McCurry Associates Marketing Idea Exchange Archives
Newsletter 4
Idea #1 B2B Build relationships between clients and sales
staff -
From: Kevin O'Connor, Enhance a Colour, (www.eacgs.com)
Pleasantville, NY (914)747-5111
The following is a marketing idea that we started
recently and so far has worked very well. We are sending out a monthly
newsletter from each of our sales associates that is an 8.5" by 11"
printed four color process with a second black plate to put in the sales
associates picture and letter with their signature and then folded to
5.5" by 8.5". The newsletter highlights a piece of equipment Enhance
a Colour has and the applications it can be used for. It also has a Did You
Know.... section that explains dye-sublimated banners versus silk-screen
banners, a welcome letter from the recipients sales representative along with
a helpful tip of the month related to graphics or large format printing.
So far the response has been very good and we are
receiving calls from customers and prospects saying how happy they are to
receive the newsletter. We started out with 1,865 copies a month and have
increased our prospect list to almost 4,000 names.
Idea #2 How to structure promotions (as well as response
to last issues suggestion by Jim Schwarzbach)
From Michael St Germain, Concord Camera Store, Concord, NH
(603) 225-5891
Whatever promotion you run should have as few caveats as
possible (none is preferable). The special should be explained in ten words or
less, otherwise the sales staff won't sell it and the customer's short
attention span won't hear it.
One of our best frame specials, run twice a year, is buy
any two frames get a third one free (lowest price frame is free). This special
is easy to promote and effectively reduces your price by only 33% if all
frames are of equal value but they rarely are. Our average discount during
this special is 25-27%. It also moves a greater quantity of frames more
quickly and brings in more cash than a 1/3 off pricing model.
It also works well when a customer is buying only one
frame the sales staff can easily recommend a second frame because the third
frame is FREE. Remember frames that we sell do not have to be only for photos
although that is our goal. A frame can be used for mirrors, greeting cards, or
any kind of art work so don't limit your imagination. Most importantly, dont
limit the imagination of your customers.
Idea #3 Show your customers the effect - they can’t
always understand what your product/service will do for them.
From Chris Lydle, CPC - Chris' Camera Center South -
Aiken, SC (803) 641-0501 - www.chriscamera.com
Marketing idea, small & cheap: If you sell
binoculars or telescopes in your store, put a toy bird at the far end as a
target. If your store is too small to let that work, get the store owner
across the street to cooperate and put a (larger) bird in his or her window.
We used to have a postage stamp showing Bambi (the deer,
not the porn star) at the far end of the store from a 60mm spotting scope that
was on a rigid tripod. A sign next to the scope invited shoppers to look. They
were always amazed, and couldn't even find the stamp with the naked eye!
Dramatic demonstration for 34 cents!
Editors Note:
A sister site to Chris Camera (Idea#3) is
photoimagenews.com. You’ll find at the bottom of the page http://www.photoimagenews.com/index.htm
a list of Chris New Years Resolution. Good food for thought, even in May.
Newsletter 5
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