We don't merely learn about marketing from going to advertising seminars or reading publications. Occasionally, we learn marketing and advertising lessons from weird places...like from staying up to watch Saturday Night Live.
Do you recall when Saturday Night Live was truly funny? I do. The first cast and writers were brilliant. I confess I haven't seen it in many years, so I can't judge the most recent incarnations.
At any rate, there was a skit that took place inside a shopping center. The characters had a Scotch Tapes small retail business. They sold nothing except for Scotch Tape…
Customers would come in their retail store to buy cassette tapes. Nope. They only had Scotch Tape. The anger of the owner, and the absolute frustration with his lack of sales, made for some first-rate comedy.
What has this got to do with us?
I was in Columbus Ohio, seeing a friend...and I drove by a "Battery Store". They sold nothing other than batteries. I think they stocked every kind of battery that you can think of...but that's all they sold.
They are now gone. The complete chain of ""Battery" businesses.
There was a chain of stores that only sold Toner Cartridges. Nothing more. Same tale...Moved out.
Why? Because it was a flawed idea.
Batteries and toner cartridges are low ticket products. And my definition of "Retail Hell" is to market something with a low price point...and the purchaser is not able (no matter how much they want) to give you additional cash...for something in addition.
"But Claude, what about shoe stores, car lots, suit merchants, and ...gasp...vacuum cleaner small businesses?"
Good question. I'm thankful that I pretended that you asked it.
Garments, even footwear is not the same. Some customers go shopping regularly for suits. Some ladies are legendary for the number of shoes and boots they purchase.
Autos have such a high price point, that you only need a consumer to buy one every two or three years to make a good living...even in a small town.
Vacuum cleaners? If you market the $79 vacuums, you are in the exact same boat as the battery store.
I am the owner of a vacuum cleaner store myself. But we also promote high profit heaters, air purifiers, and ceiling fans. And we get paid an average of several hundred dollars on each vacuum we sell.
So the individual sals amount has a lot to do with this.
But the question you could ask yourself is "What else does my purchaser want that I could present?"
I don't just mean "Well, I sell vacuums...and I service them as well...so that's two things...And I market bags for them...so that is three things"
I'm talking about unique categories .
Take the Saturday Night Live Scotch Tape example;
If someone is acquiring scotch tape, they may also really need packing boxes, right?
How about glue? Shipping services? Envelopes? Eventually, you have a Staples.
The more you have available to sell...the more people will get.
For us, vacuum cleaner sales max out around January. They lag a bit in the summer time.
Ceiling fans sell faster in the Summer time...and absolutely not in the Winter. Diversity allows stability.
So what else can you add to your offerings?
Author Resource:
Advertising and marketing expert Claude Whitacre is the author of The Unfair Advantage Small Business Advertising Manual. You may download a complete copy at http://www.local-small-business-advertising-marketing-book.com or simply buy a copy at http://www.claudewhitacre.com
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")