How to boost your business in 2010

31 January 2010

There are many effective ways to generate leads and increase sales but what will work for your customers? When Ansini saw a chance to operate in a new market the company called in Quiet Storm for advice. Now the management team is running a focused and co-ordinated campaign to expand its business.

Ansini develop and manufacture plastic vacuum formed mouldings and assemblies and, with a comprehensive range of additional services, can produce complete product assemblies. When the company was approached to assist with the design of a plastic vacuum formed product, and then won the contract, a new potential market opportunity was opened up. Quiet Storm was asked to devise a strategic marketing plan that would get Ansini’s name noticed in this new sector and make designers aware of their capabilities.

Quiet Storm’s marketing experts ensured they had a thorough understanding of Ansini’s business and customers before creating a bespoke marketing process and providing the most effective tools. It was agreed the company website, sales brochure, leaflets and power point presentation should all echo the same message. Quiet Storm also helped the Ansini team put together a design workshop that would be offered to potential customers to show what could be achieved with vacuum formed plastics. This would be crucial in building relationships with prospects. Delegates would be invited to the workshops via a high impact direct mail and personalised gift which would be followed-up by a telephone call and a series of postcard reminders.

Ansini’s General Manager Nick Mills said: “Normally Ansini is a manufacturer not a designer but we were approached to assist with the design of a plastic vacuum formed product. When we won the contract we realised that this was a function we could offer and we should make designers aware that we could do it. We decided to place ourselves in that sector through strategic marketing and brought in Quiet Storm.

“For the direct mail campaign we cherry picked 40 prospective customers and started building a database by telephoning companies and getting the contact information for the appropriate senior level member of staff. Quiet Storm suggested a six month plan that would get us noticed by our new potential customers.

“Each contact is sent a personalised china mug bearing our sales message and information. Also included are a tea-bag, kitkat bar and an individually addressed introduction letter inviting them to a design workshop. The personal follow-up phone call is made so much easier when a high quality direct mail has been sent. The recipient is unlikely to throw away a personalised item and will remember the Ansini name when we ring. We feel really comfortable with this approach because it’s not a high pressure sell. We are targeting people who may require our services at some point. Even if they don’t all take up our offer this time, we will still have made a positive impression on them and our conversion rate is going to be higher.”

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