Getting the most from your catalog investments

Boosting Sales Using Effective Marketing Strategies

Business owners and managers need to know how the marketing strategies they employ will impact their bottom line. They wonder if catalog strategies can improve product sales and help their sales team be more effective. They want assurance that their investment will impact customers and bring maximum results. Through this six part series we'll look at how leveraging investments made in your catalog program will help to build sales, increase brand awareness and improve your bottom line.

Every marketing strategy begins with a single mission – to make sure that your company is top of mind when a buyer is ready to make the purchasing decision. Today's buyer is sophisticated, busy and inundated with marketing messages. Your challenge is to be different: to demonstrate true value, deliver your message a unique way and make it easier for the buyer to do their job.

At Webcom we believe that your catalog is the key driver in your marketing strategy. Investing in your catalog program achieves buyer "mind share" and is a sound business decision for the following reasons:

• YOU HAVE COMPETITION
  If you are not capturing the attention of the buyer your competitors are. Buyers receive an average of 60 marketing messages and sales visits per month – many of those are from your competitors. The most successful marketing programs align the delivery channels and frequency of the message with the target audience's preferences.
  
  
• BUYERS NEED INFORMATION
  Empower the buyer to make independent, informed decisions. Not only will you be making their job easier, you will also increase the productivity of your sales order desk.
  
  
• IT COSTS TO LOSE CUSTOMERS
  Finding and acquiring new customers is extremely costly; take care of your most important asset – your current customers. Keeping your customers satisfied – informed – will help you build solid, profitable and long-term business relationships.
  
  
• CUSTOMERS WANT SERVICE
  Customers want choice but they also want you to know their needs. Customer service improves as you integrate customer information and product information into one cross-media marketing strategy.
  
  

A catalog is the foundation of an overall strategy to keep your company top of mind when your buyers are ready to purchase. It is also a starting point from which you can develop strategic cross-media communications. Tools, such as Webcom's Digital Content Management (DCM) technology, which we looked at last month, allow you to manage and use catalog product content in other cross-media communications, as you develop your integrated marketing strategies.

Over the next several issues of The Bottom Line we will investigate some of the publishing tools that are successfully being used to deliver the integrated cross-media communications and drive sales. Whatever tools are used, the most successful application will include the following objectives:

1. CUSTOMERS MUST BE AT THE CENTER OF YOUR STRATEGY
   Identify your best customers and market segments – then consistently deliver messages that show them your value.
   
   
2. THERE IS POWER IN PERSONALIZATION
   Everyone likes to be recognized – make sure you show your customers that you understand their business challenges and are interested in helping them find a solution.
   
   
3. USING NEW TECHNOLOGIES CAN LOWER COMMUNICATION COSTS
   Effectively use the Internet for both internal employee communications and external customer and vendor communications.
   
   
4. CROSS-MEDIA PUBLISHING BRINGS MAXIMUM RESULTS
   Options for print, CD, email and online communication are not competing options; each one has its place and should be used to complement the other.
   
   
5. KEEP IT SIMPLE
   Few strategies are successful that include huge obstacles up front (rarely do they start with a large technology investment). Take calculated, achievable steps toward implementing your plans. Partner where possible to gain valuable experience from those who have gone before.
   
   

The Bottom Line
A business has two primary assets: 1) its customers; and 2) its economic engine. For the distributor, the economic engine is fueled by the products sold and the efficiency by which those products are moved through the supply chain to the end-user. Every business owner wants to not only preserve the value of these assets but also grow their return on investment. Next month we'll investigate how communications strategies like online catalogs, e-commerce, sales promotions, master catalogs, personalized messages, customer and/or market segmentation can be used to drive bottom line results by keeping your company top of mind when the buyer is ready to make the buying decision.

I'd like to hear your feedback. Do you agree? Do you have ideas you'd like to share? Please feel free to contact me to discuss these topics.