Below are some tips on marketing your products/services
Obtaining Information From Potential Clients
|
Know your customer – ask the right questions.
- What do you read; what do you attend; what do you belong to
- Know what they want to buy, who they’re currently buying from, when and how
- Ask, listen, act
|
Ask customers for referrals.
|
Ads/Promos/Campaigning
|
Phone
- Answer the phone.
- Guarantee calls returned within one hour.
- Put specials on your hold music, tell about extended hours.
- Telemarketing to existing accounts with end of year specials.
|
Use space ads selectively, make them direct response ads – awareness building should be done earlier in the year.
|
Meetings
- Have execs speak at events and SIG meetings
- Be visible at SIG meetings. Attend AFFIRM, PKI, FISSEA & others where there will be a concentration of Feds.
- If you are known in a niche look for affinity groups in government with list serves; see if they will carry your end-of-FY message: FISSEA, GCN, PKI, etc.
- Sponsor events/breakfasts and network at these meetings.
- Schedule an end-of-FY post-mortem: bring in Amtower for a Federal Marketing Audit or the Government Marketing Best Practices workshop.
|
Obtaining Information:-
- Know your customer – ask the right questions.
- What do you read; what do you attend; what do you belong to
- Know what they want to buy, who they’re currently buying from, when and how
- Ask, listen, act
- Ask customers for referrals.
- Ads/Promo/Campaigning+-
- Use space ads selectively, make them direct response ads – awareness building should be done earlier in the year.
- Consider the One-Book-Buys for space ads.
- Radio spots on WTOP.
- Buy AdWords.
- Integrate Your End of FY campaigns
- Consistent look and message
- What’s in their hand must resonate with what they see on the web
- Use multiple tactics
- Direct mail, web, PR, telemarketing, events
- No one shot campaigns without a supporting cast
- Use SmartPay logo on all promo material.
- Maximize linkage July-October; links with publications, manufacturer partners, channel partners, FBC, GovFacility – wherever you can get links at sites that get the right traffic.
- Plan press releases for busy season…work to get editorial coverage.
- Meet a new reporter – one whose beat covers your niche; there may be no immediate payoff, but who knows…
- Think outside the box.
- Hand out material at top five federal metro stations
- Movie theater preview ads
- Fly a banner over jersey beaches
- Mail/Email+-
- Mail to your installed customer base every other week July/August – every week in Sept: snail and email.
- Use the same list three times for prospecting.
- If you go after low hanging fruit (sales under $2,500), mail the credit card file 2x (outside DC) in August/Sept Remember APO/FPO – mail frequently including prospect mail.
- Send all mail in DC area in envelopes; remember all DC snail mail is still irradiated.
- Post cards work outside DC, but not at base activities.
- Follow-Up+-
- Make your messages matter
- Must have stopping power – relevant headlines and short copy
- Consistency and frequency
- Include information to help make decisions
- Prices, specs
- Web site address/800 number
- Contract vehicles
- Include a government theme - let them know you understand their business.
- Give multiple ways to respond - web, phone, fax, BRC.
- Follow-up on all leads…70% are not followed up on.
- Emails should lead with end-of-FY special and gratuity offer.
- Phone+-
- Answer the phone.
- Guarantee calls returned within one hour.
- Put specials on your hold music, tell about extended hours.
- Telemarketing to existing accounts with end of year specials.
- Sales+-
- Give multiple ways to buy
- Online with a credit card
- Multiple contracts
- Have sales contests in your outbound office.
- Call your sales rep at the publication that works best for you and ask them for the best they can do between now & Oct 15.
- Sales blitz days – close order and pick up purchase order, etc., make it a contest, take execs with you.
- Saving Money+-
- Partner with complimentary vendors and share the marketing costs.
- Establish year-end blanket purchase agreements – easy way to buy.
- Meetings+-
- Have execs speak at events and SIG meetings
- Be visible at SIG meetings. Attend AFFIRM, PKI, FISSEA & others where there will be a concentration of Feds.
- If you are known in a niche look for affinity groups in government with list serves; see if they will carry your end-of-FY message: FISSEA, GCN, PKI, etc.
- Sponsor events/breakfasts and network at these meetings.
- Schedule an end-of-FY post-mortem: bring in Amtower for a Federal Marketing Audit or the Government Marketing Best Practices workshop.
- Events+-
- Special events – seminars – face-to-face marketing.
- Participate in more in-agency events until November.
- Crunch Time+-
- Have executive team distribute busy season survival kits.
- Try metro cards if slots available during busy season.
- Remember, busy season runs into mid-Oct if the budgets are approved -- offer a first of the FY special.
- Don’t try and do it all, pick what works for you and execute!
- Web+-
- Make your web site user friendly
- Loads quickly
- Easy to navigate
- Content rich
- Keep the web site fresh – update weekly through busy season: specials, news, links.
- Leverage testimonials or other success stories.
- Create white papers that can be posted on web site for downloading, used as leave behinds on account calls and use as response incentive in direct marketing efforts.
- Rewards+-
- Reward frequent buyers – always say thank you.
- Customer appreciation days – special delivery packages – cookies, etc.
- Hand out ice cream at key agencies one afternoon a week.
- GSA+-
- Weekly spot reductions from your GSA Schedule price through busy season.
- Update any information on GSA Advantage, ProNet, etc.
- Visit http//:ssq.gsa.gov – run a current report on your GSA Schedule category, regardless of whether you have a Schedule. See who is leading, and look at their web site, ads, etc.
- Get in MarkeTips. This is the GSA publication that goes to all offices that buy off Schedule.
- General+-
- Survey says…conduct customer satisfaction measurement after FY close.
- Monitor competitors closely during end-of-FY
- How does the market perceive you relative to them?<
- Emphasize what makes you different
- Extend business hours and communicate it!!
- Clearly emphasize and communicate your differentiators during end of FY– service, delivery, 8(a), woman-owned, 24 hour ordering, etc.
- Leverage legal gratuities – Include Federal Personnel Guide with every Sept sale- call 301-656-0450 and tell Frank Joseph that Mark Amtower sent you – announce this at your web site.
- Exploit best accounts (agency accounts): if an agency likes you, spend more time/money there (all locations) than elsewhere; table tops, direct mail, email.