Godbless those wonderful heady thoughts that if we give the consumer all of the right bits and pieces they will want our product and go buy the little sucker from our friendly little corner store.
I had a lovely chap explain to me that 35% of Australian purchasers walk into the retail channel expecting to buy one of his products and only 12% of that 35% actually walk out of the store with one.
Why? Out of stock? Better deal? Fallen sick? Forgotten wallet? No, because the retailer has switch sold them to a competitor's product. The solution is simply to encourage key clients to throw everything at the retailers to make their products the preferred offer to the store visitors. That doesnt mean straight sales incentive. That sounds very un-Australian and a little bent. No, that means actively encouraging the retailers to participate and to experience the products. Throw in a bit of fun and some offer to help secure the consumers confidence and hey presto - 100% of the 35% will walk out with the product and of course a load more who have just been switch sold!
Monday, February 02, 2009
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3 comments:
Are you saying that cars and scooters and GPS devices used to "motivate" floor staff to sell more of your products is bent/un-Australian?
Participation and experience comes in many shapes and forms or which are not always mutually exclusive.
Maybe if you try and couple all the give-aways with a bit of knowledge on what your product actually is, how it works and why yours is the "best", that will help with that "experience".
While you are at it, throw in some training from your sales team. Get the floor staff to understand how to use the product and then they will know how to sell it.
And...just for good measure, give them a way to access (buy) your product at a reduced cost once they have built a relationship with you/the brand.
I would agree...throwing the kitchen sink at them is a quick fix that doesn't build a relationship. Give them a bit of experience (product, knowledge, assistance, etc.) and that will lead to true advocation.
Ha ha. You got it. Just chucking cars and cash and holidays is bribery whereas using incentives as part of a whole surround strategy which firmlly anchors your product in the mind of the retailer will do the trick and is a sophistocated promotional program. Your own thoughts on driving engagement and experience will of course be noted and repackaged as mine very soon. Keep the ideas coming.
Mark, like the late great Hunter S. Thompson says, "I have been plagiarising all my life. It's called learning."
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