There’s serious money in helping your customers expand their brand into new areas of related businesses, but you have to ASK…
Welcome back to my series on “Just ASK!” — a collection of real world experiences where “just ask” was at the heart of the success.
Just ask for what you want even if it sounds outrageous or an overreach. Ignore the naysayers and your inner self who fears failure or rejection. Your chances for success are directly related to your knowledge of the person, company, and industry you are asking and your offer of something of value to them, which is based on this knowledge. Please check back each week and I will share more true stories that prove how this principle has worked time and time again.
RINGLING BROS. BARNUM & BAILEY LICENSE FOR NEEDLECRAFT
THE ASK
200 free tickets for their circus performances in major cities plus provide a clown make-up artist to apply make-up in retail store of my choice. A license to use their logo and art on needlework kits with no royalty guarantee.
Circumstance
In studying the needlework industry after selling my Sales Rep company to a major needlework company, discovered that circus scenes were very good sellers. The industry was staid with no event promotions,. Ringling performed in over 90 cities each year. The Ringling’s marketing department’s mission was to “put asses in seats.”
The Knowledge
* The circus culture is very different. Working for Ringling is not a job, but a fulltime family member.
* They have two tours that work 11 months a year and perform in over 90 U.S. cities a year.
* A very promotionally minded company focused on maximizing attendance.
* They do very little licensing.
* Dept. Stores our major market at the time, loved in store event promotions and had a special budget for them.
The Offer
A major department store in each city would run an ad at their expense, advertising our circus needlework kits and prominently announcing the dates and place the circus would perform. They also would offer two free tickets to the first 100 people who bought a kit. They also invited customers to bring their kids to get clown face make up by one of Ringling’s make-up artists.
The Result
A very successful promotion in an industry devoid of them that built our reputation as an industry leader.
Next week…how this worked with MAGAZINE PICTURE FRAMES…
Photo by Eric Tompkins on Unsplash
