Where do you begin when developing a sales & marketing strategy?
How can you make your creative intervention sustainable for your future career?
Well, first of all, you need to ask yourself:
- Which product or service are you selling?
- Who are your customers?
- Do you have a clear idea of which people or organizations might be interested in my product or service (target market)?
- How are you likely to reach these people or organizations and what is the most effective way of showing them your product or service so that they can buy, use, or experience it (distribution channels)?
In other words, develop a selling and marketing strategy!
Here are some useful tips:
Know Your Product and choose your creative intervention
Why don’t you describe your creative intervention by engaging with your client in a creative way to make your idea more attractive?
A top-selling strategy for any company or salesperson implies that you have to know what you are selling. If you don't know the features and benefits of the creative intervention you are selling, you will not be able to meet customers' needs or handle objections. Familiarize yourself with the creative intervention you sell, write relevant accompanying marketing brochures and sales letters and test the product or service.
One of the most important aspects of your work is to find a client who will purchase your creative intervention idea.
Be opportunistic in the way that helps you to sign more valuable contracts and get rewarding opportunities.
Follow the market trends and be smart. It is also important for you to be aware of the competitiveness of your product/service in the marketplace.
To plan your own strategy and place your creative intervention idea on the market, you should identify your competitors. Reflect on the individuals or companies that offer similar services or products.
You also need to remember that the manager or business owner is your main contact in the organization. They know the problems of their organization and you, as an artist, have to find a way to uncover the needs.
If you want to offer a creative intervention service to the organization, consider that your potential clients may not be aware of your intervention. For this reason, it is important to study the potential needs first that enable you to present and offer your creative intervention idea.
Show, don't tell
Customers want to hear about the features and benefits of a creative intervention but they are more impressed when they can see the product or service in action.
If you own an ice cream shop, you can offer product samples. Similarly, if you offer online time management solutions to entrepreneurs, you can grant them trial access to the program and allow them to explore the features. When customers can explore a product or service, they can get a better idea of how it would fit into their lives and get to experience the value it produces for them as well. This also makes the sales process run smoother.
Understand your target customer
Customers have different wishes and needs that make them gravitate toward specific products, services, and companies. If you have knowledge of your target customers, you can readily identify their needs and help them find solutions.
Each company has an ideal client it wants to target and acquire. Characteristics such as age, income level, marital status, education level, geographical location, hobbies, and interests help companies pinpoint their markets.
Get referrals
Repeat customers can help a business become profitable, but - even better - getting referrals can help a business grow and build its reputation. Include referral genneration in your sales process to maximize your profits and your future clients.
Set competitive prices
It is time to give value to your creative idea by adding details and information about what you offer to your artistic portfolio.
Evaluate (or "put a price on") your skills, talent, and experience and get a clear understanding of your earnings by calculating the cost of each artistic product or intervention (e.g.: materials, rent for workshops, venue, information material, advertising and promotion events, and, of course, your time, energy, and effort).
Remember that everything has value!
Pricing plays a major role in determining how many consumers will purchase a product/service, so it is important that part of your creative intervention selling strategy includes competitive pricing.
You do not have to set your prices lower than or equal to your competitors. However, you should know their standard sales prices for products and services.
You may want to price your product higher, but you must make sure you communicate the value of paying more for what you offer. Value-added benefits might include an extended or lifetime guarantee, your level of expertise, or the quality of your product.
