SALES PROMOTION (How It Should Be Done To Gain More Customers)

By Eze Andrew C


Sales promotion is one of the ways companies/corporations/business owners rewards their customers and in turn project their business to attract more customers. But most companies deviate from this, they erroneously use sales promotion to exploit and hurt their customers. Moreover, they sometimes rather than reward their customers reward those who rushed to their company because of the promotion, those who have in mind to go back where they came from after the promotion. As a result, most companies after promotions experience reduced sales/patronage.

This article seeks to show you how to package a very good sales promotion, how to make best use of your sales promotions, how to get dedicated customers with your sales promotions, how to genuinely reward your customers thus making them more dedicated and proud of your product

HOW TO PACKAGE A SALES PROMOTION TO BENEFIT FROM IT AND EQUALLY REWARD CUSTOMERS.

There are many questions you should ask when packaging a sales promotion
- Is it going to be very costly?
- Is it going to reward only a few persons?
- Is it going to be by raffle draw, lotto, lucky dip etc?
- Is it looking factious e.g. (win 10 million)?
- Is it going to exploit your customers?
- Is it going to hurt your customers and make them lose faith in you, hate you or make them start wishing for an alternative product/service?

If all the above questions are in affirmative then you are in for your worst sales promotion ( you better stop the promotion because a promotion like this is worst than none). You may have been doing it like that but still feels your sales are not reducing, just take your time and take a survey of how your customers feel about your promotions and you will be amazed at the negative response you will receive.

A sales promotion should
- Be very simple and rewarding for instance a promotion should be like this: Attach a little less costly item like books, pens, shirt, cups etc with your company's logo to your product or service. Such that once a customer purchases your good/service they get it. Better still take a survey to know what your customers like most.
- Not be like gambling, jackpot, lotto, lucky dip etc For example a sales promotion saying buy 20 packs of tea or anything you get a raffle ticket and stand a chance of winning one million or five million. It is EXPLOITING!! Rather, it should be buy 20 packs of tea or anything and get 10% or 20% discount or Buy three packs and take one free. The later and so many other examples is the ideal and really rewarding!!

- It should make customers happy/proud of your brand and your competitors/their customers jittery and envy for example a sales promotion in which you offer your customers essential services as a reward for their patronage for example A cosmetics company offering to pedicure and manicure the nails of their customers free of charge when they purchase their product or a pharmaceutical company offering free blood test/consultation/check up to their customers when they purchase their product

MAKING BEST USE OF YOUR PROMOTION

Though promotion is for rewarding customers, it should also be of some benefit to the business owner without hurting or exploiting the consumers.
For a business owner to benefit from a sales promotion the promotion must first of all be genuine, less costly and really rewarding to the customers. When the above condition is met in any sales promotion the business owner/company has succeeded in riding its way into the heart of the consumers.

It is advisable if possible that the company repackages its product/service before or during any major sales promotion this will boost the image of the product/service
The company should make sure their logo and what they do is clearly shown on the gifts they give away

The company should give best of services during the promotion this will make new customers happy and willing to continue coming even after the promotion (if possible recruit new hands to make service efficient)

Finally, sales promotion if prepare for as above will produce the most desired effect both on the customer and the business owner/company.