Choices Choices Choices

[Russ]

Hi All

As we run a variety of different businesses the length and breadth of the country and receive numerous different forms of approach (both direct and indirect) from potential suppliers I thought it would be interesting to know which form of marketing we feel we each respond better too and how we each choose our suppliers. I have included a poll with this thread but some of the different forms of approach I can think of are

1. Telephone marketing or sales
2. Direct mail
3. Email
4. Leafleting
5. Door to door
6. Posters or bill board advertising
7. Yellow pages
8. Trade directory
9. Radio Advertising
10. Television Advertising
11. Banner advertising on relevant websites
12. Google adverts
13. Natural listings in websites
14. Web directories
15. Networking
16. Other

Of course if you think that I have missed anything please feel free to add it in. For the benefit of start ups I have deliberately left out referral.

I think this thread might be useful for us to use as a guide for our own business development. The more people that comment to this thread and complete the poll the better informed we will each be about how to spend our marketing budget and which choices we should make :wink:


Russ

[directmarketingadvice]

Hi Russ

It's an interesting question and one I had to think about.

I depends where I am in the sales process.

If I have a perceived need or desire for something and don't alredy have a good supplier who could get me it, my heirarchy would typically be something like:

(a) referrals
(b) networking
(c) people I know on places like this
(d) google
(e) yellow pages

However, if I don't yet have an interest in a product or service, I tend to be influenced by:

(a) word of mouth
(b) products I hear about on email/mailing lists I'm a member of
(c) offers on websites I'm all checking out for free information
(d) PR
(e) advertising (TV and print)

I think this shows I tend to be untrusting of advertising and more reliant on the opinions of people I already have some sort of relationship with.

And this makes sense as, when I work with my clients, I tend to focus on their "relationship marketing" rather than advertising.

Steve

[Jayne]

If I could aford them, i'd have a bash at all of them..except, telephone sales and door to door..I would want my customers to like me :lol:

Jayne

[Russ]

Thyanks for the comments Steve & Jayne.

Steve - I agree it is harder than you might initialy think to get in to the mind set of our clients and customers. Our buying decissions are governed and influenced by so many different things its hard to put a pin in any one specific motivator.

Jayne - I would be interested to know what prompts you to choose a supplier and what type of marketing that you feel you personally respond better too... I know from other threads that you are not too keen on on the telesales approach but do you deel with any suppliers that you have only ever spoken with over the phone that you receive good service from???

[Jayne]

Hi,

Probably not what you want to here, but I never do business with people who phone me, come into my shop or send me so much junk mail, I want to ram it down their necks, as it takes me ages to open it all! I get about a carrier bag of junk mail a week and bin it all (paper bin of cause!)!

I like to look for suppliers myself, ie..Yellow Pages, Thompson local, ask people who have used them before. To me a good service means more than a cheaper price, so I like to ring them up and have a chat. If they sound friendly and helpful, i'll give them a go.

TV and radio, sometimes get me interested in things..but that's on a personal level, not my shop.

Jayne :D

[Russ]

Probably not what you want to here,

Jayne

That is great feedback and is actually exactly what i wanted to hear :wink:

If to get to a percentage of our target market place we need to advertise in the Yellow pages and the Thomson local then great, so be it...

I'm not sure if any company could rely or survive on sitting back and waiting for phone calls from those forms of advertising but I guess its about finding the right balance in your marketing mix. Of course providing an excellent service and good value for money are important but you need to get the fish on the hook before you can land it :wink:

Steve had some good ideas when we last spoke about generating your own referals and I think a testimonial section in litarature or on website are worth while as well.

Does anyone visit trade shows to source suppliers?

[Jayne]

I tell you what I do read..Catalogues! I never chuck them away, that's how I started using Viking Direct. :D Like a read when I have a cuppa :D

Jayne

[Russ]

I tell you what I do read..Catalogues! I never chuck them away, that's how I started using Viking Direct. :D Like a read when I have a cuppa :D

Jayne

You beauty Jayne! I have a meeting scheduled for Monday with a major business supply catalogue! I will let you know how I get on...

Russ

[Jayne]

Good luck Russ :D

Jayne

[Hayles]

I never speak to telesales calls, very rude I know but I'm too busy most of the time and I like to go and look for new suppliers rather than the other way round. L

ike most on here, recommendation is no.1. I too like brochures - but with a coffee and a cake Jayne...! - but will only go further if the person who answers the phone knows what they're talking about and are friendly. Amazing how many aren't!

Hayles