Getting Your Customers to You, So They Can Buy

Some suggestions on how to get customers to your business, so they'll buy!

Turning A Prospect Into A Buying Customer

The frequency of your commercial message is an important component in turning a prospective customer into a buying customer. Integrated marketing is the way to do this. What is integrated marketing? Simply put: it's taking your advertising message and placing it into a number of other mediums. By integrating all your marketing messages -- that is: your advertising (print and/or electronic media), sales promotion, telemarketing, direct mail (regular or e-mail), outdoor billboards and publicity (PR) -- you can strengthen the impact of each medium with the other(s). This reinforces your message in the minds of potential consumers. But remember, even good media saturation of your message takes time to have a significant impact on prospective buyers.

What can you do to better your odds of being heard or seen? Again, it's called Integrated marketing communications. When you integrate all your marketing messages, advertising, sales promotion, direct mail and public relations - each message reinforces and increases the impact of the others.

To begin with, the colors, typefaces and design used in all your materials should be consistent and complimentary. For example, your web site, business card, letterhead, invoices, sales receipts and the sign on your door, trucks and uniforms should be consistent in color, font, and relative sizes. In some cases it may be necessary to start from scratch and re-design all these elements, but the coordinated image that results will be worth the expense.

Let's say that you own a sporting goods chain of stores. Your basic selling message is that your business was built by pleasing the customer - asking them what they wanted and then giving it them. Your grandfather grew his tiny store into a bigger one, your father built it into two stores and you have made it into a chain. All of the company's growth has been based on customer service.

Your web site and your advertising says: "If you need it, we have it - or we'll get it in 24 hours." Your direct mail, business card, letterhead, invoices, sales receipts, signs, trade show booths, trucks and uniforms all carry the same message. Your public relations program tells of the great lengths to which you have gone to obtain hard to find sports equipment or accessories that your customers have requested. Your sales promotion says "Ask us for something we don't have or can't get in 48 hours and we'll give you $100 OFF any purchase in our store."

Your message is integrated into all of your communications, both online and offline. And in this manner, all of your communications have more impact.

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