GPI 234 – Show your customers all that you do; do not assume they know because they do not.

You think your current customers know everything you can offer but you are wrong.  Companies are normally surprised when they show a broad range of photos to their customers and they hear, “Hey, I didn’t know you could do that!” Assume they do not know, and prepare an all-encompassing catalog; lots of pictures and less text (no body reads much any more).

Show your customers what you do.  Use a catalog to show your customers what your firm does, and include a minimal, but informative amount of text where that is appropriate.  Prepare a bound and attractive collection of 20-30 color pictures of all of the various products or services that your firm offers.  Make the pictures varied, colorful and informative. Have them include as many different industries and markets as possible.  Show how diverse you are.  Show big products, tiny products, bright or dull finishes, excess or minimal packaging, multiple uses, multiple areas of use, uses in many different scenarios such as work, school, play, vacations, holidays, in the car and, in the home.

Stimulate the buyer’s imagination.  Remember that you must stimulate the imagination of your buyer so he can see himself successfully buying your product or service and more importantly, being happy he made the decision to buy from you.

Give these brochures out to your current buyers.  Have your sales personnel first, hand these out to current buyers.  You want to further educate people who already trust you and buy from you.  They are the easiest to convince and you are already set up with them within their procurement systems.

You current customers do not know everything you do.  Current buyers normally have an old outdated idea of what your firm can do and offer.  Their perception is normally wrong and narrowly defined because they still think of you in terms of what you were years ago when they first started with your firm.  Your sales personnel may or may not have kept those buyers updated as to your current capabilities.  Your brochures will help to bring them up-to-date.

Do not assume your market knows you — they do not.  You want your buyers to see everything your firm has to offer to broaden their narrow view of your firm.  You want their other business that they are currently giving to a competitor.  Remember that the easiest sale to make is with a current customer or buyer that knows you.  They normally buy something from you on a regular basis and do not receive any new marketing materials generally thought to be handed out to strangers.  They need to be seriously updated about your capabilities.  Fill them in and do not be surprised how uninformed they are.  More importantly, watch their sales grow.