1. Cost-Effective Marketing
Techniques for Distributors
Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010 | 2 - 3 p.m.
Presented By
Tom Marx
President/CEO of The Marx Group

2. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
What you will learn
1. Why Marketing is important
2. Ready! Aim! Fire! Planning Techniques
3. Cost-efficient marketing tactics
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3. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Why Marketing is Important?
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4. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Your Challenges
CHALLENGE:
Pricing pressures from retailers who are getting into commercial
business (selling to both DIFM and DIY)
SOLUTION:
Strengthen relationships with your customers
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5. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Your Challenges
CHALLENGE:
Generational distinctions: Millennials care less about in-person
relationships – they use Internet for knowledge, training
and purchasing
SOLUTION:
Develop a digital relationship with your
prospects and customers
DIGITAL RELATIONSHIP
A form of relationship that is
established digitally via
•Email
•Website
•Online tech support
•Digital chatter (forums, chat
groups, bloggers, ratings, etc.)
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6. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Strengthen Your Relationships with
Marketing
All marketing materials should demonstrate
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Knowledge Experience Care and Trust
Professionalism Service Responsiveness

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Cost Effective vs. Cheap
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8. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Cost Effective
• May not cost the least -- fulfills your
needs without having to redo
• Saves time
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Cheap
• Bad Customer Perception
• More costly in the long run
• Usually requires more of your time
Cost Effective vs. Cheap

9. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Planning Techniques
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10. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Strategy First
• What are your goals?
• Who is your audience?
• What is your Value Proposition?
• What are your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)?
• What is your budget?
• Who is the manager of marketing?
• Who participates and approves marketing?
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11. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
What You Are Going To Do
• What are the potential marketing tactics?
• What are upcoming events?
• Which suppliers or customers will co-market with you?
• What’s the overarching graphic design?
• Are the messages focused?
• What will be the most effective digital and print media?
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12. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Launching Your Marketing Program
• Formula to manage multiple projects
• Get feedback from your customers
• Engage all employees
• Measure results
• Learn from initial marketing efforts and continuously evolve your messages,
creative and methods
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13. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
The Eternal Triangle
You cannot be everything to all people.
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PRICE
AVAILABILITYSERVICE

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Cost-Effective Tactics
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Cost-Effective Website Tactics
A good website is paramount in importance! Your customers or
prospects get FREE information about you.
• Design website with Content Management System (CMS)
• Drupal, Joomla!, WordPress
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4fDR3J2dbU
• Update frequently and internally
• Provide sell sheets and catalog online—saves on printing and mailing!
• Promote your online shopping cart
• Include social media interaction and integration
• Get found online with Search Engine Optimization
• Upload PR, videos and marketing tools
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16. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
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17. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Cost-Effective Website Tactics
Choose the right web partner
– Review their portfolio
– Check references for delivery of their promises
– Don’t let price be the driving decision maker
– Make sure you both are aligned with website
scope before project begins
– Many programmers are not designers, and many
designers are not programmers -- consider hiring
both a designer and a programmer
– Keep their skin in the game -- pay as you go
TIP: In most cases you
get what you pay for – be
willing to spend a little
more to get exactly what
you want.
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18. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Cost-Effective Website Tactics
Search engine optimize your website
• Define your keywords
• Alt tags to all images
• Write copy for your website that contains keywords
• Add Google Analytics (or other free analytic programs) to your website
– http://www.google.com/analytics/tour.html
• Monitor you analytics
• Consider pay-per click advertisements
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Cost-Effective Website Tactics
A frequently updated site saves money
• Keep the following current
– Company story and bio
– Frequently updated graphics and content
– Access to product and technical information
– Key staff bios
– PR/Marketing materials
– Easy way to contact the right person
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21. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Cost-Effective Social Media Tactics
Do your research
– What sites are your audiences participating in?
– Who will be doing the updates?
– Do you have a social media strategy in place?
– Things to know
• It requires no $$ investment to have presence on
most sites
• It takes little time to do updates – if a strategy is
developed
• There are many free sites to help you monitor,
track and implement social media initiatives
– http://www.dreamgrow.com/46-free-social-media-monitoring-tools
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22. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Cost-Effective Social Media Tactics
Note the common ‘business’ social media mediums
– Facebook Fan Page
– LinkedIn Company Profile attached to
personal profile
– Twitter (sometimes!)
– YouTube Channel
– SlideShare Account
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23. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Cost-Effective Social Media Tactics
Leveraging your current marketing efforts with
social media - it’s free
– Provide updates on specials, company news,
promotions, sweepstakes, new products
– Develop a digital personality
– Drive traffic to your website
– Develop your email database
– Be present everywhere
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24. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Cost-Effective Social Media
Integration Tactics
Integrating to your website allows customers to join
your network
– Provide links to your social media sites
– Provide a feed to your latest tweets or posts
– Load to YouTube all videos of events, facilities, technical
trainings, interviews, races…then make sure it automatically
updates on your website – talk to your programmer
– Provide an opportunity to share web content thru social
media
– Provide areas for visitors to leave comments
– Provide online and chat tech support
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Cost-Effective Co-Marketing Programs
• Co-branded and co-paid with suppliers
– In-store merchandising and POS
– Direct mail and eBlasts
– Advertising
• Examples
– Sales person incentives
– Win-Win promotions
– Training programs
– Links to/from customer and supplier sites
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27. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Cost-Effective Events
• Co-funded ‘Supplier Expo’
– Build relationships with all members of the team
– Introduces new products and services
– ‘Buy now’ incentives
– Evenings, weekends and always provide food
– Make it fun and gain future benefits
• BBQ sausages or burgers
• Door prizes
• Future incentives to reward attending
• Raise money for local charity, high school or college team
• Combine with sporting event: golf, go-karting, etc.
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28. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Cost-Effective Promotions
Co-branded Promotions:
• Co-brand with supplier or local businesses.
• Use donated prizes as part of your promotion:
– A holiday to your personal vacation home or time share
– Discounts on future purchases…on a quarterly basis
– Rebates on sales differential from previous year
– Apparel and tools donated by co-branded supplier
– Tickets to local sporting events, restaurants, theatres
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30. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Cost-Effective Local Participation
Local participation is inexpensive, directly reaches your audience and builds
goodwill
• Continuously monitor events in your local community
– Car Check Lanes during Be Car Aware Months (May and October)
– Votech or High School automotive programs
– High school and college sport teams
– Car clubs – allow them to use your parking lot
– Parades/festivals
– Community events (banners, table)
– Kiwanis, Rotary, YMCA, etc.
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31. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Cost-Effective Public Relations
PR is FREE!
• Builds top-of-mind awareness
• Gains exposure with local media and the community – build your public
identity
– Radio, newspaper, cable TV
– Speaking engagements, blogs, forums
• Topics can include
– New hires and promotions
– New products and applications
– New building/location/expansion
– Sponsorships and events
– Training programs
– Sponsoring non-profits
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32. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
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33. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Cost-Effective Customer Outreach
Cross marketing and keeping in touch with customers can
drive more sales
– Statement stuffers
– Messages on invoices
– eBlast/eNewsletter
• www.ConstantContact.com
• www.icontact.com
• www.mynewsletterbuilder.com
– Offer discount coupons—only available online (builds
your database)
– “Specials” announcements
– Training clinics and education days
– Surveys
• www.SurveyMonkey.com
• www.constantcontact.com
• www.zoomerang.com
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34. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Cost-Effective Store/Counter Improvements
A well trained staff improves customer relations and can increase sales
• Always portray top quality, service and accessibility
• Acknowledge within 2-3 minutes each customer that walks in the door
• Things you can do now
– Initiate internal training programs
– Get rid of clutter
– Keep store, waiting rooms and restrooms clean
– Replace counter top
– Vehicles clean and branded
– Clean, consistent and branded apparel
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35. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Printing does not have to be expensive
• Consider digital printing
– www.Uprinting.com
– www.48hourprint.com
– www.digitalprintingcompany.com
• Print in bulk with the idea that you can
imprint later
• Print on demand
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Cost-Effective Printing
TIP: Shop around for a good
digital printer. Most printers
will provide samples – don’t
hesitate to ask.

36. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
If you plan ahead this can be very cost effective
• Develop a strategy where you can print for a series
of mailings
• Design one look and
leverage it
• Mail with a consistent
program
• Keep your list current
• Use bulk rate postage
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Cost-Effective Direct Mail

37. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Design collateral and other materials so you can make the edits
• Have your designer create templates
• Hire designer to develop overall campaign theme – make edits in house
• Buy a color digital printer – a $2,000 investment could save you $10’s of thousands
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Cost-Effective Creative Design

38. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
Marketing is a Daily Focus
• Start it and stay with it
• Results improve over time—don’t give up!
• Develop positive public identity
• Be multi-dimensional and be present everywhere
• Encourage your customers to use digital communications
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39. ©The Marx Group 2010 | Cost-Effective Marketing Techniques for Distributors | November 3, 2010
THANK YOU.
The Marx Group
TOM MARX
CEO/President
tmarx@themarxgrp.com
415.453.0844 ext. 106
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Please feel free to contact me if you would like a copy of
this presentation and / or the handout.