WINDOW
TREATMENT ADVERTISING
Personalities
Galore - And More
Nuggets of interest culled from recent sales research.
by John J. Lichty
Do a
little digging into the mountains of sales and marketing research
that’s been done and you’ll discover plenty of little
treasures useful to everyday business.
• Each Person Differs. Archeologists believe that 85 billion
persons have lived on our Earth since human life began many thousands
of years ago. Our current world population is estimated to be 5.9
billion. Our U.S. population is 280 million, just 4.6 percent of
the world’s total.
Each person, then and now, had and has a unique personality, temperament,
psyche, spirit or whatever theologists and philosophers call our
inner spirit. One’s personality may differ at times, too, from
pleasant to indifferent to negative. No wonder it can be tough to
close sales at times. But that’s what makes personal selling
and other communication efforts such a constant and refreshing challenge.
(Says who?)
• Personal Messages. Retail advertisers have varied
ways to converse with one or small numbers of prospects. Custom-products
stores use personal direct mail messages: letters, post cards, flyers,
e-mails, newsletters, phone calls, radio commercials. Such stores
and studios rely a great deal on word-of-mouth recommendations from
contented customers to potential prospects.
• Reaching Personality Groups. Personalities may differ,
but people still will have many similar likes and dislikes. Demographers
(students of people groups) identify audiences by age, sex, income,
education, ZIP codes and other special categories.
Large advertisers use the more-expensive mass media—newspapers,
television, radio and print materials—to send their ads and
publicity releases to general audiences. They buy many “waste
people” (non-interested), but they also know their messages
will be seen or heard by large numbers of good prospects. Also,
they will rely on advertising in specialized media—magazines,
cable TV networks, telemarketing, Internet Web sites—to reach
similar groups of better prospects.
• Old Customers Best? Industry sources in home fashions
(with custom decorating products) state that your source for new
business can come from your existing base.
Examples: A special-offer direct mailing piece to a cold list may
bring a response of one to two percent. Targeted mailings (letters,
cards, flyers, e-mails) to the personalities in your regular customer
database may net as much as a five to 10 percent return.
• Mom and Pops Can Compete. Small, specialized stores,
especially those offering custom window coverings, can have some
advantages over the big-box discounters, such as:
Personalized service. Can’t compete on price for most popular
products, but can win with smiles and smarts.
And with better products—designer and brand-name quality.
One-on-one customer discussions with time to pursue personality
concerns. Also with reliable follow-up to ensure guaranteed satisfaction.
Specific and creative decorating ideas can close sales. So can professionally
trained salespeople with an enthusiastic attitude, with a touch
of humor.
Need to create a quality image, too, especially products, ideas
and service.
Word-of-mouth recommendations are a marketing necessity. Needs to
be supplemented with occasional small ads and publicity releases
(news of store personnel, products and services).
Top quality business cards are a requirement. Double cards can also
serve as a small advertisement.
Extra budget for ads and PR helps when getting started and for special
sales promotions.
• Home Need a Personality, Too? Most home fashion customers
have an idea that their homes and window décor should be
a reflection of their own personalities. They read the home decorating
magazines and manuals, which advise them to seek their own personal
looks when doing their homes.
But, most people have no idea what their own personalities are,
let alone try to choose the correct personality for their homes.
Nor do they have any idea of what styles and colors might reflect
their own tastes. They are simply looking for some things that will
win the approval and envy of their friends, not for unusual “conversation
pieces.”
As the old designer/decorator story goes:
Decorator: “Madam, what period of décor do you want
in your home?”
Madam: “Styles and stuff that will make my friends walk in
and drop dead . . . period.”
John L. Lichty is a consultant and senior editor for Draperies
& Window Coverings magazine. He has more than 30 years experience
in the planning and administration of various consumer, trade and
retail advertising programs.
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