Justin Jackson

The Key is in the Delivery For B2B Catalogers

Some easily overlooked strategies can still make a difference.

The rising costs of postage, cost of paper, and challenges to increasing response due to the slow economy put the B2B cataloger a the bottom of an uphill battle.  Fortunately there are a few tried and true processes, with a little adjustment for technology, which can still produce results. 

Delivery of the catalog in a timely and targeted manner must be the first criteria.  Basic analysis of customer performance can create the profile for improved targeting, using SIC, employee size, sales revenue and even seasonality.  While not as prevalent for B2B marketers, the holidays can still play a significant role if the product demand grows as a result of the season or less specifically during a particular time of the year.  While detailed promotion history is more informational, using general trends like a surge before Christmas for packaging companies or July 4th for flag providers can work for most businesses.  Timing can also be factored in based on the life of a product for reordering purposes.

Delivery also means getting the book to your customer at the lowest cost with maximum exposure.  B2B catalogers have a constant battle understanding the buying triangle and the credibility of pass along effects.  The buying triangle consists of the influencer, authorizer, and the person who places the order.  By increasing the number of active contacts at a business the odds of owning the buying triangle in its entirety are improved.  Once the buying triangle is indentified the multiple contacts at a site can be marketed to differently. 

In addition, bundling contacts at a site creates significant postage savings and an ancillary benefit of “customer supplied correction” can result from the address piece on these bundles.  Bundle letters generally occupy the top of a bundle and contain the address for delivery and mailroom instructions for larger corporations.  These letters can be drafted with a fax back form for updating contacts or eliminating contacts no longer employed.  They can also provide instructions for online access to the catalogers website for real time updates and a myriad of special offers that can be supplied once the customer logs onto the website.

As with any communication, if multiple objectives can be weaved into the message the power of the marketing dollar spent on delivering the book is enhanced.  Getting more bang for each buck is as valuable a principle today as it has ever been.  When that activity also benefits the company’s one to one marketing strategy the added value makes the decision an easy one.

Article Tags: Buying Triangle

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