Subject: Personalized Candles - Candlegrams
Author: Lori Ritchie
Hello all,
Dennis your marketing insite is fabulous and I am now at the point where it is time to market my product - Personalized Candles and Candlegrams (decorative candles that are personalized with text and graphics chosen by the purchaser for special occassions).
I am concentrating on offline marketing specifically at this time and am thinking of wholesaling to gift shops and florists but I am unsure about their willingness to handle the personalization aspect of the product. . .
Also, should I mail a brochure, business card, and letter ahead before approaching shops with samples to show them? Do you have thoughts on this? I really do not like the direct selling method like this, but if this will be the most effective way to go, I am willing to make it work.
Thank you in advance for any help you may be able to offer.
Lori Ritchie
http://wwww.geocities.com/miraclecandle
Premium Personalized Candles
miraclecandle@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Personalized Candles - Candlegrams
Author: Dennis S. Vogel
Hi Lori,
Do I have any thoughts on this? Does a candle have a wick?
Thank you for contributing to the discussion forum.
The first thought leaping into my mind is (what Chet Holmes, who works with Jay Abraham, would probably call a Superior Access Vehicle) for you to find out which occasions are special to the store owners.
Was a business anniversary just announced?
Did the owner(s) just get an award for something?
Did the owner or a relative just have a special personal occasion?
Whatever special occasions you find, I suggest you develop a candle for it. Take (or ask somebody to take) a professional quality picture of the candle and send the picture with a brochure, business card, and letter ahead before approaching shops with samples to show them.
So, yes, I think you should contact them ahead of time. After you're sure they got the letters, you can call for an appointment, they're apt to remember what you sent to them.
Promise to bring the special custom-made candle with you to present to him/her/them.
About five minutes after you do present it (allowing the effect to soak in), ask/say, "Now you can imagine how people will feel when they receive candles recognizing something special in their lives, right?"
This should get his/her/their attention!!!
The candle will probably be proudly displayed in the store. Even if the owner(s) don't point to it, customers are bound to notice it and think how great it would be to have one of their own.
I've heard of people burning their mortgage documents after they've made their last mortgage payment. I wonder how people would feel about lighting a candle in the shape of a bank (or labeled "Bank"). Then they can use that flame to light their mortgage documents.
Maybe school shaped candles (or labeled "School") for graduates. Art quality candles don't have to be burned.
If you have a product many customers will want, store owners will probably accept them on consignment. What they will want is "proof" the product will sell just as well or better than whatever else they could have put on the display they use for your product.
You should also consider using your candles as a bonus offer for the store owner's customers.
For example- If the store sells party supplies, customers could get a custom-made candle, (at 50% discount) for the occasion the party is to celebrate, for a purchase of $XX or more. Then the display would be small and the owner would be encouraged to promote the program.
I hope I didn't misinterpret what you wrote. I figure if somebody were to WAX poetic, their poem could put on or with a candle.
Well, what if somebody got a favorable article written about him or her, the headline could be put on a candle.
Considering what you mail to retailers, is there small 3-dimensional object you could put into the envelope? It should relate to your product.
This "lump" in the envelope may tempt people to open it, even if they would've tossed it out otherwise.
Your letter should be HEAD-OUT -- meaning the salutation and opening statement are visible when the recipient opens the envelope & pulls the letter out. The statement should entice recipients to read the rest of the letter, it'll determine the campaign's success.
You could put a teaser on the envelope, "Congratulations On (The store owner's special occasion), please accept my gift commemorating your special occasion." This kind of personalization, plus the little lump, should increase the response you get.
A Safety Note- I heard of a wooden candle holder recall. When people left their candles unattended, the flames started burning the candle holders.
A Liability Note- For better advice, you should ask a lawyer, but it'd be a good idea for you to include a warning about unattended burning of candles.
Warmly (or hotly),
Copyright 2016 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
thrivingbusiness@email.com
When you compete against big businesses with
big budgets you need powerful marketing
strategies and tactics. You'll find them here-
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Subject: Personalized Candles - Candlegrams - update
Author: Dennis S. Vogel
Many times, memories of our experiences have more lasting value than possessions.
When possessions are linked emotionally with experiences, we can renew or review how we felt in special times.
Aromatic memories can be even stronger.
When a stimulus is linked to emotions through one or more of our senses, it can increase our benefits.
Our emotional links can be powerful also, when possessions connect us with loved ones.
As we tend live miles away from loved ones, we can own identical or similar objects to share with people who share our experiences.
Example - We can look at, touch & smell copies of a scented candle at the same times.
When we talk to or text each other, we can use our senses to rekindle what would otherwise be fading memories.
If you can add a taste aspect (even just a drop on a tongue), we can look at, touch, smell & hear our experiences again - even if some of the sensory aspects are only in our memories.
As we communicate, we can touch, taste, smell, see &/or hear the same kinds of objects.
Depending on the product, you could add a note card to help people prompt their memories & feelings.
You could put things like these on the note cards -
"I remember how I felt the _____."
"I could smell the fragrances of ___."
"When I looked at ____, I saw ___."
"I remember how the ___ tasted."
"The ___ sounded great."
We should do what we can to increase the positive intensity of what we offer.
Thank you for using my blog.
Copyright 2016 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
