One of my favorite marketing techniques for my
handmade soap business is to offer free demonstrations
and classes to any organization that has both the space and
members. I allow them to charge for the event and then I use
the event to develop my email list and sell my products to the
class. This a win win situation as the vendor gets an easy way
raise much needed funds and I get exposure to a completely new
audience.
Make sure to bring plenty of soap to sell after class
and give a compelling reason for the class members to sign up
for for your newsletter. More free information, lessons or "secret
suppliers" can be an enticing tidbit to get customers to sign
up. Without a list you may as well not do the exercise at all.
Your list is how you build your business.
Many opportunities will open up from your list that may not
even have imagined. I have had joint venture offers and another
offer to move my business to another city to be the primary
supplier to a large company from these types of contacts. Keep
in contact with your customers by offering useful information
and colorful stories. Most of your contacts (emails) should
not be about sales, but about engendering a relationship with
your customers. Each type of product you have has ingredients
that have wonderful qualities that have to be explained to your
customers. These qualities answer questions, such as, what soap
is best for oily skin. Now a customer will contact you
to buy that product even though you never asked them to. You
appear to be a friend rather than a pushy salesperson. This
is your advantage over your competitors.
Article provided by Jeffrey Dorrian