Since the beginning of the year, I've been working with my friend and client, Karen Schumacher, on reintroducing her pure soy candles to the public. Defining a strategy, users, a new look--even a new name, Heirloom Candles--was fun and sexy and exciting, and we are SO PROUD of the outcome. It was a blast working on the redesign and messaging. Except...now we have to sell some luxury candles, in an economy that's pretty much tanked, using PR instead of advertising because there just isn't a budget for advertising.
Now, I don't know anyone who loves cold-calling prospective clients. And I don't know anyone who loves a rejection letter--thankfully we've only gotten a couple of those. But the fact of the matter is: once the sexy stuff is done, the grunt work of marketing begins.
Prior to redesigning Karen's candles, we spent a LOT of time on messaging: who are we targeting with this product? How and where do we hope to sell it? What makes Heirloom Candles different? How do we price them? What is our budget? If you haven't figured out your messaging fundamentals, get busy. You can't get "there" without a plan.
Once you've figured out fundamental messaging and goals, you need to reach out to the right people in the right places.
Considerable time must be spent on developing lists: store buyer lists, media lists, "expert" lists...lists of every type for every occasion. And because one-size-fits all letters look like just that, you also need to spend some time tailoring your communications to the appropriate audience. "To Whom It May Concern" just doesn't cut it when the whole Internet is out there to help you find the specific contact information you need.
Then, when your communications are prepped and your lists have been vetted, it's time to get on the phone, write those notes and reach out to the folks you want to know you and your product. There's no easy solution--pitching a product or service requires two things: time and perseverance. And maybe patience! The payoff comes when you reach someone who says "we were just talking about that! I'd LOVE to see and hear more!" While it's no guarantee they'll stock you, it certainly puts a little wind in your sails and encourages you to dial that phone again. Because marketing and sales are fundamentally numbers games. The more you call, the more folks become likely to take a look at you and your product. Grunt work isn't sexy, but it's what makes things happen for you and your company. So take a deep breath and dive in...business is better when you do.
