This time of year brings about two certainties: little (and not so small) people dressing in various costumes with the intention of getting a piece of candy or two from your bucket of goodies. And just before Halloween, we have the Fall Classic—Major League Baseball’s World Series. Nearly 11 million viewers watched the Dodgers slip past the Astros, 3-1, on Tuesday. That is down 19 percent over last year’s Cubs-Indians opener, but still represents a ton of eyes from a marketing perspective.
Stadium advertising is a fantastic way to elevate your brand, though it can come with a high price tag. All Copy Products of Denver has sponsorship deals with the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Colorado Rockies and Arizona Cardinals for stadium advertising. But one’s logo need not be parked just outside the end zone or behind home plate to catch people’s attention.
Chris Williams,
All Copy Products
According to Chris Williams, director of marketing for All Copy Products, did a promotion in conjunction with the Chiefs earlier this year. If the Chiefs won their game, website visitors could click on a link for the opportunity to win two tickets to a future contest.
“We were able to gather some good information and funnel some marketing to (visitors),” Williams said. “We saw upwards of 100 entries the first time, so it really helps us build out our sales funnels. We can get them into drip campaigns and we can really leverage our long-term investment on it.”
Evolving a company’s sales and marketing plan of attack to leverage the web and third-party resources is a necessary step to compete in a business world that has contracted in size due to the internet. But the best-laid plans can go out the window if your feet on the street, a.k.a. the sales staff, isn’t up to the task.
Eakes Office Solutions of Grand Island, NE, partners with an outside firm that specializes in providing leads and setting up appointments with prospects in the dealer’s markets. But Sandy Faber, corporate marketing manager, is confident in her account executives’ ability to close the deal.
Sandy Faber, Eakes
“Our most effective marketing strategy is our sales team,” she said. “Our goal is to provide our customers with well-trained, knowledgeable salespeople that bring a high level of service and expertise to their organization for a long time.”
When it comes to cultivating relationships with prospects, the ability to utilize modern selling techniques is critical. Consolidated Copier Services of McDonough, GA, has enjoyed an increase in web and phone leads from its website and various marketing tactics. But at the end of the day, being forthright and upfront with prospects from the beginning will ultimately pay dividends and lead to increased business down the road.
“It’s all about being honest and open with your customers,” noted Jordan Roberts, marketing director for Consolidated Copiers. “Our reps are to the point and will let customers know if there’s something we can’t do. It’s all about caring for your customers, making sure they trust you and know that you are going to be honest with them, not beat around the bush or hide any numbers.”
