The fact that people are conducting more and more of their lives online has led to a profound shift in the ways in which businesses market their goods and services. Companies are investing increasing amounts of time and money into promoting themselves online through a range of channels, from social media messaging, to emails, to video ads. However, this doesn’t make other forms of advertising redundant and, for many firms, more traditional techniques still play a crucial role.
Making this point in a recent blog post, field marketing specialists Appco Group highlight a number of reasons why face-to-face sales can still be beneficial to businesses.
Connecting on a human level
One of the most important advantages of direct marketing is the fact that it helps companies to connect with their target audiences on a human level. As Appco UK states, it gives businesses a chance to reach out to customers in a way that’s simply not possible via a tablet, phone or computer screen.
In contrast to online advertising, which targets a wide audience and means businesses’ messages are diluted to appeal to as many people as possible, one-on-one conversations enable companies to offered tailored, personal messages. According to Appco, the relationships that face-to-face marketing allows organisations to develop with their customers are therefore more likely to last.
Getting instant feedback
Another benefit of direct marketing is that it enables businesses to get instant feedback. It’s true that many companies now use social media and other customer service channels to respond to people’s concerns and questions 24/7, but face-to-face marketing goes a step further. These interactions allow companies to get feedback and reply to customers’ queries instantly. By talking to consumers directly, businesses can ensure there’s no barrier between them and the people they are reaching out to.
As well as responding to consumers on the spot, skilled brand ambassadors relay the feedback they get from people to companies, giving them an opportunity to make their products or services more appealing.
The best of both worlds
Of course, companies don’t have to choose between digital marketing and more traditional techniques. Savvy organisations are taking advantage of a variety of promotional tactics to increase their sales levels. For example, Appco points out that businesses can now incorporate digital technology into face-to-face sales by using tablets to show people additional product details and to make the sign-up process more efficient.
More broadly, companies can make use of a combination of promotional strategies – both online and offline – to achieve the results they’re looking for.
