| How are you planning on selling your product? In | | | | marketing deals with colleges and universities |
| retail stores? Through the internet? Licensing? On | | | | would be a great way to reach college students, |
| TV? These are some of the options that most | | | | and they have already set up such deals with |
| inventors consider, but there are many more | | | | Stanford and Roger Williams Universities, but they |
| options that you probably haven't of even | | | | have also decided to pursue a less traditional sales |
| thought of. | | | | force: college students. |
| There are so many different ways you can sell a | | | | Goetting and Price are setting up a network of |
| product that the list would be without end. In this | | | | college students who will sell the product. These |
| article we will explore just one of those options: | | | | students would of course have a product in their |
| building a non-traditional sales force. | | | | room, be able to demonstrate it to all their |
| A traditional sales force would involve either | | | | friends, and seeing the product in action, many of |
| independent sales representatives, who often | | | | the friends will probably want one of their own. |
| represent your products and other related | | | | As you can see, there are many more ways to |
| products from other companies, or an on-staff | | | | reach customers than through stores, TV and the |
| sales force, ranging from one person to a whole | | | | internet. Any organization or person that comes in |
| marketing department. While these are the most | | | | touch with your potential customers can be a |
| standard types of sales forces, you may be | | | | sales channel. Or, in cases like the Slouchback, |
| more successful using something a little different. | | | | your customers can also be your salespeople. |
| Let's look at a couple of examples: | | | | If you are considering using a less-than-traditional |
| Greg Gharst's father, Tom, got tired of holding up | | | | approach in sales, ask yourself a few questions: |
| an umbrella to keep out of the sun at his son's | | | | 1. What is common to all of my target |
| soccer games. So while Gharst was still a | | | | customers? For instance, with Gharst's umbrella |
| teenager, he started developing an umbrella stand | | | | stands, his main customers are parents or |
| that could be fixed into the turf and wouldn't blow | | | | grandparents of athletes who perform in outdoor |
| over. | | | | events. What do they have in common? They |
| Gharst worked at the fast-food chain Carl's Jr. for | | | | are all in contact with a sports team due to their |
| three years to earn enough money to pay for a | | | | child or grandchild's involvement in that team. |
| patent, and starting learning how to set up | | | | This doesn't have to be an organization. It can be |
| manufacturing overseas. When everything was | | | | an event, a publication, a website or a |
| ready, he decided to go for a different approach | | | | geographical location. For instance, Goetting and |
| for sales. | | | | Price's main customers are college students. What |
| Gharst's mom actually suggested the idea. Most | | | | is their common factor? They all attend college. |
| sports clubs are short of money and don't have a | | | | 2. In what ways can I sell through this common |
| real good way to raise money. Gharst's mom | | | | factor? Is it by attending an event with a booth, |
| suggested that he offer them a no-investment, | | | | selling through an established store (like Goetting |
| no-risk proposition to sell the umbrella stands. | | | | and Price do as part of their total marketing |
| Gharst now offers sports clubs the opportunity to | | | | efforts)? Is it by taking out advertising? Or is |
| sell stands, umbrellas and bags and keep $5 from | | | | there another way to sell through this common |
| every item sold. He provides all the inventory and | | | | factor by recruiting them to be salespeople? Can I |
| anything they don't sell they can return. | | | | use some of these things at the same time to |
| So how is it working? In 2008, they sold about | | | | create a more well-rounded marketing approach? |
| 20,000 stands. The umbrella stand sells well | | | | 3. What incentive can I give my non-traditional |
| because once people see the stand in action they | | | | sales force to sell? Obviously, money is the main |
| understand it, and often they want one too. Once | | | | incentive, but are there other ways to make the |
| a team starts selling the stands, all the parents on | | | | deal even more attractive? For sports teams, |
| the team are exposed to it, plus all the parents | | | | Gharst's no-risk, no-investment proposition is a big |
| on all the teams they play against! This gives the | | | | plus. |
| umbrella stand great exposure all while helping | | | | 4. Is my product a good fit for a non-traditional |
| sports teams earn a little extra money at no-risk | | | | sales force? Products that sell well with a |
| to them. It is a win-win situation for everyone! | | | | demonstration and are quickly understood are by |
| Here's another great example: | | | | far the best products for a non-traditional sales |
| While Andy Goetting and Tyler Price where in | | | | force. For instance, Gharst's product would not be |
| college, they came up with an idea to turn a bed | | | | nearly so impressive in a booth at a trade show, |
| into a couch with an inflatable cushion. Their idea | | | | but when you see the stand in action, especially |
| became the Slouchback. The idea was, with | | | | on a windy day, the product and its benefits are |
| limited space like in a dorm room, you could | | | | immediately understandable. |
| quickly inflate the Slouchback (which acts as the | | | | While a non-traditional sales force isn't a good fit |
| back of a couch, complete with arm rests and | | | | for every product, for some products it is the |
| cup holders) and when you were done you could | | | | key to success. Other times it is a great addition |
| quickly deflate it and put it away. | | | | to your marketing arsenal. Who can sell your |
| Goetting and Price realized that setting up | | | | product? |