WIN more sales...

My mechanic won my business with a very simple, very inexpensive technique: He gave me a key chain. I know, you think I'm nuts to be swayed by a cheap gift. Actually the gift didn't win me over. What did, is how easy it makes calling him when I need him. I don't have to look him up in my address or phone book. I just take out my car keys and there's everything I need to know.

There's a lot of ways to WIN by giving ad premiums. Here's three:

Won Premiums - Have a contest or sweepstakes to give away imprinted gifts. It's a good way to build a mailing list. Ask anyone who comes to your store to enter the drawing for free shirts, caps, mugs, and other stuff with your logo on it. Ask anyone who buys your product to return the product registration card to be entered in your sweepstakes for free stuff from you. No better way to reward customers than with something that promotes your brand.

Incentive Premiums - Set a sales goal and give away imprinted premiums to customers who reach the goal. Penzoil offered me a free branded cooler for buying a case of their premium oil. You can do the same by getting customers to buy a specific dollar amount or a certain product.

New Customer Premiums - It can be expensive to give away a gift with every purchase. Limiting giveaways to new customers can save you money while growing your customer base. Every time you add a new customer to your database, either at POP or via product registration, give them a gift. It makes their first experience with you even more positive.

WINning premium and promotion programs can help you win more sales. Research shows, each time someone buys from you, the more likely they are to continue to buy from you. Make ad premiums part of your customer retention strategy.

-Phil Sasso