By Gary Christensen
Picture this: You're sold on your product, but no one else is. So what do you do? Why not try putting a different "slant" on your marketing efforts? It's been said we need to point out the BENEFITS to buyers, to give reasons WHY they should buy our products. That's good advice!
People need to know WHY they should buy what we're selling, so if your product is a TIME saver, let buyers know that. If it's now on SALE, be sure that all buyers know the sale price. If it's more DURABLE, comes with a GUARANTEE, is easy to use or if all orders are shipped within 48 hours, be sure prospective buyers know all the benefits your product has to offer.
However, if even some of those "slants" don't work, consider using one of these:
1. A Collectible Slant--If your products don't have much value now, maybe they will five years from now. Customers might be convinced to buy one from you NOW, if they are assured your product will be a collectible and if its value will be higher in a few years. Look at the Beanie Babies. I never thought too much of them a year or so ago, when I could have purchased several for $5 each. Now they're being priced at $200-300 each!
2. A Gift Slant--Whether your products are selling well or not, maybe you could promote them from the "buy-one-as-a-gift" slant. Maybe products are promoted heavily during the holidays, not because everyone needs one, but because they make fine gifts. If your product might sell better as a "gift for that special someone," then try marketing it with that slant.
3. A Historical Slant--I recently head about a lady who makes wonderful miniature houses and her sales have always been pretty good, but after she visited an old "landmark" site and saw a house which was built in the early 1800s, she began creating "miniature" of that old landmark house. The owners heard about it and now offer HER miniatures AT THAT historical site. They keep one dollar from each one they sell and they're both making money.
4. A Cooperative Slant--In the above example, the historical slant in highlighted. But in addition, the cooperation of the builder and the owner of that historic site "worked together" and both made money. Maybe YOUR product can be "tied in" with a local market or landmark or some other product. Maybe your cooperative efforts can make money for BOTH parties.
5. A Promotional Slant--Maybe your product can be turned into a "specialty merchandise" item. Any item which has a space on it large enough to accommodate an advertising message, can be used for promotion and not just for the sale of the product itself. A company that manufactured rulers and yardsticks found that their products could NOT ONLY be sold as measuring devices, but as "give always" or "premiums" by other companies, if a personal imprint or an ad or some other "message" was imprinted on each one.
Consider these "slants" as other ways you can use to help you effectively market your products. Consider selling your products as more than just something people need. Add one of the slants above and begin promoting in new ways. And be sure to ask around to see if YOUR product can be comarketed by other companies.
Gary Christensen is a freelance writer and self-published author of eight books and 100+ Original Reports. Gary's newest report, "The Best Ad to Place Anytime, Anywhere" is FREE for the asking via email: Gapach97@aol.com Or send your request to his address below.
An entire set of Gary's 100+ reports are yours for just $24.95. Your best 25-word ad will be published and emailed to 300,000 online subscribers for just $45. Contact Gary Christensen, P.O. Box 2411, Corvallis, OR 97339-2411. View Gary's list of Free E-zines at: http://www.site-city.com/members/e-zine-master/ Gary's also the Publisher of the "The Writers and Publishers Connection Newsletter. Mail to: Writers98@aol.com
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