Effective Design for increasing sales in your business


			EFFECTIVE Marketing Design Ask yourself the following questions before you begin your marketing and sales strategy What exactly am I selling? Customers tend to think in terms of benefits, rather than features. How does your product, or service, benefit the customer, does it answer a need or want, does it present the solution to a problem? If you're not sure what the difference is between a feature and a benefit go to the section on Effective Sales Presentation Who will buy it? Who exactly will buy it, profile your customer.. What is their gender, age, and background.. What do they read, listen to, where do they go? The more you know about your customer the easier it is to sell to them and ensure your marketing is in the right place at the right time. If you're not sure how to profile your customer then go to the section on Hitting the mark in Business basics How can I tell them about it? What media will you use, examples include: tele sales, leaflets, brochures, newsletters, radio, tv, word of mouth, networking.. Have 2 or 3 methods at your disposal so if one dries up, or doesn't work you have something else to turn to. How can I generate maximum response? The more intimately you know your prospective customer, the more chance you have of selling.. It's all down to effective market research and profiling them before you design your literature. The other area to consider is how to make it easy for them to respond, ask yourself, why should they respond? What's in it for them - can you offer an incentive? Will my marketing activity lead to a sale? Sales literature that doesn't sell didn't work. Don't fool yourself into thinking it was just a fluke. Look at it objectively; put yourself in the mind of the customer.. What did they see (or not) that caused them not to respond.. Now amend it and try again. If all else fails get professional advice. With the advent of personal computers, everyone seems to think that they have become graphic designers and the PC will add the creativity that they lacked before. it's not true and there is a lot of garbage around to prove it. Try to get an objective critique from a number of people, who are within your customer profile, before you risk all on the home made brochure, or sales letter. How can I put the odds in my favour? Try to make it easy for them to respond ... some people make it almost impossible, hiding telephone numbers, asking for lots of detailed information, etc. What is the purpose of the marketing campaign ... if it's to see who's out there remember the lower the commitment asked for the higher the rate of response. What exactly am I selling? Have I identified a real need for it? Is it a growing market? Who is the competition (SWOT analysis)? What makes me better than them? Why should people buy? What is my USP? What are the true benefits? Biggest Challenge! How can I be sure that the impression my customer gets is the same one I see? Answer Think like my customer thinks! In order to do this I must know my customer intimately Targeting the Customer Build a complete profile of your potential customer Gender? Age group? Occupation? ABC1C2 etc.? What do they read / watch / listen? Where do they go? Where and how can I reach them? What's their problem or need? What will get their attention? Your Customer May be visual, audible or kinaesthetic Is busy & overwhelmed with decisions Wants to hang on to hard-earned money Receives 30 - 50 letters / brochures per day Has an excellent filter system (RAS) Uses .02% of intellectual capacity Has conditioned responses Yet needs to know that you are treating them as an individual, rather than another 'number' in the game! Why do You want this literature/ advertisement / exhibition? Common answers are as follows, ensure your answer is not in the first 4 Pardon? I haven't a clue Because we want a glossy brochure Because the MD says so It's in the Business Plan To Raise Awareness To Generate Leads To Generate Sales To Support Field Sales Staff To Develop Market Intelligence To Maintain / Improve Market Share Does it comply with Your overall strategy? To see an example of a Direct Mail / Mail Shot Brochure that fitted in with a planned Sales and Marketing Strategy for a 'cold call' sales person click here now. please note this may take some time to load so be patient. Caution! Designers - Design for visual effect Printers - Print on Paper Copywriters - Write Words Photographers - Take Pictures If they don't spend time getting to know your product and customers - don't use them! If they don't understand the principles of marketing - don't give them full responsibility! Great Sales Literature is Sales in Print! In order to sell, the literature, letter, telephone call, etc. must follow the formula AIDA Attention - get attention Interest - generate interest in your product or service Desire - build their desire to own your product or service Action - tell them what the next step is to ensure they become a valued customer Ways to gain attention! Colour / Space / Layout Size / Format / Image Curiosity / Humour Problem Solving / Benefit Relevant right now Texture / Feel / Quality Headline / Phrase Questions recipients ask So What? What's in it for me? Is this relevant to me? Do I really need to read this? Is this an offer I can't refuse? Does this solve a problem? Have I really got time? If I throw it in the bin am I making a mistake? How to hold their interest Bullet points / Flashes Exclusive Limited New / Unique Track record / Proven system Research results Guarantee / back up / service 0% / low interest Competition / Something for nothing? One upmanship Creating desire Body copy sell benefits Money saving Time saving Labour saving Profit making Greater efficiency More effective Reduce buyer remorse This occurs when you haven't satisfied them that either your product, service or company (or even you as an individual) are exactly what they want. It is normally the reason for cancelled orders "Have I done the right thing" .. in order to avoid this ensure that you answer all their questions and make sure they are satisfied before taking the order. To see an example of an actual design that follows the AIDA principle and that worked click here. Please note this takes a short while to load so be patient Improving response Staged Contact (frequency) - don't assume because you sent them a letter that they read it. If only 2% respond you can bet 80% didn't even read it. The lower the commitment the higher the response! Make it easy for them! Post paid / fax back / e-mail Tick box Provide pen Tear off coupon Their name & address printed To see an example of a direct mail leaflet that achieved 28% response with no telephone follow up click here now. Please note this takes some time to load so be patient.