Seven Reasons Why Seasonal Marketing Sells Products
by Kirsten Dunleavy
Seasonal marketing is a clever way to sell product. The idea behind it is simple: create a campaign that appeals to people who are longing for the return of a particular season. While this may sound like it's geared more towards retail stores, plenty of other industries can benefit from seasonal marketing tactics. Here are seven reasons why seasonal marketing will make your business sell more goods and services - starting now!
1. It ties into the natural cycle This year, think about how you can tie your promotions into the changing of leaves or blossoming flowers (or whatever else signals one season ending and another beginning). For example, in the springtime you can sell more products for cleaning, gardening and yard work. In the fall, you can promote sweaters and holiday home decorations. Studies show that most consumers feel better about their purchases when they're linked to something that feels natural.
2. It gives you a way to freshen up your marketing tactics If you've been running traditional campaigns already, chances are they've gotten a little old. That's why seasonal marketing campaigns can be so appealing; you have an opportunity to put some new life into your marketing efforts. You can spruce up your types of advertisements (for example, going from a print ad in the local newspaper to distributing brochures door-to-door). Also, consider switching the way your marketing efforts are delivered. For example, if you typically run radio ads, try switching over to online advertising.
3. It forces you to be succinct The reason why many people hate sales pitches is that they feel like they're taking forever and there's no end in sight. While you don't want to keep your customers on pins and needles while they await more information, you also don't want them to lose interest before you've had a chance to sell them on the idea of buying your products or services. One way to capture people's attention is to keep all of your pitches short and sweet. This will help you come off as informative, rather than confusing.
4. It allows you to make a great first impression Think about how many businesses have been able to win over customers simply based on the strength of their initial marketing efforts. The more effective these efforts are, the more likely a customer is to return for another purchase in the future. When you run seasonal marketing campaigns, you have an opportunity early on in the relationship with potential customers to make a good impression. That initial impression will be something they'll remember come your next sale campaign.
5. It helps you motivate your sales staff You don't want to be seen as just another industry that's trying to squeeze every last dollar out of its customers before the season ends. If you're properly marketing your products and services, it will create a desire among staff members to sell even more when the end of their season rolls around. That's why it's important that your staff members are motivated by their sales reps' efforts. If they're ready to go, they'll be able to go out there and make the most of their seasonal marketing campaigns.
6. It allows you to up your game If you've been using the same seasonal marketing tactics for a year, a simple change in execution can add a ton of value. In other words, if you're running the same types of campaigns year after year, it may be time to try something new. For example, if you've always been featuring carved ornaments in your holiday decorations display, consider switching them out with handmade items. Depending on your industry, there are many different things that you could try with your seasonal marketing strategies.
7. It can help with time management Seasonal marketing gets people thinking about their holiday shopping lists as opposed to just another day of work. This can help you make time management decisions based on your seasonal marketing campaigns. For example, if you're running a sale campaign for holiday decorations, consider closing your store for several hours on the day of the Christmas holiday. Or consider using this same opportunity to bring in some extra staff members (such as from outside the business).
Those are just seven reasons why seasonal marketing can make your business sell more goods and services. If you want to learn more about seasonal marketing and how best to implement it at your company, check out our previous blog post "How to Implement Seasonal Marketing". While we don't have an offer for you today, we hope that what we've written today helped introduce seasonal marketing in a way that was easy to understand. In the coming weeks we plan to share more tips and tricks that can help you get the most out of seasonal marketing campaigns.
Marketing must be seen as a group effort, not an employee effort. The owner must set the tone. Let them know what you expect; don't leave it up to the salespeople to demonstrate how hard they work by giving them "sales-of-the-month."
Employees, however, are responsible for motivating their coworkers and showing respect for management. In addition, they need to understand how sales results impact their own compensation. A salesperson can make excellent money but never see it because his coworker is always credited with his efforts, even if that effort was minimal.
One way to avoid this is to set up a reward system that encourages your employees to find ways to help and recognize one another. This will encourage teamwork.
Marketing must be seen as a group effort, not an employee effort. The owner must set the tone. Let them know what you expect; don't leave it up to the salespeople to demonstrate how hard they work by giving them "sales-of-the-month."
Employees, however, are responsible for motivating their coworkers and showing respect for management. In addition, they need to understand how sales results impact their own compensation. A salesperson can make excellent money but never see it because his coworker is always credited with his efforts, even if that effort was minimal.
One way to avoid this is to set up a reward system that encourages your employees to find ways to help and recognize one another. This will encourage teamwork.
1. You'll feel more confident during your sales pitches Whether you're trying to win over new customers or just close the deal on an existing account, having confidence in what you're saying will allow you to handle objections better and also build rapport with your customers (especially if they feel like they can relate to what you're explaining).
2. You'll find that it makes managing your sales easier When you're confident in what you're doing, it will make it easier to speak with customers and figure out what their needs are. This will help your salespeople close more sales and come off as more knowledgeable about your products or services.
3. It can help drive home the importance of marketing to your employees People who don't have a lot of experience working at small businesses often think that the owner handles everything when it comes to sales, marketing and customer service. However, marketing is just one piece of the puzzle.
Conclusion Marketing is a critical part of the business. In fact, it can be a lot more effective in the long run than advertising. Advertising may generate some sales, but unless you're very lucky, they'll be short-term sales that won't help your business grow.
An effective marketing strategy is essentially an organized effort to get your company noticed among existing and potential customers. Your job as the owner is to make sure that your employees know what you expect from them and have all of the tools they need to generate effective marketing campaigns for your business. You'll also need to be sure that your employees are working together as a team, not just as individuals trying to outsell one another.