Sales Promotions

The owner of the radio station had me meet him at Hondaland of Monticello, the local Honda motorcycle dealership. When I arrived I had to park out on the highway because the dealership was having an annual promotion that weekend, and they were just about to announce the winner of a new Honda motorcycle. A big thing for a small town!

What I would learn in the next couple of hours was priceless. Not only did I learn the value of co-op dollars offered from the manufacturer, but also the deep relationships the owner of a business can gain from creating promotions, beyond a media buy.

In addition to the grand prize of the bike being given away, the store was giving away helmets, jackets, service savings and more! The promotion had started three weeks prior with teaser ads on the radio station, and then that teaser campaign turned into a blitz to get people out to the dealership. It was right in the middle of summer, and in this part of the country only about a month out of the cold weather season. The promotion worked, not only by creating excitement, but sales went through the roof.

After the day was done and it was time for me to head over to my new apartment, I learned that this account was going to be mine and I was to try and repeat this same type of promotion with other clients in Monticello.

Your business can repeat this type of promotion as well, and it doesn’t take giving away a motorcycle to make it happen successfully. Base your promotion on your terms, and around your industry’s strengths. Work with your media reps to get the most bang for your buck, and don’t be afraid to go outside the box in your thinking, of what will work for you!

What are your challenges when it comes to creating sales promotions that work? I look forward to hearing your comments. Until next time...