SAM's top 5 tips to hit your target at the point of sale - online or in-store
Targeted advertising and sales promotion work together to bring customers to the Point of Sale - both online and in brick-and-mortar stores.
However, shoppers can easily distracted by competitor offers, so the Point of Sale must direct attention and serve to close the sales loop.
Here are 5 proven tips for Point of Sale engagement. These handy tips can help close a sale at the finish line, and are a great reference for future marketing.
- KEEP COMMUNICATION BOLD, SIMPLE & ON BRAND to ensure that product information and promotional offers from are recognised at a glance. When formulating Point of Sale communication, always remember the K.I.S.S design principal - "Keep It Simple Stupid" - so that time-poor online or in-store shoppers can make rapid purchasing decisions. The average consumer these days is used to a fast-paced and direct experience when it comes to using online tools or shopping, and this also has a symbiotic relationship with how they interact in-store as well. This unconscious gravitation has been iterated upon through the streamlined user experience design that people now encounter on a day-to-day basis. People are now used to getting at what they want in a quick and efficient manner. Therefore, simple communication, coupled with an informed premonition of what the average user wants, is key.
- USE RHETORIC to encourage consumers to visualise the immediate benefits of owning or using the product. Make owning a product a no-brainer. Use emotion or circumstance to describe the product in order to establish a direct sensory link. "The taste of chocolate" "The freedom of a holiday"
- COMPEL the consumer to Buy Now - limit the offer e.g. ‘available today’, ‘while stocks last’ or ‘buy now pay later’ etc. Immediacy of a sale or promotion takes away the second-guessing questions that enter a customer's mind if they delay a purchase, prompting a quick 'yes or no' that benefits from the additional desirability of a time-limited opportunity.
- ADD VALUE to enhance the offer and deflect competitor offers e.g. "take an extra 10% off today", "enter for a chance to win" or "free gift with purchase" etc. Consumers are drawn to products that give the feel of an 'extra', or 'advantage', that comes seemingly free with the purchase. This leads to our next point...
- BOUNCE BACK CUSTOMERS & BUILD GOOD WILL to your online shop or retail store with a store credit or coupons for future use. “sign up to our mailing list to get $20 off your first order” and vouchers emailed upon purchase. Database marketing builds brand familiarity, increasing the bounce-back potential of customers. Overall, everyone wins - the customer receives great benefits, and the promoter or store earns a loyal customer.
If you need advice or a quotation on any form of point of sale marketing, please contact:
Peter McKinnon (03) 9646 5644 Email: peter@samsales.com.au
