Marketing your products or services to maximum effect.
With tough trading conditions set to continue for the foreseeable future, now is the time to ensure that your products or services are marketed and promoted to maximum effect.
With all businesses tightening their belts, the smaller independent business finds that employing the services of management consultants, marketing and branding gurus, public relations specialists et al, is beyond reach.
This month’s tips are aimed at retailers. At Rennie Randell Associates our clients include some of the leading suppliers of kitchen furniture to UK independent retailers so we frequently come into contact with kitchen specialists. However the following tips can be easily adapted to suit almost any retail business:
- Is your shop or showroom inviting? Sparkling clean? Helpful well trained staff? Products well displayed (and propped if appropriate)?
- Do you have a loyalty scheme for repeat purchases etc. Are you price competitive with others offering similar products/services?
- Do you gather data about your customers? Start a mailing list, ask if customers mind being put on a mailing list, ask if you can contact by email.
- Hold promotional events, eg a tasting event to promote the latest foods or wines, a cooking demo if you run a kitchen showroom with local celebrity chef, and add incentive to place order for new kitchen within a limited period.
- Join forces with another independent retailer and run joint promotion or event.
- Start a newsletter which can be emailed or mailed quarterly – this will enable you to build customer loyalty.
- Run a competition.
- Get involved in a local charity and maximise local PR for your business.
- Never forget the customer is ‘king’.
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