Selling B2B For The Holidays
December 5th, 2011 8:00am by Nick Sweeney
B2B companies always get left out when it comes to the holidays. It's much sexier to sell a high tech gadget (or a leg lamp) to a consumer than it is an accounting service to a shoe factory.
But if you're feeling like you're being passed over for Rudolph this holiday because you advertise in trade magazines and not Rolling Stone magazines, you don't have to.
After all, whether you're selling to consumers, or businesses, when it comes down to it, every product or service ultimately has to be sold to a person.
So, here are a five ideas for your B2B company to market like you make the Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle:
1. Offer a Free [Insert Business Cliche] DVD or eBook
If you’re a B2B business, you no doubt know your stuff. Why not record a series of tips or inside knowledge about your industry, and create a DVD or eBook? Giving information away gives you two things: a) a reason for other businesses to check you out, and b) clout within your industry.
2. Upgrade Your Service Package
Add an extra gigabyte, an extra platform, a free fax machine washer, whatever. Creating an offer where your customers feel they’re getting a little something more always adds clickability to a coupon and makes your company more marketable.
3. Partner With a Side Service
Consider the plastic wreath makers, whose entire job is to create plastic wreaths for that one time of year. What if they teamed up a company whose sole job was to create metal wreath hangers? Yeah, yeah, the term 'syngergy' gets thrown around way too much in the business world, but this is a perfect example. Is there a side service or company your business could partner with to make your customers more happy?
4. Consult
Since you know your stuff so well, add a consulting service offer. You might not think much of the fact that your company knows everything there is to know about the tiny pieces of plastic that go on the end of shoelaces, if only because you live with it every day. But someone out there needs to harness that knowledge. Help them (and your business) by sharing your knowledge through consulting.
5. Give a Free Month of Service
For every two months of service purchased, add a free month. If they like you after two months, they’ll love you after three.