Getting a lot of these phone calls

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FrameMakers

FrameMakers

PFG, Picture Framing God
Joined
Mar 20, 2001
Posts
7,395
Loc
Powell, OH
Lately we have been getting a ton of calls asking if we are running any coupons of specials. I haven't run anything since last November. I expected to have a little bit of this shortly after we stopped running specials. We didn't have much till this last month.

I think I am going to put a sale on some slow moving moulding just so I can say yes to these people.

Is this happening to you too?

I am guessing that with $4 gas everyone is trying to squeeze pennies without giving up on what they want.

Dave
 
I have a small section of my sample wall that I hang discounted moulding, usually about a dozen samples. these are samples that my distributor has on sale for 50-75% off. I update this section about every two weeks. I dont advertise it, but do steer the customer to it if they are very price conscious.
 
I've run a few sales since December, and everything has flopped completely. Wasn't worth the cost of postage. Literally. I lost money on the mailings.
 
PaulSF said:
I've run a few sales since December, and everything has flopped completely. Wasn't worth the cost of postage. Literally. I lost money on the mailings.
Click to expand...

Right Paul. I reevaluated my marketing and found the same thing. Well almost, I wasn't losing money, but I wasn't making money off of the promotions. This is why I stopped.

Dave
 
I think the problem is that the bargain shoppers are already too pinched to respond to a discount offer. I'd be very reluctant to spend a lot of money on a mailing right now, but it's certainly worthwhile to tell callers that you have some very nice items on sale, to induce them to put down the phone and actually come in to the store.
 
I've put a variety of ads with coupons in several papers for special events (holidays, local arts festival) and I've had about one response out of every 4 or 5 ads. It is clearly a losing strategy here.

Customers ask quite often if I have any coupons floating around out there. I do have one long-standing coupon out there, but it has never gotten much response. I usually tell them where it is and then offer to give them a slightly smaller discount since they don't have the coupon, but I don't want them to drive themselves crazy looking for one! (It usually works.)
 
FrameMakers said:
Lately we have been getting a ton of calls asking if we are running any coupons of specials.
Click to expand...

Our standard response is that our everyday fair price is less than our competitors 50% off price. We won't inflate our prices to offer a discount. Usually works.

.....and yes, everybody is trying to stretch their pennies. Me too.
 
How about "We have a telephone special only for people that call in like you are. We have some special pricing on moulding and con glass for the price of regular" (or whatever) Could make them feel clever for thinking to call you. And who doesn't want to feel clever?
 
FrameMakers said:
Lately we have been getting a ton of calls asking if we are running any coupons of specials. I haven't run anything since last November. I expected to have a little bit of this shortly after we stopped running specials. We didn't have much till this last month.

I think I am going to put a sale on some slow moving moulding just so I can say yes to these people.

Is this happening to you too?

I am guessing that with $4 gas everyone is trying to squeeze pennies without giving up on what they want.

Dave
Click to expand...

The whole idea of advertising is to get people to come into your store. In todays market, with everyone watching their pennies, especially about wasting gas, why would you want to disappoint them after they get to your store, by offering them the slow moving junk nobody wants?

Look at what the big companies put on sale, in their advertising. It's not the slow movers, it's the most popular items. They want people to be glad they went to the trouble of going to their business's.

My suggestion, when people call about any specials you may be offering, tell them about your new telephone special. Give them a discount code for anything they may want in your store, custom framing or gifts. Do not try to pawn off the dead items to them, give them what they want to have. Get them in there.

For going to the trouble of calling you, and not your competition, tell them if they mention the code "Blue Sky" they will get ten of fifteen percent off on anything in the store. Or whatever you think will get them in there.

John
 
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