Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Leave Behinds For Potential Customers

Posted by Clive Fernandes on 11/19/2005 at 2:59 AM ET 125 Points
We are starting a computer services company to cater to SME's and home users.

One marketing starategy is to Direct market to potential customers. We will go meet them, introduce ourselves and our services to them and leave something behind with our logo/phone on it so that they can contact us when required.

I need ideas for a "leave behind". I felt a mousepad with our logo printed would be perfect, but it would be too expensive since we will be giving these to all potential customers we meet.

Any ideas for something cheaper? I was also thinking of creating something ourselves.. perhaps a printed laminated card with useful omputer shortcuts or something.... just thinking out of the box...

Suggestions?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by michael on 11/19/2005 at 7:35 PM Accepted
    I agree that about not doing the mouse pad. Many people of optical mice and the pad is not useful for that...yet some still use them anyway. Personally I like the screen wiper...looks like a squeegee but dusts off the screen.

    Truthfully, you should have several products to leave behind based on the reception you receive. Low end would be your card and a fact sheet about your company's capabilities. Higher end might be a calculator or mousepad. www.onlythebestgifts.com has some good stuff.

    Michael

  • Posted on 11/20/2005 at 10:57 PM Accepted
    I like the laminate card with computer shortcuts idea. Maybe make a magnet out of that.

    A couple more ideas: a pre-printed sticky note pad with your contact info or stickers with your logo and contact numbers that could go on a printer, monitor, or the front of a desktop. I have a couple of stickers from Gateway on my desktop with all their contact numbers on it.

    Good Luck!
  • Posted by Clive Fernandes on 11/21/2005 at 11:48 AM Author
    Hey all...

    Thx for the ideas..

    I really liked the idea of different leave behinds depending on the customer... Mich ..wanna elaborate on that?
  • Posted by michael on 11/21/2005 at 12:00 PM Member
    Clive,
    Sure. When we do calls, we have several things. The lowest end is a simple information sheet about our services. If we get a cold reception, we leave that and our card and say "Well, you never know when you'll be looking again and we'd appreciate the chance to earn your business"

    The next level is usually (at least right now) post-it notes with our website in very light grey. This is usually if we get enough information to find out the name of the right person to talk to on follow up calls. We leave one for the receptionist and ask her to give one to the appropriate person with out card and a note that we will follow up.

    Finally, if we get to see that person we will usually leave a larger packet of information and follow the discussion up by mailing chocolate or cookies or something like that...depending on the season.

    Hope that makes more sense. If not, just e-mail me by clicking on my name above or over on the right.

    Michael
  • Posted by Clive Fernandes on 11/21/2005 at 11:38 PM Author
    Was just thinking...

    Maybe it should be exactly the opposite.. If you do see that the chances of a sale are less, shouldn't we be putting more marketing effort in that, rather than a sale that we know most likely than not will happen?

    Just a thght.. comments?
  • Posted by Clive Fernandes on 11/23/2005 at 2:26 AM Author
    What we will be giving them is not as much as a gift. This is a marketing tool.

    And a mousepad with out number on it will have much more of a marketing impact rather than a pen. So does it not make sense giving a mousepad to someone you think will need a little more convincing to use your services.

    What I am looking here is not for ideas to build relationships but rather make that first sale.
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