Category Archives: Starting Out

How To Sell Art To The Upper Class?

Products, Starting Out

I’m a small business with an artistic product. I sell 2 t0 3 units per years. Ranging from 125k+. My product is in a league of its own and I’ve been called a visionary but my industry is considered small. Upper-class customers contact me to buy my product. I’m the only one in the world to offer this specific concept so they cant go anywhere else to get it. I’ve had 4 sales in the past six months that I haven’t been able to close on. I’m a master at my craft but I seem to have trouble closing/locking in the sale. How do I lock-in the sale with someone that has contacted me but has limited time, expendable funds, and a taste for outrageous, expensive toys?

###

Jay’s Answer: Before you begin to try to close, find out what their (emotional) needs are. Why did they contact you today? What will they do with their purchase? Where have they seen one before? You want to engage them to find out their needs but also help them to truly visualize owning it. That’s why auto dealers know that when they ask “what color are you looking for?”, once you respond you’re now emotionally involved in the purchase.

How To Grow A Fashion Boutique In A Small Town?

Products, Starting Out

My wife and I opened our own High End Fashion Boutique last week and despite marketing our shop in the local newspaper, sending text messages on their cellphones, setting up a Page and Group on Facebook and inviting almost the whole town – people are still not visiting our boutique…

People who do come to visit our shop are amazed and stunned to see how beautiful it looks and how affordable our items are…but still we aren’t generating efficient funds.

The boutique is situated in a room of our house and our house is quite a central point of town…

We currently stock jewellery, accessories, clothes, handbags, purses, shoes and other smaller items, of which the most are brand names: Prada, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Ed Hardy, Dolce&Gabbana etc…But it really is much cheaper than any other store in a 500km+ area…

Our products are exactly what the classy people are looking for…we live in a wealthy farming community, where the women love to dress up and “beautify” themselves. We can also attract youths from the college as our items are affordable enough for everyone…

What can we do to get more people to our store? Do you have any ideas to raise “awareness”? I even want to offer a Louis Vuitton Handbag valued at thousands of Rands for a competition, if it will generate enough funds…

###

Jay’s Answer: A simple addition (if you don’t already have it) would be a website that’s SEO optimized for your region. Since everything is one-of-a-kind, you may not wish to make the website a catalog of items that people can order from (worldwide) but you do want people to be able to get a sense from your website the experience that’s “in store” for them.

Before you try to get more people to your store, focus on the people who have already visited. Did they purchase things or not? If not, then having more people come through may not yet be a good idea – you want people to come, buy, tell their friends, and repeat. If people did purchase, then you need to give them a reason to return (regularly). Perhaps a VIP preview of new purses in one month, outerwear another month, shoes etc. Or, give them coupons to gift to their friends.

Have you contacted local clubs whose members might be prospective customers? For example: Mothers’ club, Women entrepreneurs, etc.?

How Can I Do PR For My First Book?

Publicity, Starting Out

Jay’s Answer: Start by creating a marketing strategy. Identify the groups of people most likely to be interested in the book, and choose the best ways to have your message in front of them. It could be simply to identify editors of magazines and send them your book for review, find people interested in interviewing you for their TV/radio/Internet show, etc. If you haven’t written a press release, consider this as well – it’s one source for sources for articles. But be warned – there’s a huge number of people who are asking for (free) PR. If you want to ensure your message to be seen, you’ll also need to spend some $ advertising (pay-per-click, etc.).

How To Promote My New Online Outlet Store?

eMarketing, Starting Out

We are setting up an outlet store on our website, www.seekwellness.com. We currently have a store already set-up, but we have decided to set-up a second store on the site that offers volume discounts, buy-in-bulk, free products, etc. It’s our way of helping our visitors during the tough economy. Where we need assistance:

  1. Do you have suggestions on how to promote this store without taking away from our existing e-commerce sales?
  2. Are there any other products you can suggest for us to add to the store?

###

Jay’s Answer: I think you’re going about this backwards. Why not combine the two stores into one, and offer a category of “specials” or “closeouts” for many of your outlet items (or offer product suggestions based on price range)? Right now, people shopping one store won’t see the other offerings, and since you’re targeting the same people, you have the potential for missed sales.

Graduate Scholarships For Older Students?

Starting Out

I am working towards my Masters in Integrated Marketing Communications at WVU. My current employer provided a 90% student loan, but now that the economy is so bad, I’m not sure they will be able to continue. I hope to teach at the University level after my career in B-to-B marketing; anyway, if the company doesn’t make it, I’ll need my Masters to get another job.

Do you know of any graduate scholarships for 55 year old graduate students? 99% of scholarships are designed for kids, not older people, yet we need to continue to update ourselves throughout our careers.

I promised my boss to do the best that I could to find scholarship money, I will appreciate your experience, thoughts and suggestions.

###

Jay’s Answer: Have you talked to the financial aid office for ideas?

Have you looked online? There are lots of sites that may have information of use, for example:

What Should A New Owner Do?

eMarketing, Products, Publicity, Starting Out

I’m a new owner of existing restaurant that wish to increase the amount of clients . Based on your experience, what would be the best and fastest way to attract customers?
And should I change the name of the restaurant?

###

Jay’s Answer: If the restaurant wasn’t doing well, then rebranding it makes sense. Don’t put “under new management” signs up – people don’t care. If the food is good, the word spreads. If it doesn’t, it spreads faster. New management is a plea for trying it again, because there was a problem.

If the restaurant is doing well, then increasing # of customers (or average expenditure/customer) is your goal. Don’t rebrand – do improve the menu, adding some high-priced items (not necessarily to sell these, but it will psychologically cause an increase in the the avg. expenditure/customer). Build a loyalty program to increase the pull to come to your restaurant.

Videos Ads For Local Businesses?

Starting Out

Hi, I am Nathaniel, a senior in high school, and we have a senior project coming up. For my project, I am trying to start an advertising business where we make video advertisements for local businesses. The main purpose for these videos is to give to these companies to put on their website. I was wondering if you could give me some advice on how to make a video advertisement for a special gym, because that is going to be the example that I use for my project. This gym in particular targets overweight or older people who are uncomfortable with working out in front of people, and has more privacy for the customers than most gyms.

###

Jay’s Answer: Sounds like a fun project!

My first suggestion would be to talk to gym’s manager. Tell them about your project, find out if they have considered a video, and get their ideas for things they would like to see. The key is to find out some specific things they want before they’d consider putting in on their website. As a minimum they’d probably want:

  • logo
  • address
  • phone number
  • a street shot of the gym

Testimonials are always great (think before/after pictures).
Since you’re working with video – visuals: people working out, smiling, lacing up their shoes, walking easily, etc.

Name my English Teaching Center

Names + Taglines, Starting Out

I’m thinking of putting up a small English center here in the Philippines. The English center is owned by a Korean, I have been hired to do some changes, since the mushrooming of competitors extremely affected his business. I want to focus on being known as a center for teens and adults wanting to take either IELTS,or TOEFL/TOEIC. Our building location is a good one, it’s across a recreation center.. so it’s very crucial that I market it the right way. There are already existing clients, so it’s really up me whether they would continue or change schools because of the new program.

###

Jay’s Answer: As you probably already know, to market something the right way means that you’re providing the right solution, to their crucial problem, at a price that’s less than solving the problem is worth it to them. It’s more than words – it’s a full strategy.

Based on the information you provided, here are some name ideas to play with:

  • English Spoken Here
  • English Language Academy
  • English Certification Center

Animal Rights NGO in India Needs Name Ideas

Clubs + Associations, Names + Taglines, Starting Out

Could you suggest some domain names and website names for a new about to launch Animal Rights NGO in India? I wanted to launch a free website and i want a name that is easy, catchy and genuine. The basic details are given below :

What type of animals are you targeting ?
All those animals which we see around …. for more deeper research and investigations we do plan to move all around but after some time…
Currently we would target some basic animals which are the target of a very cruel and illogical philosophy i.e. SLAUGHTERING in the name of certain religious ceremony here in India. the targeted animals are : BUFFALO, COW and GOATS. Besides these we also plan to work and cure stray and street dogs and cats .

What area of India ?
At present we will focus on our home town GUWAHATI. Its a small city from ASSAM which is a Beautiful state in the North Eastern part of our country India.

What’s the problem the animals are currently facing and what do you hope to do about it ?
The basic problem is the one I mentioned above which is unfortunately growing irrespective of many protests and requests. Its a shame in the name of our culture and people in power practice such ceremonies to gain power and reputation. its a difficult job to overpower these monsters but the initial steps were encouraging … the local mayor, the chief of state police and a few Ministers and bureaucrats have started supporting us… it might be just a new political tool for them to overpower their oppositions but it has definitely helped us a lot … financial and power packed infrastructural support from them in the future would be very helpful to expand our horizons.

Do you already have a name for the NGO ?
No, its just the beginning and thus we just want you to provide us a Title that besides being catchy, easy and genuine …. also sounds universal and doesn’t restrict it to a particular region. Needless to say that the web site and the NGO would have the same name.

###

Jay’s Answer: Here are some names for your consideration. Hopefully they’ll inspire your thinking:

Focusing on stopping an attitude:

  • Stop The Sacrifice
  • Stop The Slaughter

Focusing on modernizing a behavior:

  • 21st Century Animal Ceremonies
  • Updating Religious Sacrifices

Focusing on the purpose of your work:

  • Assam Animal Rescue

How To Market My Short Film?

eMarketing, Starting Out

I am starting a production company and have a 10 minute short film that I want to market and sell for download what is the best way to market?

###

Jay’s Answer: Perhaps the simplest way would be to create a 1-minute short of your film, and upload it to the various free video sites (YouTube, etc.). The short gives a sample of the movie, perhaps with some testimonials, but with your website featured prominently.

Your website itself will have the short, plus stills from the movie, and more testimonials (on why it’s such a great movie, who learned what from it, etc.). If you have supporting material (blog, ebook, etc.) you can attempt to build a network around the movie, providing something of value.

Lastly, don’t overlook selling it on iTunes, Amazon, etc.