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A prospective client called us the other day…they were interested in having us present a proposal on a $100,000 annual corporate program they were exploring. As the discussion went further…and I realized they were calling from half the country away…I ask where they had heard about us. It turns out their graphic artist attended an event we co-sponsored two years ago and he has had our promotional product on his desk ever since. When their current distributor hadn’t responded timely…they considered other options…and we were in the #2 spot because of our marketing.
I’ve recently been asked what it is that Purple Elephant Promotions does differently than others that has led to our growth and success. The simple answer is branding and pull-strategy marketing. I’ll talk more about these terms in a moment, but first I want to give credit where credit is due. Our current strategy is our way of implementing what I believe are three of the most powerful quotes for business people today.
“Actions speak louder than words”
-Kathryn Barbour- (my mother)
“Successful people don’t pursue success…they ATTRACT it”
-Vincent Roazzi-
“It’s ok to color outside the lines…so long as you stay on the page.”
-Jeff Tobe- Chief Colorer, Coloring Outside the Lines®
As a distributor in the promotional products industry we have the same competitive variables as the rest of the business world: price, time, and quality. We chose to focus on quality. This doesn’t mean that we don’t sell pencils and balloons. It means that as a competitive strategy, we chose to establish in the mind of the customer that it makes a quality difference whether they order from Purple Elephant Promotions (PEP) or from someone else.
This “quality difference” has several components…I’ll focus on two. First and foremost you must do quality work. To do quality work you must have knowledge of the industry and you must deliver what and when you say you will. Your word must mean something to customers. Always strive to under promise and over deliver because…actions speak louder than words.
The other aspect of quality has to do with the goodwill associated with your business. Today’s end user of promotional products is pretty savy. They know that every distributor out there has access to primarily the same factories. What you bring to the table is your learning curve with the various options available; your relationships with the people who can deliver on your promises; and your unique take on how to maximize your client’s value.
You must convince prospects of what you can do for them as your client…before they will become your client. You can either tell them what you can do…or you can show them. From the day you begin your business…the strongest example of what you can do for others is what you do for yourself…actions speak louder than words. If you truly believe in the power of promotional products…use them in combination with other marketing media to establish yourself as a leader in your market. I don’t mean use only the free stuff and special offers…but treat yourself as your best client…and put together a themed promotional program that is well thought out and goal oriented.
The perception you create in the mind of your customer is their reality of your company. Because of this…you have control of what others think of you…and how they respond to you. I once received advice for job hunting that applies equally well to establishing yourself in the mind of the consumer: “…dress for the interview as if you are applying for a position at least one level up from where you are now. This helps the interviewer see you as already successful in the job you are applying for.” Once you create the perception of already being somewhere…your clients and others will help you get there.
In today’s market place…power in the sales relationship has shifted from the seller to the buyer. With the cornucopia of options available in today’s world, buyers don’t need to be content with what you want to sell them. The Internet and other communications technologies make it possible for clients to buy what they want…and from whom they want. The challenge for you then is to create staying power in your client’s mind…enter pull strategy and branding.
Think of the difference between push strategy marketing and pull-strategy marketing like the old adage that you give someone a fish…or you can teach them to fish. You can sell to a customer once and they’ll feed you for a week…or you can teach them how to be your customer through marketing and they’ll feed your family for a lifetime. Selling is a short-term focus, marketing is based in long-term relationships.
Since the buyer has control of the selling process now (and they know it)…they may buy from a salesperson once…but the stronger connection is when they make a buying decision based on their own analysis of the available options and they choose you. Pull strategy marketing then is the difference between you going to them (cold calls, etc.) or you convincing the customer to come to you.
Through the effective use of promotional products (in combination with other media) you can create an image and goodwill that will endear buyers to give you that all-important first shot at meeting their needs. That said, once you get them to call you…you MUST perform and deliver…a pull strategy only works if you do your homework and prepare for the next level of business before you generate the interest. The worst thing you can do is generate interest and not be able to deliver.
It’s tempting to project an ideal image of who you are or want to be. You must know yourself well, and the perception you create in the minds of buyers must be a reflection of the reality behind the image…or you’ll fall short. An example of what happens when image and reality don’t align can be seen in dating and marriage behaviors of people who don’t know themselves well. As daters they paint the picture (create the perception) of who they are for their would-be mates. They often smooth out the rough edges and present the image of who they’d like others to think they are…but are not. Many wear their “dating mask” as they move through the process of dating. Many a relationship has ended when the parties don’t understand why the dates they attracted weren’t the people they wanted them to be. Since the dater didn’t show their true image to begin with…it wasn’t likely they would attract the person they would want to be with…it’s the same in business marketing with an image.
When you’re a purple elephant…I can tell you that your image doesn’t attract the World Wide Wrestling Federation as a client. Our image has attracted the kinds of people we like doing business with…people who want to be creative…and yes, more people from marketing and human resources…than from accounting and purchasing.
You can alter prospect’s perceptions of you on the Internet just as you do face-to-face and through your traditional marketing. The most common reaction we get to our website is that we have suceeded in demonstrating that we’re different…because we don’t push product…we work toward building a relationship…and letting the prospect know who we are as humans…behind the image.
In your quest to be perceived as memorable and different…remember there is a playing field known as professional business practices. “Staying on the page” as Jeff Tobe puts it, is staying within the realm of good taste and professionalism. While you want to be different…there is only so far you can go without damaging your credibility. I invite you to Lengthen Your Stridesm and stretch your creative muscle…but don’t tear down your professionalism in the process.