How do I find my target customers (target market)? How do I sell my product?
October 24, 2006
Let's look at how to tackle this from the perspective of game calls -
It all starts with understanding your product or service - what the features are, why it was designed that way, what the benefit to the user is of these features, which the item/service was designed for:
You must absolutely understand the person you hope will buy your product. You must know what is it about your product that will make specific people want to buy it. What features are unique to your game call? Does it have a superior finish? Convertible to different types of calls? Designed specifically for one animal? Have an ease of use mechanism that no other game call has? What are the BENEFITS the user will receive from your game call (More in the marketing and advertising class)
If you don't know what's special about your product, why it should appeal to the market you want to address, how do you hope to sell it? Are you selling duck calls, deer calls, turkey calls, varmit calls? Although each call appeals to “hunters”, the product features tailor that product to a specific type of hunter. Ask yourself how do I reach this specific type of hunter?
You must then decide WHERE you will be selling your game call - on a locally or nationwide basis? The avenues you will take for each market are different -
LOCAL- Start in the phone books or on the Internet for hunting specialty stores in your area, game clubs, hunting associations, Ducks Unlimited, conservation clubs, and other types of organizations that appeal to the hunters in your market. Look at the programs for local sports events - the trappers show, gun shows, the County Fair, taxidermists - all the people who attend these events are potential customers for you -or are in touch with your type of customer. The taxidermist may be willing to keep your flyers on hand for hunters when they bring in their prize for mounting. Or a hunting guide. Or a campground that offers hunting cabins in the off-season to hunters.
You can develop brochures that will fit into the literature racks in the state parks (for a fee, of course) where your hunters may be camping. The brochures can also be placed in restaurants and diners where hunters eat, with the village and town clerks were hunters go to buy their licenses (retail outlets won't extend this courtesy as they want hunters to buy the product they already have on their shelves ---unless the don't carry a similar game call)
You might contact hunting, youth and conservation groups and offer a demonstration of your game calls and different techniques. This is a disguised SALES effort - you TEACH how to use the calls, when they best apply, types of calls available, then leave your literature, price lists and business cards available as well as a few samples on hand for show and tell. If the hunters like your products, they know how to reach you.
For local selling, you should also consider newspaper ads, local TV channel advertising, “patron” ads in sporting events that are addressing your market. Local organizations that are attended by your customer- football, basketball games, plays, and charitable fundraisers -also offer inexpensive patron ads that get your name out there. Think about where your typical customer goes, what he does in his leisure time, where he buys. These are the venues you want to be in!
You can also have a website showing your products, possibly even ordering online capacity. This gives you a presence locally if you include it on all of your literature and advertising as well as nationally. Be sure you get the right “hit” words attached to your website -i.e. “hunting” “Game calls” Waterfowl” “Deer”. “Varmit” etc. This directs the person looking for products like yours to your site.
NATIONWIDE - Again, you must approach the market from where your customer will be. National magazines - Varmit Hunter, Field and Stream, The Conservationist, Rod and Gun, Fish, Fin & Fur, etc -what types of magazines do hunters read? You can address your market by posting ads in the types of magazines your target customers read.
Large trade shows - At large trade shows, you buy booth space. You then demonstrate your products as people stop at your booth. You should have a way of capturing their names and addresses for your database for future contacts- this is why so many trade show participants have a raffle of a prize -to get your name and address. You now have names and addresses you can send catalogs to, do direct mail pieces.
Industry trade journals - These are magazines that target the larger market of hunters. The ads in these magazines are businesses similar to yours - but they may be looking for complimentary products to include in their lines,
Mailing lists - you can buy mailing lists that have been developed to target the market segment you want to sell to. You can go to www.directmag.com to get the names of many of these companies. Be careful. These lists can range in cost from $500 upwards to several thousands of dollars. With Direct Mail, you develop an ad or brochure and mail it to your potential customer. He or she may respond, or they may throw it into the garbage.
Internet Site - Nationwide selling has become easier with the Internet. Again, the “hit” words are key as well as the presentation of your products and its' features and benefits. Also ease of use of your website is important. Your customer will want to order from the website -- this will generally require credit card processing. Be sure you are ready to pack, invoice and ship orders. Do you have a program set up for returns / exchanges, shipping at best cost, etc?
Large Nationwide Catalogs and Stores--You can contact the purchasing departments large catalog houses and chain stores (Cabelas, Dick's Sporting Goods, etc.). Be sure you've checked their product offering and KNOW why your product should fit into their line. Double check your pricing so you know you have allowed room for your profit as well as their markup to reach the “manufacturer's suggested retail price.” Be prepared with color photographs, a quote based on volume, literature and a few samples to send for product testing. (You probably won't get these samples back). Beware if your product is accepted, you may be required to ship large quantities within a specific lead-time. Are you ready for this?
VERY VERY carefully you might approach a shopping channel for a timeslot. This can be real boost for a new product, but requires significant investment, ability to carry costs for several months, close review of the contract offered you, and the ability on your part to possibly present the product on TV. But large volumes of product can be moved this way.