3 Ways to BLAST your Profits in your Local Market

Nothing motivates people into buying your products and services like a special event or promotion geared just towards them. How many local shop owners or retailers are wasting their time away in their stores rather than "working their market". Products and services are bought based upon need, knowledge and trust. All traits of a relationship so get out there and let people know who you are and give them an opportunity to build trust in your organization or store location based upon you as an individual. You won’t regret it!

Here are 5 ideas to consider. Choose one that will work with your business and give it a try or try them all……

1. Local schools. Contact all the local schools in your area and create a promotion that is specific to them. For example, offer a % off coupon or discount for any student’s family that comes into your store. Be creative and make it worthwhile for the school, donate a % of the proceeds back or offer your product as the incentive for completing a task – a book-a-thon; completion of a test; a charity goal – whatever, just make it fun and make it beneficial for you, the students and the school. The best part about partnering with your local school is that you have an inexpensive way to advertise. Most schools have hundreds of students and communicate with the families via giving the student information to bring home. Supply them with flyers with the details of the promotion and coupon or incentive to buy something from you and “blast” FREE advertising.

2. Charity organizations. Team up with a local charity and design a program that is attractive and gives them the potential to earn a lot of money for their cause. Everybody likes to help out a charity and here is a great way to get your name out and show a side charitable side of you and your business. Your local marketing are the folks that buy from you, engaging them in a common goal will help you build trust, bring awareness to you and your brand and alert people to where your business is located. Charities have a long list of contacts and you want to make sure they contribute to the marketing of the event by sending out communications to their list in addition to alerting the media. Offer to handle that for them. Anything you can do to draw attention and to help out, will pay you back in profits in the long run. An event can be anything…be creative. A client of mine – a local ice cream store created and decorated an ice cream cake specifically for Breast Cancer Awareness and hosted an Ice Cream Social at their store and promoted the event and gave back a % of the proceeds to the charity. Send out press releases. Contact the local chamber and schools and alert them to the event, hang flyers and contact your local news anchors and “blast” FREE publicity.

3. Create a giveaway or contest. People love to win. We are a nation of competitive people and are drawn to ways that we can have fun and win a prize no matter how big or small. Create a giveaway or a contest and make it fun for everyone. A client of mine raffled off a large flat screen TV but in order to be included in the raffle you first needed to buy something but second you needed to sing when you entered the store. At first it was strange but as everyone started to laugh and enjoy themselves, others joined in and before we knew it, the word spread and “blast” NEW customers. People want to be on the winning team and they want to have a good time so create one and the customers will come.

©2009 Kellie D’Andrea & Associates


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