Proudly serving the industry for which it was named for more than 50 years, Outdoor Power Equipment provides dealers who sell and service outdoor power equipment with valuable information to succeed in a competitive market.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/286953
24 T he prime selling season is finally here, and while it is easy to allow marketing initiatives to fall to the bottom of your priority list as floor traffic picks up and sales begin to trend upward, now is one of the most critical times of the year to promote your dealership to acquire new customers and earn the service business of last year's buyers. In this article, I'll focus on a pair of proven promotional strategies that will help you capture the attention of shoppers actively searching for your products and services, as well as those passive buyers who need a more direct incentive to service their current mower or finally make that upgrade. Online coupons While clipping coupons may once have been strictly within the domain of thrifty homeowners, that dated perception of this proven promotional tactic may cost you. Research shows that an overwhelming number of consumers take advantage of coupons. According to a recent RetailMeNot poll conducted with the Omnibus Company, 92 percent of consumers surveyed use coupons 1 . The poll also indicates that printed coupons remain the most widely used type of coupon, but online printable coupon usage has nearly doubled and mobile coupon usage has nearly tripled in the past three years. It is also notable to mention what respondents to the RetailMeNot poll consider a good deal: 43 percent of consumers surveyed consider discounts of 25 percent or less to be a good deal, while 26 percent believe that 1-24 percent represents a good deal. And according to the survey, if you really want to pique a shopper's interest, offer a specific dollar amount off of their purchase price. Offering your customers coupons can be as simple as hitting print on your office computer, but stacks of offers at the point of sale won't serve to pull in new and repeat customers like the myriad options for digital coupon delivery. Email: Coupons delivered via email connect with consumers — 93 percent of the RetailMeNot poll respondents said they were very likely to use coupons or discounts they receive via email. Incorporate a coupon content section into your email newsletter template and craft the perfect subject that will entice recipients to open your email. Need some guidance on writing subject lines that get read? Check out these tips from the email deliverability experts at Litmus 2 and apply your new-found knowledge by testing your next subject line at www.subjectline.com (see Figure 1). Website: Visitors to your website should also be able PrOven Online PrOmOTiOnal sTraTegies By Brad smith OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT w w w. o u t d o o r p o w e re q u i p m e n t . c o m FeaTUre sTOrY Figure 1 Figure 2