Where's the Rest of It?

Generally speaking — and particularly with B2B promotions — the primary objective of a dimensional marketing program is to land a face-to-face meeting with the targeted decision maker.

Every salesperson will tell you that it's not easy. Gatekeepers abound, the intended recipient is busy, and he or she typically gets all sorts of come-ons weekly or more often.

Free gift offers can work. But most do little to exploit the curiosity factor and, at the risk of sounding cynical, the greed factor. Yes, there are freebies that are enticing. However, there's a third factor that shouldn't be ignored. For lack of a better definition, we'll call it “involvement.”

This is not about involving the target with some intriguing gizmo or whatzit. It's about captivating the target with the promise of getting the complete promo item — but only if he or she agrees to meet.

The promo products world is replete with multi-part items that are essentially useless without all the parts in place. So one strategy is to tease the recipient with parts, and then offer to “complete” the item at a meeting: “Let me show you how we can put it all together for you!”

For just one example, imagine that your free gift offer is an RC race car. In mailer #1, you send the batteries that would be needed for the remote control and the vehicle. In mailer #2, you send the remote control. And in mailer #3, you send the decal set.

Admittedly, this would not be a cheap promotion. But properly romanced, it could secure that all-important meeting. Smaller-scale and lower-cost concepts are out there, too. It's up to your imagination, your budget, and more. Yet the principle is the same: involve the target with “Where's the rest of it?” and then land the meeting.

The point here is to promote with “parts” and then draw interest for the “completion,” meaning get the opportunity to pitch. That takes us back to earlier conversations about program planning and, implicit in such, the value of working with promo product program professionals. You can go online and shop for every kind of tangible advertising product and every price point. But will it work? And how will you use the products to generate sales openings?

• dimensional marketing
• promotional products
• strategy