Page 114 - Lighting Magazine June 2018

on the mark “Content
builds
relationships.
Relationships
are built
on trust.
Trust drives
revenue.”
–Andrew Davis
It is said that history repeats itself. The plaid jacket that was all the rage in the 1970s looks dated now, but take the same geometric pa ern of plaid, jazz up the colors, and you suddenly have the fashionable hipster plaid known as tartan.
The same applies to sales and marketing. Most of the old methods, when used in 2018, seem tired and worn — even comical. Clients have changed, just like advertising has, and so has the way we sell to clients. This means we must also change with the times. I believe with a few tweaks, these past techniques can once again have life and become successful tools.
The Old PlaybOOk
In the old days, we were told to qualify the cus- tomer and always be closing. In my opinion, both of these bedrock methods of client connection need a revamp, because as originally used, they are pre y terrible.
In 2018, the sales realities have ipped quali - cation to the client, who does it all online. Before
we meet them or know who they are, clients will qualify the items they want to buy, qualify the place they will make their purchase (online or brick & mortar); and may even qualify the person they want to work with.
This power swap indicates that in order to qualify as the client’s rst choice as a lighting re- source, we can no longer wait for them to enter our showrooms. If we wait for the door to open to begin the quali cation process, there will be a continued reduction in tra c and sales.
Clients may not know why service is necessary, be it in design or product knowledge — and that it is as relevant or more important than the product alone. Sadly, the client will usually discover this a er they make a purchase that is not what they expected or wanted.
Therefore we must broadcast to our base in advance of their buying cycle, why they need to work with a professional in a showroom and that the expert they need is us.
direcT Mail, Flyers & The yellOw Pages
When evaluating the marketing process, it is criti- cal to stop wasting money. Curtail the use of bulk direct mail, yers, and the Yellow Pages. Each of those marketing methods was highly successful in their day, but they have lost their e ectiveness. With some modi cations, we can make such use- less tools useful again.
When sending snail mail, make sure it’s in le er or greeting card form and that the envelope, as well as its contents, do not broadcast “Marketing Material Enclosed.” To get positive results, use oversized pieces in colors that impact the senses and that stand out from the typical items found in their mailbox.
Include something of value to begin building the foundational in uence of reciprocation. Curiosity is a trigger and will get a ention. Do not tell the client what their “gi ” is, show 3 to 5 items, each with its own landing page triggered by a QR code included on the card that the client scans to see what they have received from you. To claim the “gi ,” they must come to the showroom.
This method has several bene ts: We get the client’s a ention without being salesy; excitement is created by the opportunity to get a gi , and one of them is a biggie. This method will create posi- tive word-of-mouth communication as people talk about your showroom.
112 enLIGHTenment Magazine | june 2018
www.enlightenmentmag.com