A logo is a symbol for everything that people come to associate with a particular business. Though the logo is only one of the elements of a brand, it is the linchpin that holds together all the elements of that brand. It is the thing that triggers all the other complex associations, memories, experiences and knowledge of a business. Hence, when we see a “swish” we probably think of Nike.

It helps, of course, to have lots of money to spend on media advertising to get your brand known. However, a striking logo can go a long way towards making your brand and business known and memorable in a local market - without costly media exposure. All you have to do is make sure that your logo is consistently applied to all identification, communication, advertising, sales and promotional materials and literature, such as your business card, email signature, invoices, letterheads, signs, uniforms, wrapping and, of course, your product.

It doesn’t matter much what you use to represent your business, as long as:

• The symbols used do not give an undesired or unintended message.
• It is simple and memorable. (Think Nike, again.)
• It is professionally designed. (Preferably. First impressions really do count.)
• It can be cost-effectively reproduced. (It is expensive to print multi-coloured stationery.)
• It works in black and white, too. (For faxes, copies, etc.)
• You like it.
• Other people like it.
• You use it consistently.

It seems obvious, but you will not believe how many businesses are out there with conflicting and even competing identities. For instance, the logo on their ads is different from the logo above their entrance.

He possessed a five-day supply of food, a Bible and Pilgrim’s Progress (his two treasures), a small axe for protection, and a blanket. With these, Legson Kayira eagerly set out on the journey of his life. He was going to walk from his tribal village in Nyasaland, north across the wilderness of East Africa to Cairo, where he would board a ship to America to get a college education. It was October 1958. Legson was sixteen or seventeen - his mother wasn’t sure. His parents were illiterate and didn’t know exactly where America was or how far. But they reluctantly gave their blessing to his journey.

To Legson, it was a journey derived from a dream–no matter how ill-conceived - that fueled his determination to get an education. He wanted to be like his hero, Abraham Lincoln, who had risen from poverty to become an American president, then fought tirelessly to help free the slaves. He wanted to be like Booker T. Washington, who had cast off the shackles of slavery to become a great American reformer and educator, giving hope and dignity to himself and to his race.Like these great role models, Legson wanted to serve mankind, to make a difference in the world. To realize his goal, he needed a first-rate education. He knew the best place to get it was in America.

Forget that Legson didn’t have a penny to his name or a way to pay for his shipfare. Forget that he had no idea what college he would attend or if he would even be accepted. Forget that Cairo was 3,000 miles away and in between were hundreds of tribes that spoke more than fifty strange languages, none of which Legson knew. Forget all that. Legson did. He had to. He put everything out of his mind except the dream of getting to the land where he could shape his own destiny.

Sometimes he walked with strangers. Most of the time he walked alone. Sometimes he found work and shelter. Many nights he slept under the stars. He became thin and weak. A fever struck him and he fell gravely ill. Kind strangers treated him with herbal medicines and offered him a place to rest and convalesce. Weary and demoralized, Legson considered turning back. Perhaps it was better to go home, he reasoned, than to continue this seemingly foolish journey and risk his life.

Instead, Legson turned to his two books, reading the familiar words that renewed his faith in himself and in his goal. He continued on. On January 19, 1960, fifteen months after he began his perilous journey, he had crossed nearly a thousand miles to Kampala, the capital of Uganda. He was now growing stronger in body and wiser in the ways of survival. He remained in Kampala for six months, working at odd jobs and spending every spare moment in the library, reading voraciously.

In that library he came across an illustrated directory of American colleges. One illustration in particular caught his eye. It was of a stately, yet friendly looking institution, set beneath a pure blue sky, graced with fountains and lawns, and surrounded by majestic mountains that reminded him of the magnificent peaks back home in Nyasaland. Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon, Washington, became the first concrete image in Legson’s seemingly impossible quest. He wrote immediately to the school’s dean explaining his situation and asking for a scholarship.

The dean at Skagit was so impressed with Legson’s determination he not only granted him admission but also offered him a scholarship and a job that would pay his room and board. Another piece of Legson’s dream had fallen into place–yet still more obstacles blocked his path. Legson needed a passport and a visa. The missionaries who had taught him since childhood helped to push Legson’s passport through government channels. However, he still lacked the airfare required for a visa.

Undeterred, Legson continued his journey to Cairo believing he would somehow get the money he needed. He was so confident he spent the last of his savings on a pair of shoes so he wouldn’t have to walk through the door of Skagit Valley College barefoot. Months passed, and word of his courageous journey began to spread. By the time he reached Khartoum, penniless and exhausted, the legend of Legson Kayira had spanned the ocean between the African continent and Mount Vernon, Washington. The students of Skagit Valley College, with the help of local citizens, sent $650 to cover Legson’s fare to America. When he learned of their generosity, Legson fell to his knees in exhaustion, joy, and gratitude.

In December 1960, more than two years after his journey began, Legson Kayira arrived at Skagit Valley College. Carrying his two treasured books, he proudly passed through the towering entrance of the institution. But Legson Kayira didn’t stop once he graduated. Continuing his academic journey, he became a professor of political science at Cambridge University in England and a widely respected author.

Like his heroes, Abraham Lincoln and Booker T. Washington, Legson Kayira rose above his humble beginnings and forged his own destiny. He made a difference in the world and became a magnificent beacon whose light remains as a guide for others to follow.

“I learned I was not, as most Africans believed, the victim of my circumstances,
but the master of them.”
— Legson Kayira

If someone needs a local product or service, where are they most likely to look for it? Most people will look in the Yellow Pages or in an industry directory. People who are looking for information are qualified sales prospects … looking to buy.

ZA Group has a number of ads in the Johannesburg Yellow Pages. The ads are not very big - only 49 x 56 mm - but they generate a great deal of interest and enquiries. Here’s what three of our ads look like:

Different from the norm, wouldn’t you agree? Most businesses rely on their name and address to “sell” them in the Yellow Pages. That’s what a directory is for, not so? Then they cross their fingers and hope that, somehow, their business will be chosen above all the others listed in the same category.

Yet, when people browse the Yellow Pages, they are not looking for the name of a business. (If they knew the name they’d be looking in the white pages, wouldn’t they?) When people look in the Yellow Pages, they’re shopping! They’re looking for a reason to do business with you. They’re looking for something that will distinguish your business from every other business that - on the surface - offers exactly the same products or services.

What you need in the Yellow Pages is an ad that convinces them of the supreme benefit that awaits them should they contact you. Make sense?

Here’s what gets the phone ringing:

1. A compelling headline that promises a BIG benefit to the reader. Can you see how your name as a headline would be a complete and utter waste of space and money? You first have to convince your reader that you are the right choice, only then would they care to find out who you are.
2. Bullet-pointed benefits and advantages of doing business with you, as opposed to doing business with your competitors. Don’t assume that your potential customers know what makes you different.
3. Credibility builders — space allowing — such as third-party endorsements, testimonials or awards.
4. A reason to do business with you! This could be the compelling benefit contained in your headline, a guarantee, a third-party testimonial or an incentive to take action - such as our offer of a free book.

Then make sure that you have a dedicated, competent, well-informed member of staff ready to handle phone enquiries. Many excellent advertising campaigns break down right where the telephone is being answered.

Every business owner knows that the key to success is how well you market your business. Your business is not any different. Success depends on your marketing strategies.

There are many different marketing techniques with many different price tags attached to them. Depending on your type of business, you will need to develop a marketing plan that generates sufficient customers to reach your goals. Using many different marketing techniques will quickly drain your bank account. Your first goal will be to determine how you can reach the most people for the least amount of money.

Here is one marketing technique that is cost efficient and a little more adventurous for you, the Business Owner: Become an Expert.

What is your business? Look around at your competition. How do they present themselves to the general public? How can you present yourself differently? Go buy a local newspaper or magazine or listen to your local radio station. Are any of your competitors currently marketing themselves as an expert in your field? Contact your local media and discuss the various ways that you could work with them. Local newspapers and magazines will have opportunities to write “advice” articles. Local radio stations may have talk shows that could host you weekly or monthly.

Contact the various local organizations that are looking for speakers for their monthly luncheons. Your Chamber of Commerce is an ideal place to start. Join your Chamber and get an article about you and your business published in their monthly magazine.

Study your customers and choose the type of media that would reach them. Talk to your current customers and ask them to give you their opinion about which area you should market in. Find out what they listen to and what they read, and what organizations they belong to.

What type of personality do you have? Make sure that your personality matches your marketing strategy as an expert. Radio and TV would be a perfect match for you if you enjoy speaking in front of people, have an outgoing personality and a voice that carries well. Newspaper and magazine article writing will be perfect for you if you do not enjoy speaking in front of groups.

Assuming that you know your industry well, becoming an expert in your area of business will not take years to achieve. Stay on top of the latest news and developments. Subscribe to trade publications to keep informed about new trends. The Internet offers many ways to stay informed on any topic.

The key to becoming an expert is to take the knowledge you already have, plus the new information received and decide how your customers can benefit from this information. Not all news is beneficial to your customers.

Your goal is to cause your customers to look at you as the one to come to when they need what you are selling. You want them to refer their family and friends to you.

Don’t be shy. Go out there and market yourself as the expert that you are. The more exposure that you receive, the more exposure your business will receive.

1. Barter

What is barter? It is an exchange — of goods or services — for other goods or services, without using money. Barter is what people did before there was money. Think about all the things you need as a business, and then offer your surplus stock or time to the businesses that supply the things you need.

Be creative. For instance: barter your services or a percentage of your potential income for advertising with a local publication, radio or TV station. Make sure that the exchange is invoiced on both sides, even though there is no exchange of actual money. By law you are required to pay VAT even on a barter exchange.

2. Use your business card as a marketing tool

Put it up at community, school, church and shopping centre notice boards. And next time you have to re-print your cards, consider printing a short, compelling sales message on the reverse side. Or consider making your business card into a mini-brochure that opens up to give potential customers more information about what you do. People often can’t remember who they got a particular business card from … or what the business does. So, give them something to remember you by … and a reason to do business with you.

3. Write a letter

Write a letter to someone you want to do business with. Send it by normal post or by email. Tell them about your services and products and tell them that you want to do business with them. The person or business you are writing to must need what you have to offer and you have to give them a very good reason to choose to do business with you. If this is something that appeals to you, go get some more, useful information on direct mail at http://www.zamarketing.co.za/direct_mail.php.

4. Use your email signature to sell for you

Use a signature that includes your logo, business name, phone number, e-mail address and a live link to your web address. Below this, add your slogan and a special offer or invitation or simply information about your product or service. Renew this message on a regular basis or have a bunch of different email signature messages ready to be used at a whim.

Here is an example of an email signature using one of almost 40 different messages that we have at our disposal:

ZA Group (Pty) Ltd
Telephone  | 0860 92 0000
email  | info@zagroup.co.za
web  | www.zagroup.co.za

Strategic Marketing & Communications for Change

Beautiful, different, locally made corporate gifts
that alleviate poverty or support a South African artist.
http://www.zamarketing.co.za/corporate_gifts.php

5. Start calling

Get on the phone and call the owner or manager of a business that you would really like to do business with. Tell them what benefit they will gain from what you have to offer, e.g. cheaper hourly rates, faster delivery, increased sales, increased productivity, etc. Make sure that this benefit will really truly make a difference to them.

6. Piggy-back every opportunity to communicate what you have to offer

If you are mailing out or delivering anything in an envelope, package or box, include a flyer promoting something else that you also sell. Add a sales message on your invoices. Or include a discount coupon (with a deadline) to stimulate the next order. Or include a flyer listing all the services offered by your business. Customers are often unaware of the full range of products and services offered by their suppliers.

7. Hold a sale

If it is viable for you, hold a sale to generate some hype around your business. Here is another article that will tell you everything you need to know to make sure your sale is successful.

8. Have a wall? Use it as your own, rent-free billboard

If the space is blank and it is yours, consider using it. Just remember to get municipal permission to advertise there before you commission a mural artist.

9. Display your achievements

Frame your certificates, customer testimonials, before and after photographs, awards, thank you letters, etc. and hang these in your office or reception area as proof of your qualified expertise.

10. Get some free publicity

Have pen? Can write? Then offer to write a regular column for a local newspaper or magazine, always including a small resource box containing factual (not sales) information about you and your business at the end. Once published, photocopy the column and send copies to your clients.

“The man who stops advertising to save money
is like the man who stops the clock to save time.”
— Henry Ford

Marketing encompasses many things. Essentially, though, it has to do with two things:

• The formulation of a message.
• Delivery of that message.

It goes without saying that the message must be delivered in the most attention-grabbing manner possible. But where should you advertise to deliver your message to the widest possible audience? Here are some questions to consider, that could help you make an informed decision:

1. Clearly, you need to know who you’re talking to, otherwise, how could you deliver — let alone formulate — a message to them?
2. If you are addressing multiple audiences, you need to decide which of these audiences represents the most lucrative market with the most potential for increased business.
3. Does this potential audience need what you have to offer or will you first have to educate and inform them?
4. If they need what you have to offer, where are they most likely to look for information about it? For instance: would they look in the Yellow Pages, would they Google it or would they go ask their doctor about it?
5. If they don’t need or don’t know that they need what you have to offer, how best can you get information in front of them? For instance: through magazine advertising, radio or outdoor media?
6. If they are already using another solution to their problem — i.e. a competitor or they are doing it themselves — what can you do to convince them to switch to what you have to offer? (Come and do our advertising workshop if you don’t know the answer to this one.)
7. Do you need to reach a large, nationwide audience or only a small group of potential consumers in a defined geographic region? National media will be fine for a large audience, but regional outdoor media or a precisely targeted direct mail campaign will be far more effective for a smaller, regional audience.
8. How often would your audience buy your product or service?
9. What do you hope to achieve with your advertising? Do you want to build a database of potential customers, create brand awareness or generate immediate sales? Your answers to this will have a definite impact on the formulation of your message.
10. What is your available budget to get the message to your potential target audiences? If you need to reach a national audience, but have a limited budget, then you clearly should not make use of above the line advertising media, such as magazines, radio or television. You simply will not be able to afford the repetition that is required for success. Going under the radar with email, search engine optimisation, online advertising and social media links may not be as satisfying, (because it is not as visible) but it will cost a lot less and may deliver results that are just as good.

Read more about media planning here.

Do you feel like your marketing isn´t doing what it should? Do you feel uncreative or unexcited about your future marketing? Do you feel like you’re stuck doing the same thing over and over?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might need to take a look at your marketing — because if you’re feeling like this you can bet your prospects and customers are feeling the same way!

Below you´ll find some questions that will help you to evaluate what you´re currently doing and give you some ideas about ways to start feeling excited about your marketing again.

• Have you done any media promotion or been actively seeking out opportunities for media exposure?

• Have you been advertising in the same publications for the last couple of years?

• Have you met anyone new and interesting business associates in the last few months?

• Can you name 3 things that are unique about you and your business?

• Are you communicating the benefits of your service or product in all of your marketing materials and communications?

• Have you learned a new marketing tactic in the past 9 months?

• Have you ever carried out a direct mail campaign and tested its results?

• Are you in regular communication with your customers and prospective clients?

• Have you collected any new testimonials lately and updated your website with them?

• Have you referred someone lately or been referred lately?

• Do you provide something valuable to people who stop by your website — to entice them to leave their name and email address?

• Do you know how to write an “attention-grabbing” press release? Have you sent out any lately?

• Are you letting your personality show in all your communications and marketing efforts?

• Do you take fantastic care of your current clients and customers?

• Have you explored at least one new way of reaching prospects and leads, in the past 6 months?

• Do you regularly schedule phone calls to your customers to find out how things are going for them?

• Do you have a marketing/business mastermind group or an accountability partner?

• Have you changed your free giveaway in the past few years?

• Have you added audio or video to some of your marketing tactics?

• When was the last time you read some educational material about marketing, sales and business?

• Do you reward people for staying on your list?

• Are you clear about how exactly you can help people with your business, products and services?

• When was the last time you attended a workshop or seminar for YOUR benefit?

• Do you have at least 3 different marketing tactics that you apply consistently? (6 to 8 is an ideal number)

When you´re feeling out-of-sorts with your marketing, grab this list and pick out 3 things that you can take some action on immediately. Then make a note to take a look at the list periodically throughout the year. Shaking up your marketing from time-to-time will not only keep your prospects and clients interested and coming back for more — but will do the same for you as well!

Okay, you’ve sat down and created your marketing plan. That’s great! But there’s still one more important step you need to take to ensure success.

You MUST transfer the information in your plan to a marketing calendar. You can use your Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a big whiteboard on the wall, a paper desktop monthly calendar, Outlook or anything else that works for you. Just make sure the end-result is in a prominent place where you can see it every day. This will lessen the chances of missing something, feeling overwhelmed, procrastination and falling behind on your plan.

The point is that you need to have some place where you can schedule all of your marketing activities. With a marketing calendar you will be able to:

• Know exactly when you need to begin working on a specific marketing tactic.
• Clearly see the steps you need to take to implement a specific strategy.
• Identify gaps in your marketing schedule throughout the year.
• Schedule for any seasonal ups and downs in your industry / business.
• Work around holidays, vacations, out-of-town events you’re attending, etc.
• Identify and incorporate any national holidays into your marketing communications and content.

There are 3 general types of marketing activities that you should put on your calendar:

1. Regularly occurring activitiesThese are marketing tasks that you do on a regular basis, such as: write your ezine, submit articles to online directories, hold bi-monthly seminars, send out monthly assignments to your membership group, do blog posts, add articles to your website, record your podcasts, and so on.
2. Once-off activitiesMany marketing tasks usually occur only once during a calendar year. Some examples are: design a new business card, launch a new product or service (you may do this several times a year), set up an affiliate program, create a referral program, conduct an annual 3-day workshop, write and publish a book, do a joint venture with someone, etc.
3. Marketing administration tasksThere are many administrative activities associated with marketing that you also need to schedule into your calendar. Many people mistakenly think of these as unimportant, but they’re crucial to the success of your marketing.Some examples are: check your “numbers” (visits to your website, sign-ups to your ezine, attendees to your seminars); take a look at your website copy and marketing materials to ensure they’re still relevant, fresh, targeted and valuable to your audience; set up your tracking mechanisms for each marketing tactic; stay current (read and research) on your industry / competition / possible Joint Venture partners / workshops / resources; review the upcoming quarter of your marketing calendar (is everything on track, does anything need to be changed, does anything need to be added?) and so on.

As you can see, there are many important tasks that need to be scheduled into your marketing calendar. Don’t let all the work you’ve done on your marketing plan go to waste because you haven’t put it on your calendar!

Research reveals three important facts:

1. The Internet is one of the most important sources of information.
2. The trustworthiness of the Internet is declining.
3. Customers will come back to your site if they trust it.

In the face of a declining trust in the Internet, there’s definitely value in creating a website which can be trusted by your visitors. But how do you do it?

According to a recent major study, “Ten Years, Ten Trends”, conducted by the Center for the Digital Future (http://www.digitalcenter.org) — a leading authority on the impact of the Internet — the Internet is still seen as one of the most important sources of information, but people are placing less faith in the reliability of that information.

But never fear! All is not lost. It is possible to stem the tide — at least as far as your own website is concerned. According to Nielsen NetRatings, helpful website content develops site loyalty. The average person visits no more than 19 websites in the entire month in order to avoid information overload and they tend to rely on the sites that they can trust to help them.

So how do you make yours one of those sites? How do you inspire trust in your visitors?

The answer is simple: make your website copy trustworthy!

Following are 8 steps that’ll put you on the road to a trustworthy website.

STEP 1: Always include your contact details
Always! This includes an email address, phone numbers, fax numbers, and address. Without these details, you’ll look like a fly-by-night operation.

STEP 2: Tell us who you are
Dedicate a page of copy to the people who run your company. You don’t need to say much — just provide a little history. Talk about their work history, career highlights, education and qualifications, etc. And it never hurts to include a little personal information as well. Let your readers know who you are.

STEP 3: Know it & Show it
It’s not enough that you know what you’re talking about. Your readers have to know you know it! This normally means including a little bit of technical information or some other tidbit that potential customers will recognise as expertise. Always check your facts before publishing and if possible include statistics or some other form of research results.

STEP 4: Include samples & testimonials
Of course, if you’re going to talk the talk, you have to be able to walk the walk. Validate your claims by including samples of your previous work (if applicable), and testimonials from some satisfied customers.

STEP 5: Something for nothing
Nothing inspires trust more than an offer of something for nothing. But you have to make sure that “something” is helpful. And make it doubly clear that it really is obligation-free. Nothing undermines credibility faster than the suspicion that there’s a hidden catch.

STEP 6: Avoid advertorial style web copy
Don’t go on and on, page after page, repeating the same thing using different words. Make your point and make it quickly. Don’t insult your visitors’ intelligence by implying that they’ll believe you if you just say it often enough! If you use advertorial style web copy, you’ll seem more interested in yourself than the business solution you’re offering your client.

STEP 7: Avoid hard-sell web copy
Once again, don’t insult your visitors’ intelligence. Hard-sell web copy can give the impression that you’re more interested in the sale than the business solution. Sure, create a sense of urgency with your web copy, but don’t overdo it.

STEP 8: Talk benefits not features
When you talk features, you’re talking about your product or service — you’re talking about you. When you talk benefits, you’re showing that you’re interested in what the customer needs. Talking benefits is one of the best ways to engage your customer.

Websites can be a great way to engage your customers and make sales. But you have to make sure your visitors trust what you say. And that means getting your web copy right.

Happy writing!

The secret to a profitable sale — whether at a brick and mortar shop or a virtual site — is ample preparation, seductive advertising, visually appealing presentation, physical / visual accessibility, reassuring security and a good team of people ready to welcome customers, answer questions and serve.

What to sell

• Ask all your staff to identify at least one item that doesn´t move, or that there is a lot of, or that was bought at a good price so you can afford to sell it at a discount.
• Sell everything that doesn´t ordinarily move off the shelves fast. Sell it at cost, if you have to. The idea is to get rid of surplus stock, move stagnant revenues and generate cash.

Joint venture

• Invite other businesses to join you in the sale. For instance, if you´re selling boats, get businesses that supply boating equipment, navigation gear, refrigeration, outdoor clothing, etc. to join you … the more you have to offer, the bigger the crowd you´ll be able to draw. Share the cost, the labour, the income:
  • Ask for a contribution towards the cost of advertising, security, professional displays, helping hands, etc.
  • Request a commission on total income generated in exchange for making the space available in your store and for organising the sale.
• If you´re in a shopping mall or on a street with other retailers, liaise with management or with your neighbours to organise a mall, block or pavement sale to attract a crowd of people. Do get municipal permission if you plan to close the street.

When to hold a sale

• Pick the sale days carefully, bearing in mind the nature of what you´re selling, the location you´re selling from, the audiences being targeted, and the time of the year. For instance: if you are selling boats in a coastal town, it would serve you to schedule the sale over a long weekend or during school holidays to catch all the inland holidaymakers in addition to your regular local audiences. If you are selling jewellery, it may be worth your while to schedule your sale just before and on Valentine´s Day.
• Don´t do a long, drawn-out sale. It holds no urgency for customers to make the effort to come. Do a weekend or a week, maximum. Remember: fear of losing out on a good deal is a huge motivator for people.

Advertise your sale

• Use a variety of methods to advertise the event to guarantee sufficient foot-traffic on the days of the sale.
• Take out as large an ad as you can afford (a full page, if you can) in a daily paper to advertise the event. If you’re having a Friday-Saturday sale, you need to advertise (at the very least) on Thursday and Friday. If you´re having a Saturday-Sunday sale, you need to advertise (at the very least) on Friday and Saturday.
• Advertise your sale as close to the planned sale date in any available weekly / monthly community / neighbourhood publications. To make sure the event is remembered, ask people to cut out the ad, save it and bring it in during the sale in order to qualify for an additional discount.
• If you have the budget and if your audience is large enough to justify the expense, negotiate some radio slots for the sale.
• Place large printed posters in places where they will be noticed by passers-by in the neighbourhood, in your shopping centre and in and around your store the week before the sale. Do get relevant permissions before doing so.
• Print one-page flyers to advertise the sale. Get municipal permission to distribute these at traffic intersections and management permission to distribute these at local shopping centres.
• Pin the flyers up on community bulletin boards at grocery stores, laundromats, coffee shops and community centres.
• Make use of free resources, such as free classifieds and events listings published by community newspapers.
• Look for free online listing space on the Internet.
• Send a mass SMS campaign, as well as a mass email campaign to your entire database of contacts. If you are joint-venturing with other businesses, combine your databases for maximum impact.

Message

• Make sure you answer all the who-what-where-when-why-how questions in all your communications, starting with the why, i.e.: “Here´s why you cannot afford to miss this sale … “
• Include the days and times of the sale, where the sale is going to be held, directions if necessary, and an indication of the kind of bargains people are likely to find, making sure to promote items that you know will please the crowd.
• Make all your communications distinctive and make them all the same so that the effect builds as people see the same communication in different media and in different settings.

Build your database

• Use the sale days to build your database of potential customers to communicate with every time you have a sale. Run a daily lucky draw. Require people to leave their name, cell phone number and email address in order to qualify for the draw. Make the prizes something truly exciting and worthwhile. Use the draw as another opportunity to create buzz and get media attention.

Pricing

• Have a genuine sale, with genuinely cut prices. The resultant word of mouth advertising and increased foot-traffic will more than make up for the reduced profit margins.
• Put price tags on everything. Put two prices on each price tag, e.g.: “Was R145 Now R99.”
• If you have a lot of small items, group merchandise by price on display areas or tables marked “Everything R20″ or “Everything R100″. It saves time and attracts shoppers.
• Offer further discounts for purchases over a certain amount. Communicate this on banners or posters throughout the sale area.
• Everyone loves a BOGO: a “Buy One Get One Free”. Bundle things that go together, i.e. bracelet with a necklace, at a price that is lower than if the customer had to buy the items singly. Do make sure that you cover your cost!
• Announce a 50% price-drop during the last hour of the sale to make sure everything moves.

Attractive displays

• Have some crowd-pleasers up front to entice people into your store. Here you have to know your audience and what would interest and excite them.
• Beyond the crowd-pleasers, have a table with items at a ridiculously low price, i.e. R10 per item to pull people in and encourage further browsing.
• Include signage with a brief description of goods with each display.
• Remember: People seldom buy what they can´t see. If necessary, place a sample item on top of its packaging in order to make it visible.
• Displays tend to degenerate during sales as people rummage through merchandise looking for the bargain that suits them. Train your staff to keep displays neat, tidy and visually attractive throughout the sale.

A well-trained sales-force

• Make sure there are enough people to serve customers, tidy displays and to monitor the crowd during the sale. If necessary, use relay teams.
• Take the time to train your staff to be active sellers, knowledgeable about what is on sale and friendly and welcoming towards customers.
• Generate a sense of fun and anticipation: offer helpers a discount on the sale goods and lunch on the house … just to say thank you.

Branding

• Make use of every available opportunity to keep your brand visible:
  • Dress all staff in branded T-shirts or bibs promoting the sale — with the pay-off line clearly visible.
  • Have you logo on all price tags and labels.
  • Proudly display your logo and pay-off line on all posters, banners and displays.

Get free publicity for being community-minded

• Offer to donate half of the proceeds of the sale towards a community cause or a local charity. Have a giant cheque ready to hand over to a representative at the end of the last day of the sale. Make sure the media is invited to cover this part of the event. This will ensure that your sale does more than just move stock and generate immediate cash … it will turn your event into an opportunity to generate goodwill and increased visibility for your business.
• Invite a local charity to do a bake and beverage sale at your sale. While this may not attract buyers, it will attract people … and people tend to attract people. Having things to eat and drink will encourage some to stick around and buy more. Besides, it gives you another angle for media coverage.

Other considerations

• If you´re doing a sidewalk sale with goods out in the open, do check the long-range weather forecast to make sure you´re not rained out. Be prepared, anyway, to move your merchandise into a sheltered area in case of rain.
• Check with your local municipality if you need a permit to put up posters or to hold the sale. Do this before you progress too far with your planning.
• Get permission from your centre management and make sure that you are aware of all restrictions imposed by them.
• Make plenty of parking available, with people to direct traffic if necessary.
• Sales attract all kinds of people, including shoplifters. Make sure that you have qualified security people on your team to keep an eye on customers and to look after cars.
• Be a good community member and take down your signs immediately after the sale.
• Then go count the cash.

Good luck!