The Sales Plan
is an integral part of the marketing plan and it includes strategies
and tactics used to achieve revenue objectives. Effective sales can
be achieved through effective advertising. Advertising too plays an
important role in achieving sales. The channels of sales should be analyzed
before implementing.
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In this competitive environment today researchers have identified many
a basic elements and strategies that can be applied to get effective
sales results. However these recommendations have to be dynamic in nature
and have to change from time to time as the customers tastes, preferences,
lifestyle etc..keep changing from time to time.
Customers these days have become shrewder and they don’t care if
the companies don’t care for them. It’s the benefits that
the customers buy and nor the features. As the old saying goes, sell
the sizzle and not the steak. Features in a product have a purpose.
There cannot be any feature designed without serving a particular purpose.
However it’s always wrong to assume that the customer will figure
out for himself as to what that benefit is. For example : It’s
not appropriate to write about what a Macintosh operating system has
to offer, how different it is from Windows, without connecting the fact
that such an operating system is pretty costlier than windows and it
works in a different way when compared to windows and then talk about
what it will do for them.
When you advertise your product, it is always advisable to view what
your offering from a customers point of view. When you read what you
write, put your copy to the test by you yourself being the biggest critic
of your product.
Why be your own critic? Your customer’s and competitors will definitely
be a critic of your product. If you have customers acknowledging your
product, you will also have a section of people being your biggest critic.
So before them assuming the role of one, it’s always better in
you being your own critic.
By thinking from a customer’s point of view, it will help you answer
a lot of questions and will help in offering a better and a more competitive
product. Just take a second off and think about it, wont you are a critic
of your own competitor’s product? That’s how we innovate too.
So it’s always better in us realizing what more could be offered
rather than getting to know from your competitors or customers.
While designing your own product, first plan your products features
and benefits. Plan in a way that what you’re offering is unique
or what service you’re rendering is unique. What is that you are
offering that your competitors cannot? Such questions may not necessarily
always elicit easy answers, but nevertheless, you must find and articulate,
well and convincing answers to them.
Ask questions like whether you’re offering the lowest price or
the most competitive price, whether you can offer a faster delivery
of your service, whether the guarantee that you give is an appreciable
and an acceptable one and of course whether your product is quite unique
when compared to the others.
Unique Selling Proposition
There must be a unique and a compelling reason for a new customer or
an existing customer to do or continue business with your organization
or to use your product or continue using your products. A reason that
stands out amidst your competitors products in today’s competitive
environment. This concept is most frequently referred to as your unique
selling proposition (USP).
What compels me to do business with you, what is that I can get from
your product that I cannot get from your competitors product, what are
the real benefits that I can get from your product when I can choose
from a basketful of your competitors? This is a question that a customer
keeps asking always.
Once you truly grasp this fact of marketing, it becomes easy to see
that finding the right USP and articulating it in your sales copy can
literally spell the difference between success and failure. It truly
is that important.
Attach more importance to your layout. Position your headlines in such
a way that they will be seen first and arrange your presentation in
an orderly fashion. It is a known fact that presentations, to be effective
have to be arranged somewhat like a tour. There's a beginning, middle
and an end - in that order. Make sure that your customer is not in complete
control of the order in which they participate in the tour.
Use graphical images if possible to invoke emotion wherever necessary.
Make sure that you capture your customer’s eyes to the text that
you want them to read. Avoid using graphical images to gratuitously
fill spaces. Always ask yourself what you want the graphic to accomplish
and design it in such a way that it accomplishes the set task.
Give the consumers an attractive focal point – a convenient and
an obvious place to start reading as well as a well laid-out pathway
to follow all the way to the set conclusion. Tell your customers up
front what you're selling or offering. If you let them to guess, your
product will ultimately go un-noticed and you will be left guessing
why they left without buying your product.
Make sure that your promotions and advertisements demonstrate the product
and illustrate a benefit. See to that it’s designed in such a way
that it promotes a professional image. Be sure that it draws the required
attention to the most important sections of the promos or advertisements.
All of these are important issues to be focused on and also make sure
that you validate the use of graphical images.
Images are very powerful mediums of delivery, but space upon a hoarding
or a banner is precious and it should not to be frivolously squandered.
It’s always important that you strive to get the maximum possible
returns from each of your images or captions. Use them to induce positive
emotions. For example: A picture of a happy and well-knit family getting
into a brand new sedan is more appealing than just a picture of the
sedan.
If, on the other hand, images or graphics lacks the set purpose, then
lose don’t mind losing them, as there is no use in doing something
which is not going to pay the desired results.
Finally make sure that your promotional campaign and advertisements
carry a purpose of promoting a professional image. Remember, customers
generally don’t care about your image than you do. It’s hard
to believe, but that’s the fact. Always maintain professionalism
which is good.
Customers always
care more about themselves than they do about you. Products that your
company promotes should always stay benefit oriented and focus on your
unique selling proposition (USP) those two factors alone will generate
sales far better than a professional looking image-enhancing corporate
logo and a whacky caption. Business today is going global, every company
is looking to expand its products and services throughout the globe.
To sell your product efficiently, it’s not only enough that you
have a competitive product on hand, but you also have to take into consideration
the local culture, values and practices. For example Nokia, which is
a Finnish company, saw a potential market in India. In order to capitalize
on its Indian Market it conducted a detailed study of the Indian Market
and what the customer’s wants are. Accordingly it manufactured
its product and today it’s the most sought after cell phone brand.
Therefore all the factors must be taken into consideration to sell a
product effectively. It’s not only about effective selling; it’s
all about smart thinking too.
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