Logos are an expression of the brand. Keep them simple and make sure they help communicate the 'personality' of the business.
Riverford runs the UK's biggest veg bo x delivery business. Working through loc al franchisees and regional farm grou ps they can target most areas of the country . Their communicatio n style is distinct; it ha s a friendly, informa l feel, through media such as the rec ipes and stories the y include in the boxes, reinforcing the ir brand values and building loyalty every time.
At an early stage, you need to start looking good as first impressions count for a lot. This can be addressed in a number of cost effective and affordable ways including:
3.2 Promotion and sales Once you have identified your customers, where they are, and what matters to them, you need to secure and grow sales by promoting your business.
BUY NO W PAY LAT ER
First you need to decide how many customers you are seeking and what conversion rate to sales you expect. This will depend on your type of trading and sales methods. For example, you might only need 5 customers if you sell wholesale, so go and meet them personally and you might get a 100% take up. In contrast, if you sell products on-line, you might need 500 hits on your website to sell just one item. Your promotional strategy needs to fit your business model. Larger companies invest a lot of money in attracting new customers. They consider the lifetime value of the customer to the business, which can outweigh the profit expected from that customer in the first year. However, if budgets are tight, you can do this in a number of ways, for example: ᔢ Introductory offers – you could offer a free sample, trial or an extra product after the customer has bought several times.
ᔢ You! – when you are meeting or phoning people, consider what would give them confidence in you. Review your clothes, appearance, conversation skills and speech.
ᔢ Time-limited offers – a reduced price or 2 for 1 offer for a defined period.
ᔢ Website – it is easy and often free to set up a professional looking website even if it’s only one page (see Resources33). People like to review and compare products and services and this is an easy way for them to do it.
ᔢ Credit – allowing people to buy now and pay later.
ᔢ Graphics and logo – you might find a ready-made low cost image that suits your needs40 (see Resources) ᔢ Flyers and printed material – produce professional resources and get the tone and the core messages right. ᔢ Testimonials and track record – build on positive customer feedback and success to establish your credibility to attract and win new customers.
ᔢ Competitions – gather customer information and offer a prize which is in itself a promotion. ᔢ Recommend a friend – ask your customers to help you, with or without an incentive. ᔢ Free media coverage – see PR section for ideas. You may find organisations who can give you access to large numbers of potential customers. For example, Autoglass offered a deal to insurance companies to fix their clients' windscreens, in return the insurance companies then recommended Autoglass – doing their promotion for free! What networks or organisations would do the same for you?
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