What can Point of Purchase Displays do to help sell my products?

When you take a step back and look at your business environment from a distance, the base elements probably appear pretty simple.  Most businesses realize that the success formula for their company consist of two goals.  They generally have a goal of increasing their sales and a second objective of reducing their costs.

Now it is time to roll up the sleeves.  How does a company truly increase sales, especially a company that sells to an end consumer that may never come in contact with a sales person for your product?  The only true answer to this question is that the sales message must be present on the packaging or within your point of purchase display. 

Think about it the next time you are strolling through a "Big Box" retailer.  The purchases you make are influenced by how well the sales person accomplished their goal.  In this case the sales person is not the store clerk, it is the packaging.  EXAMPLE:  Last Saturday, I took a trip to the local store as I was going to pick up some sun screen for the family just on the slight chance that Michigan's weather does take a turn for the better this year.  As I approached the aisle that housed this product there was an attractive end cap display that caught my eye.  My cart eventually slowed to a halt and low and behold the graphic content on the display influenced me to review the bottle that sat within the shelves.  Five dollars and ninety eight cents later, I had accomplished one of the primary goals for the trip.

The point is that not one of the other eight to ten to twelve other lotion brands even got a sniff at my business.  This one sales person took the bull by the horns and closed the deal. 

Now, let's get back to the basics of business.  Sales up and costs down.  I think I got it.  If a company wants to sell more product, they darn well better start focusing on the sale.  How better to add focus to the revenue aspect of your company than to invest in the sales person or in this case the packaging and or point of purchase displays.

With that said, my question becomes How can Point of Purchase Displays help a company sell more product?

a.) DRAWING INTEREST OF THE CONSUMER -  Many companies miss the boat and think of the packaging as the last step.  This is unacceptable if your objective is sales.  You must draw interest to your product and the best way to do this in a retail environment is through proper negotiation of space with the retailer and attractive, attention grabbing point of purchase displays.  Be strong, live long.

b.) CLOSE THE SALE - If you have gotten the consumers attention, it is now time to seal the deal.  What makes your product better than others, why should they make the important decision to put your item in their basket?  Point of purchase displays and unit packaging can help deliver the right message.

c.) SHOW SOME STYLE - In today's marketplace vanilla is not the only choice.  As marketing representatives and management personnel for your company take your brand vision to new heights.  Color, shape and style of display do not have to be square or plain.  You can determine the look and feel that best fits your theme.

d.) MAKE IT EASY - One mistake that has been made, especially in the corrugated industry, is that we must make it easy for the retailer to display your products.  If they have to work harder then it is very likely that your product's sales will suffer.  It is important that displays be placed properly and assembled correctly.  If these two things are accomplished chances are your product will reap the benefits.

e.) BUILD A BRAND - There are many pieces to the "building a brand" puzzle that it might be easy to overlook this but it may be one of the most critical.  In store promotion and marketing of your product/brand is essential.  This is where the consumer gets their opportunity to learn and educate themselves on what products they have interest in.  If your product sits on the bottom shelf of a lonely aisle, there is a good chance that your brand may suffer.  One of the consumer's greatest senses is vision.  If they can't see your product how are they going to attach their needs to it?

In my eyes, the notion of trying to grow your sales without taking the path of utilizing tools such as point of purchase sales person seems less than complete or well rounded.

The question becomes are sales important to your company?  If the answer is yes the secondary question is then "how are you using point of purchase displays" to grow your revenue?  You and your company are responsible to fill in the blanks. 

Please reach out if you need any assistance.

Terry Choate
Sales/Operations Planning Mgr.
Landaal Packaging Systems
810-223-0605
www.landaal.com
terry.choate@landaal.com