4 Ways to Drive Sales Through the Roof With Eco-Friendly Promotional Products

4 Ways to Drive Sales Through the Roof With Eco-Friendly Promotional Products

By Rob Stillman

Save this article to your desktop because the four techniques described here will teach you how to use eco-friendly promotional items to increase your sales.

Incorporating eco-friendly promotional items into your marketing mix has become a no-brainer for many companies because of their growing popularity, mass appeal and the all-important cost-per-impression data associated with them.

The following four points should serve as a concrete foundation for utilizing eco-friendly promotional products to their full effectiveness.

1. Ask for referrals

When was the last time you asked your current customers for a referral? Three months ago? Last year? Never crossed your mind? Fact is, while this is one of the easiest ways to expand your current customer base many sales people simply forget or discount the effectiveness of a referral.

If you are going to ask your customers for referrals make sure you do it in a creative fashion, so as to not discount your intentions. Since getting a referral out of your customers is harder than receiving a testimonial by most accounts, try giving away an eco-friendly promotional product for some incentivized leverage.

Compose a soft sales e-mail letter

First, write a soft sales e-mail letter sprinkled with testimonials and send it to your client for approval.

Of course, you will have a back link at the bottom of your e-mail that directs his contacts to your site - or more information that eventually brings them to a sales landing page. Including a message like, 'Forward this e-mail to your colleagues if you find it valuable', can triple response rates.

Your client didn't have to send this e-mail to his colleagues per your request, so thank him by going the extra mile with an eco-friendly promotional product that stands out.

It is suggested you choose an eco-friendly promotional product that affords some sort of utility, however simply following up with a thank you note printed with soy ink on 100% recycled stock still gets your point across. For added value, give your customer some leads - along with their contact info - as well.

2. Soft-sell through education

By and large, people buy from people and companies they can trust. And trust is usually gained by providing some sort of useful information or offering an unmatched time or money saving benefit. A great way to position your organization as trustworthy is by educating the customer. And sometimes that means talking about issues that everyone can benefit from.

Nowadays, people don't like to be sold. It puts them in a defensive mode. However, if you can teach your customers how they can save time and/or money by practicing green alternatives then you will add value to your stock, so to speak.

Come to a meeting prepared

Come to a business meeting prepared with 10 great ways your customer can save money and time by making his company more eco-friendly. If you have data (think electric bill or reduced paper costs) that backs up your presentation all the better.

But remember: Don't leave the meeting without giving a branded, eco-friendly promo item away for a lasting effect. For added value, actually hook up an 'Ecobutton' to your customer's computer before you leave. Tell him how many kilowatts - and how much money - he could save just by using this eco-friendly promo item each month.

Every your customer turns on his computer (which is every work day) your logo will be glowing as a reminder. Maybe you will get a call next week from your customer asking for an 'Ecobutton' for every computer in the office. Not only did you get a sale but a future case study and testimonial as well.

This tactic positions you not only as a valuable resource for information, but someone who can be trusted. Trust equals security which inevitably equals a loyal business relationship.

3. Increase your client's budget

Get a meeting with your customers and find out what you need to do to earn more of their business. It is likely that your customers are going elsewhere for products or services you may be able to provide them, possibly at a discounted price compared to the competition.

Be sure to ask what areas their vendors could improve on, how important is price compared to quality and other ways they are looking to save time and money. Since you are an authority in what you do, you should have the answers they are looking for.

Leave on a good impression

When the meeting concludes leave on a good impression by giving your client a jump drive made from bamboo or recycled plastic.

This eco-friendly jump drive can contain useful folders of information that relates to their industry (ex: white paper or case study), suggested trade magazines they should subscribe to, a link to an Ezine or newsletter that covers various business issues, links to web sites that may interest them and new products to hit the market from their competition. You are going to have to spend some of your time doing research but this gesture will not be overlooked by your client.

4. Tie-in sales incentives with eco-friendly promo products

Human nature suggests people are more inclined to buy something if there is something in it for them. If you are trying to tout a particular product or service you think is the best thing since sliced bread, you may have a difficult time convincing your customers without some sort of incentive.

Reinforce your brand

Eco-friendly promotional items are one of the smartest ways to entice customers to buy from you, while reinforcing your brand after the sale. This form of enticement also works well at tradeshows and events where you can exhibit your wares.

Hand out a coupon printed on recycled stock or seeded paper to qualified prospects.

When the holidays roll around and the sales start coming in, what better way to tell your customers how much you appreciate their business than with an eco-friendly holiday greeting card printed on recycled stock or seeded paper.

Want to get the highest quality eco friendly promotional products at the best price? Click the link below!

FarFromBoring.com is an online promotional products company. With over 70 years in the promotional products business FarFromBoring.com knows how to make your next campaign a success.

We carry over 750,000 promotional products including our new category of eco friendly promotional products

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rob_Stillman/32799


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