBB: AMKT) announces that IMAX Theaters is piloting Proximity Marketing at its Palisades theater location in NY, ...
Indianapolis Star, United States - 4 hours ago
With a team of 25 brokers and additional market research, marketing, and client support staff, Summit Realty Group specializes in office, industrial, ...
Reuters - Jan 7, 2009
O) plans to establish more marketing relationships with entertainment producers and retailers such as Best Buy Co Inc (BBY.N) in the current quarter and ...
Bizjournals.com, NC - Jan 7, 2009
The Annapolis marketing firm will develop a new logo, sales materials, ads, direct mail and other materials to promote Brightview’s communities. ...
Eight Advantages of Fundraising Letters Over Other Methods
1. Personal Fundraising letters are about as personal as you can get with a donor without meeting face to face or talking on the phone. Unlike special... Read More
How Gratitude Works
Want to know what the highest-impact, lowest-cost tool is in your marketing toolkit? First, here are ten reasons to start using this tool right away:1. It won't... Read More
CD ROM Business Cards - Offline Marketing For Online Promotion
It's a great concept, - and it has a 'cool factor' of 300%!Many people will pop these into their drive just because of image appeal alone. What's... Read More
Use The Neglected Weapons In Your Marketing Arsenal
Business marketers have a lot of weapons in their arsenals but they often overlook some very important ones. So, let's do a quick inventory.Of course, you already... Read More
Is CRM Technology Living Up To the Hype?
Over the last few years the buzz about CRM (Customer Relationship Management) has grown extensively. It seems that every Sales & Marketing executive is talking about it.... Read More
Are You Marketing Backwards?
Marketing is like rowing a boat. When you know how the pointed bow moves smoothly forward through the water encountering the least amount of resistance. Rowing backwards,... Read More
Brainstorming Techniques as New Product Development Strategies
When developing new products and strategies, coming up with unique ideas is often a struggle. It is one of the reasons why, in any industry, there is... Read More
Send Postcards To Save Money and Cut Through E-mail Clutter
Use your computer to send personalized color postcards in quantities of 1 to 1,000.Print on demand postcards are here. You can quickly, easily, and economically use your... Read More
It Takes Two - How to Cultivate Profitable Alliances
"Cross promoting with other businesses can give you a significant advantage over the competition, with many benefits and cost savings." -Heidi Richards-More and more competition in the... Read More
First to Market Theory
AGE OLD QUESTIONBusiness scholars throughout the planet keep asking the same question and have come to the conclusion that being first into the market place is preferable.... Read More
Writing Marketing Copy That Sells
When your prospects see your marketing materials, your brochure, your web site or your ads you want them to read them. You want prospects to read not... Read More
10 Powerful Marketing Tips
1. Print your best small ad on a postcard and mail it to prospects in your targeted market. People read postcards when the message is brief. A... Read More
5 Reasons Your Marketing Communication is Falling Flat
One of my associates sent me a promotional email she'd received. "I know this marketing communication doesn't work," she told me, "but why doesn't this make me... Read More
Do this One Thing and Beat 85% of Your Competition!
Maybe you don't want to work that hard, or maybe you have been burned by consultants so you are not inclined to listen to one. Or maybe... Read More
Client Attraction Technique #3: Study the Competition!
One very powerful and cost-effective marketing strategy is to study the competition. This is an important exercise, as essentially it allows you to find out as much... Read More
2 Little Words That Work Marketing Magic
In his classic best-seller, "How To Win Friends And Influence People," Dale Carnegie's second chapter is entitled The Big Secret of Dealing With People. The secret is... Read More
Communication Breakdown - Dont Let It Happen To You
Do you have Communication breakdown?How are you communicating with your contacts?We need:Contacts we can send emails to regarding our business opportunities.Contacts we can build up a good... Read More
Ten Deadly Proposal Preparation Pitfalls
Let's face it, the name "proposal" is a great misnomer, but since many businesspeople take it literally, they often paint themselves into a corner of chasing buyers,... Read More
A Seven Letter Word That Helped a 3 Month Marketing Newbie to Online Success
Who would have thought that a three month newbie and marketing dummy with no list, no product, no contacts, can actually make money online? Me neither.I had... Read More
CRM Star Wars: When Marketing is from Venus and IT is from Mars
Inherent tensions exist between marketing and IT. This is often compounded by lots of cross-talk, with each function on different channels. When tension becomes unresolved conflict, CRM... Read More
What Does Your Business Card Say About You? - Making A Great First Impression!
Interesting article in USA Today that I read this week that I've also read about on Scott Ginsberg's blog. Think about this: What does your business card... Read More
Marketing ? Like a Game of Chess
Have you started thinking about your Valentines Day Promotion yet?It may sound like a strange question on the day before Thanksgiving but it really isn't. When scheduling... Read More
Five Steps to a Web Site That Sells
I'm always amazed that people would spend months to develop their web site, pay thousands of dollars to have it put together and then... they just let... Read More
Use a Guarantee In Your Headline To Increase Trust
Sometimes you can use a guarantee effectively in your headline. Doing so often creates increased trust in the reader. After all, if you guarantee it, you must... Read More
50 Unbelievable Benefits Of Joint Venture Marketing
What Is A Joint Venture?A joint venture is an agreement in which two or more businesses work on a project for a set period of time. Joint... Read More
Dont Think Like A Package Designer - Think Like A Customer
Some of the most successful package introductions have come from people who knew nothing about package design. How can that make sense? Designers are creative. They get... Read More
Target Market - 3 Big Reasons You Need To Know Yours
Rule Number One when writing marketing materials is "Know Your Target Market." There's a lot of foundational work to do before you ever put a word on... Read More
Two kinds of Advertising for a Marketing Strategy
Advertising is the lifeblood of any business. If you do not learn how to advertise your products and services both efficiently and effectively, you won't be in... Read More
Will Googles Gmail spell trouble for Email Marketing.
We wait with baited breath for the anticipated launch of Google's Gmail - a fre*e email account, capable of storing50,000 short, text only messages. That was not... Read More
The Value of a Customer
The Driver of All Marketing EffortsYou need to determine what the value of a customer is to your company. Answer the following questions:How much will the average... Read More
Mortgage Marketing - Viral-Email, Referral Marketing Strategy
This is a devastatingly powerful way to extend your marketing reach. For this to work right you need a website that promotes your business.It doesn't have to... Read More
Advertising Your Private Practice: Beware of the Problems-Part 1
One of the biggest mistakes coaches, counselors and other healing professionals make is to assume that they must advertise their private practice in order to get clients.... Read More
Make Your E-Mail Signature File WORK for You!
You're probably familiar with e-mail signature (or "sig") files - they're the few lines of contact information that many of us put at the bottom of every... Read More
Top 3 Reasons Why Your Headlines Fail
Many professional copywriters estimate that the headline contributes to 80% or more of the success of any ad, article, or sales letter. One direct marketing expert... Read More
Marketing For Profit - 6 Critical Traits
Develop These Six Critical Marketing Traits...And Success Will Surely Follow.If you are marketing for any other reason than 'for profit' ? STOP! That's right, stop right now.... Read More
Small Business Bonzai Marketing
Do you own a small business? Do you wish to increase sales? Do you wish to draw more customers into your store or find more customers for... Read More
Build your Trade Show - Virtually
Virtual trade shows are gaining momentum as a way to encourage participation in the event - both live and online. Here are a few ideas to help... Read More
8 Ways to Fill a Workshop in a Bum Economy
Yes, you can fill a workshop when spending is down and buyers are wary. If your topic is clear, your marketing materials well-done, your product solid and... Read More
How to Write a Fundraising Thank-you Letter for Example (Includes a Free Sample)
Thank-you letters are one of the most important letters that your non-profit mails to donors. They remind donors that they made the right decision in supporting your... Read More
Why Cutting Prices Is Like Cutting Your Own Throat
Why cutting your prices is like cutting your own throat. It's the oldest sales tactic in the world? ... Read More
4 Steps to Successful Offline Drawings
There are many different ways to market offline, each important to your success. One of these being drawings. Not only does having a drawing bring attention to... Read More
Budget Marketing: Managing Your Marketing Money Wisely!
There's a saying that half of all marketing efforts are wasted, but it's impossible to tell which half!I know from hard won experience how easy it is... Read More
What You Need in Your Marketing Calendar
Marketing calendars are used by many businesses to help keep sales pipelines full of new prospective customers. Small businesses may just keep a simple calendar with handwritten... Read More
How to Turn More Referrals Into Paying Clients
60% of all small business owners, sales and solo-professionals claim that more than half of their new business comes from referrals. Yet when asked about the process... Read More
The Surprise Inside!
Think about all those Cracker Jacks you ate as a kid. What's your lasting memory? I'm guessing it's not the taste, but the surprise inside ? that... Read More
The Top Ten Ways to Get Beyond Networking And Generate Cash-Building Exposure
Gain the exposure you need to succeed with these ten tips:1. Present yourself as a specialist and/or an authority in your field. Identify where you excel and... Read More
How Simple, Small Changes Can Add Real Money To Your Pocket
I want to share with you a story. This story happens everywhere and everyday in America . If you grasp the simple lesson from it, you can... Read More
Basic Brand Building
A brand is the essence of who you are. The more powerful the brand the more memorable you will become. Think about brands that you can identify... Read More
New Years Planning Critical Success Factors
New Year's is a good time for strategic planning or re-planning your business. But don't think that's the only time. If you feel the need to re-consider... Read More
Getting Personal ? Innovative Marketing for Small Business Owners
The small business marketing strategy you can't afford to miss Everyone loves a story. Even if you don't particularly like reading them chances are you love watching... Read More
Growing Your Business With Your Marketing Priorities
None of us have enough time in the day to get everything done, but small business owners and entrepreneurs like you are particularly pressed. You wear so... Read More
Marketing in Business and Commerce in the New Consciousness
The point is what you give to another you give to yourself; the reason being that there is only one of us. You are apart part of... Read More