What is the easiest sale you'll ever make? It is selling someone who has a special occasion such as a birthday, anniversary or some other important life event. What can you do to pre-empt these special moments in your customer's lives? Ok...I'll tell you...remember when I first started this blog...I asked if you would start collecting your customer's info such as address, email, birthdays, anniversaries, etc? Here's what you do....
How about sending a postcard or gift certificate to these customers for $25-100 with no strings attached! Yes, I really mean it..no strings attached! We've been doing this for years in my store and let me tell you, it creates a major amount of "Goodwill" for your customer and needless to say, it burns a hole in their pocket until they use it! So many businesses forget to do this simple but effective way of marketing! If you keep a data file on computer of your customer's you can simply upload your list to a company like http://www.targetmailers.com/ and pick a postcard/gift certificate...they'll even mail it for you. You can also easily print gift certificate yourself with any laser or inkjet printer using a program such as Microsoft Publisher.
The point here is...do it!!! This is FREE MONEY! Very rarely have I ever had a customer simply spend the amount of the certificate...they usually spend much more, plus it creates a feeling of "I'm Important" to your customer.
Ok...put this blog post to use and let me hear your success stories on this simple but super effective technique!
Success,
Bill Warren
Warren Marketing Systems
828-729-1020
Monday, March 22, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Branding - Is It Really All That?
Branding....ah yes, it seems to be the buzzword in the marketing world these days! Some say, you simply must have a branded product in your store and the people will come! Many books, seminars, etc. have been devoted to this very topic. And yes, even I've been seduced by this type of marketing/advertising myself, but then I "snapped out of it"!
I think retailers have lost sight of what the most important brand is and its "Their Own Brand"! Yes...I mean themselves or their businesses! The brand we need to concentrate on building is not some suppliers line or today's latest fad, but instead building the brand which is our own! For instance, in my jewelry store, I'm much more interested in folks thinking, "Wow, that store has the nicest and most comprehensive wedding band collection anywhere at a great price" instead of someone thinking, "Hey, lets go over here because they carry XYZ Brand". It can't be repeated enough, the most important brand you sell is yourself and your store...work on building it instead of making some supplier rich....do it for yourself!!
While I'm not against offering a great product and I do believe great products enhance trade with our businesses, so many retailers have forgotten how to sell and rely on the brand to sell for them! Oops...did I say that? Yes..and I mean it! Instead of pouring so much money into a brand and the marketing of it...lets pour the same money, time and resources into training our salespeople as well as ourselves in selling the products we already have! I think it will be a much more worthy pursuit and better use of your money!
Before I close, let me give you a quick test and something to think about: When I say "Pizza"...what name automatically comes to your mind? I'll bet you said Domino's because we've been conditioned to that brand...but is it really the place you use for Pizza? If I say "Car"...what comes to mind? Ford or Chevy I bet...but is it really the car that you drive? The power of a brand and top of the mind awareness (known as TOMA) is great, but is it really the most important thing? We'll talk about it more in another posting.
For now, concentrate on your brand (YOU) and build your biz from that point...let branding come as a part of people saying, "Wow...that store was so awesome...they treated me so well, I wouldn't think of going anywhere else...I can't wait to tell my friends".....now there is the right kind of "Branding" we need as retailers.
'Til Next Time,
Bill Warren
Warren Marketing Systems
828-729-1020
hidden69@charter.net
I think retailers have lost sight of what the most important brand is and its "Their Own Brand"! Yes...I mean themselves or their businesses! The brand we need to concentrate on building is not some suppliers line or today's latest fad, but instead building the brand which is our own! For instance, in my jewelry store, I'm much more interested in folks thinking, "Wow, that store has the nicest and most comprehensive wedding band collection anywhere at a great price" instead of someone thinking, "Hey, lets go over here because they carry XYZ Brand". It can't be repeated enough, the most important brand you sell is yourself and your store...work on building it instead of making some supplier rich....do it for yourself!!
While I'm not against offering a great product and I do believe great products enhance trade with our businesses, so many retailers have forgotten how to sell and rely on the brand to sell for them! Oops...did I say that? Yes..and I mean it! Instead of pouring so much money into a brand and the marketing of it...lets pour the same money, time and resources into training our salespeople as well as ourselves in selling the products we already have! I think it will be a much more worthy pursuit and better use of your money!
Before I close, let me give you a quick test and something to think about: When I say "Pizza"...what name automatically comes to your mind? I'll bet you said Domino's because we've been conditioned to that brand...but is it really the place you use for Pizza? If I say "Car"...what comes to mind? Ford or Chevy I bet...but is it really the car that you drive? The power of a brand and top of the mind awareness (known as TOMA) is great, but is it really the most important thing? We'll talk about it more in another posting.
For now, concentrate on your brand (YOU) and build your biz from that point...let branding come as a part of people saying, "Wow...that store was so awesome...they treated me so well, I wouldn't think of going anywhere else...I can't wait to tell my friends".....now there is the right kind of "Branding" we need as retailers.
'Til Next Time,
Bill Warren
Warren Marketing Systems
828-729-1020
hidden69@charter.net
Friday, March 5, 2010
You're Throwing Away Millions!!!
Yes, its true!! You really are throwing away hundreds, thousands and quite possibly millions of dollars everyday! How you might ask? By tossing your junk mail in "File 13" as soon as you get it out of the mailbox! Now stay with me here...
Perhaps you have never realized it, but some of the best marketing minds on earth come up with the ads you see everyday in your direct mail, newspapers, etc. Just because we do not perceive them as relevant to our situation, we instantly give these valuable ads a toss into the trash. You might think something like, "Well, I could never use that type of advertising in my business or that idea couldn't apply to me". But oh my friend, if retailers would only consider adapting a new idea from another industry to their business, they could really hit marketing gold!
Some of the best promotional ideas for my jewelry store have come from businesses outside the scope of the jewelry industry. So many times, we copy what others in our industry are doing, just because thats they way its always been done instead of opting or experimenting with something new.
I challenge you today friends, the next time you stand over the trash can with sales ads, papers, direct mail from other industries...remember to check them out and see if you can adapt it to fit your business. You may be throwing millions $$$ away!
Success,
Bill Warren
Warren Marketing Systems
828-729-1020
hidden69@charter.net
Perhaps you have never realized it, but some of the best marketing minds on earth come up with the ads you see everyday in your direct mail, newspapers, etc. Just because we do not perceive them as relevant to our situation, we instantly give these valuable ads a toss into the trash. You might think something like, "Well, I could never use that type of advertising in my business or that idea couldn't apply to me". But oh my friend, if retailers would only consider adapting a new idea from another industry to their business, they could really hit marketing gold!
Some of the best promotional ideas for my jewelry store have come from businesses outside the scope of the jewelry industry. So many times, we copy what others in our industry are doing, just because thats they way its always been done instead of opting or experimenting with something new.
I challenge you today friends, the next time you stand over the trash can with sales ads, papers, direct mail from other industries...remember to check them out and see if you can adapt it to fit your business. You may be throwing millions $$$ away!
Success,
Bill Warren
Warren Marketing Systems
828-729-1020
hidden69@charter.net
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
You Do What?
When you are making small talk with folks, how often does the question come up.."What do you do? or What's your profession?" Most people would simply say something like.."I'm a jeweler or I'm a barber or I'm a Car Salesman". Yes, I used to do the very same thing until my marketing mentor, Jim Ackerman helped change my way of thinking about this.
You see, even when we're not actually on the job, you are still on the job and you only have a few seconds to make a first impression...right? I used to say things like, "I'm in the jewelry business or I sell jewelry". Recently while at a business roundtable, everyone was asked to state their name and what they do. Here was my answer....I said:
"Hi, my name is Bill Warren and I'm in the business of making lots of women happy......(extremely long pause, then I proceeded onward to say)....with the gift of fine jewelry from my store, The Gold Mine!
Now, how do you think the fellow before me felt with his stock & trade answer to the same question as: Hi, I'm John Doe and I'm an insurance salesman at ABC Insurance. Do you get the picture here? How you introduce yourself to people really does make a big difference...who do you think the folks in that roundtable discussion remembered most? The guy selling insurance or the guy who makes lots of women happy with the gift of fine jewelry? Obviously, I'm biased here, but needless to say, my introduction startled the crowd then brought out huge laughter and then everyone saying..."Gee..I wish I had thought of something like that!"
Let me leave you with a thought today, also inspired by my friend Jim Ackerman and one that set our business on the road to success. Stop thinking of yourself as a jeweler, florist, clothier, hairdresser, etc.
As owner of the business you took on a special and important mantle...you are the rainmaker...the one who calls down the storm and the one who brings in the customers. Instead of thinking of myself as a jeweler, I've made the shift to this: I am a marketer of jewelry and jewelry related services. This little shift in my thinking made all the difference for me...I think it will for you as well. We'll explore this topic more later.
'Til Then,
Bill Warren
Warren Marketing Systems
hidden69@charter.net
828-729-1020
You see, even when we're not actually on the job, you are still on the job and you only have a few seconds to make a first impression...right? I used to say things like, "I'm in the jewelry business or I sell jewelry". Recently while at a business roundtable, everyone was asked to state their name and what they do. Here was my answer....I said:
"Hi, my name is Bill Warren and I'm in the business of making lots of women happy......(extremely long pause, then I proceeded onward to say)....with the gift of fine jewelry from my store, The Gold Mine!
Now, how do you think the fellow before me felt with his stock & trade answer to the same question as: Hi, I'm John Doe and I'm an insurance salesman at ABC Insurance. Do you get the picture here? How you introduce yourself to people really does make a big difference...who do you think the folks in that roundtable discussion remembered most? The guy selling insurance or the guy who makes lots of women happy with the gift of fine jewelry? Obviously, I'm biased here, but needless to say, my introduction startled the crowd then brought out huge laughter and then everyone saying..."Gee..I wish I had thought of something like that!"
Let me leave you with a thought today, also inspired by my friend Jim Ackerman and one that set our business on the road to success. Stop thinking of yourself as a jeweler, florist, clothier, hairdresser, etc.
As owner of the business you took on a special and important mantle...you are the rainmaker...the one who calls down the storm and the one who brings in the customers. Instead of thinking of myself as a jeweler, I've made the shift to this: I am a marketer of jewelry and jewelry related services. This little shift in my thinking made all the difference for me...I think it will for you as well. We'll explore this topic more later.
'Til Then,
Bill Warren
Warren Marketing Systems
hidden69@charter.net
828-729-1020
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