Using Point-of-Sale Marketing to Achieve Your Sales Plan Results

Are you going to make your sales plan in 2011?

Are you concerned already about your 2012 plan?

Perhaps you should consider spending more time planning your POS strategy and tactics.

From a strictly sales standpoint, the ‘point of sale’ is the final place to make a branding impression; and the last place and moment you have to encourage a shopper to become a buyer of your product.

Look at it this way — It’s the moment of truth: 

• You have the retail customer in the store

• The product is either in the aisle or in their hand

• Your point-of-sale (POS) materials are in plain view

• All other things being equal — POS will either sell your product, or your competitor’s product

What’s it going to be?

Whether your ultimate customer — the retail shopper — buys your product or brand often comes down to several factors, Price, Placement, the Product and the Point-of-Sale promotion.

I’ll assume for this posting that we don’t need to discuss price, placement or product. Let’s suppose that your product’s quality and reputation is not an issue; that it has been placed within the “sweet spot” of customer's range of vision and that the product is competitively or appropriately priced.

That ought to be enough for your potential customer to make the decision to buy your product. Right? You already know the answer: You need, in addition to these other things, point-of-sale or shopper marketing to convert shoppers into buyers. Still not convinced?

OnTrak's Perspective - POS Marketing Works

According to a recent industry study (See Link Below), those consumer-centric (B-to-C) companies that embrace POS and make it an integral part of their marketing are growing 50% faster than their competitors. In addition:

• 90% of suppliers with advanced shopper marketing capabilities and programs report that a structured approach to point-of-sale marketing helps them meet retailer needs and boost their own top-lines.

• 73% of suppliers and 86% of retailers rated shopper marketing programs among the top four activities that deliver impressive ROI

Our view is that measuring and managing POS investments has become and will continue to be a key factor in determining how to increase sales and grab market share even in a difficult business climate.

It doesn’t matter if you are responsible for a single sales territory, a sales team spanning many territories or even the overall sales and marketing strategy and budgeting for the entire corporation. You need to maintain and increase your utilization and understanding of POS marketing.

The 'point-of-sale' is rapidly becoming the top place to invest marketing dollars. Suppliers and distributors alike must increase their activities at the shopper’s point of decision; and, those suppliers and distributors who do will win the battle at-retail.

Deloitte study “Delivering the Promise of Shopper Marketing",