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Key Takeaways<\/p>\n
\u2022 At his education day session at ASI Fort Worth, Kevin Baumgart of Sales Ink emphasized that defining a clear niche helps promo and apparel businesses stand out, beginning with questions that identify profitable markets and ideal client profiles. <\/p>\n
\u2022 He advised using a multichannel outreach strategy \u2013 combining email with texting, LinkedIn messaging and other platforms \u2013 to more effectively engage potential customers. <\/p>\n
\u2022 Baumgart highlighted the importance of showing up where niche audiences gather, from trade shows to creative pop-up activations, to build visibility and position distributors as valuable partners.<\/p>\n
As the adage goes, the riches are in the niches. And according to Kevin Baumgart of Sales Ink, whose work focuses on helping apparel and promo shops build sales structures, there\u2019s a lot of truth to that sentiment.<\/p>\n
In his session at Education Day at ASI Fort Worth on March 9, \u201cNiches Make Riches: How To Stand Out in a Crowded Market,\u201d Baumgart walked attendees through some ways to identify a niche and increase sales.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho has a defined niche?\u201d he asked the audience. Attendees raised their hands, shouting out the various categories they serve, including \u201cmultifamily,\u201d \u201cfintech,\u201d \u201ccasino,\u201d \u201cnonprofit\u201d and \u201cdiesel performance.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Kevin Baumgart shares some tips for sales success on Education Day at ASI Fort Worth.<\/p>\n
Ask the Right Questions<\/p>\n
For those who haven\u2019t yet identified a niche, Baumgart recommended starting by asking the following questions:<\/p>\n
What markets or industries are you having success with today?<\/p>\n
What markets\/industries are your most profitable and largest jobs? Where are those jobs coming from?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Where do you want to stop targeting?\u00a0<\/p>\n
What are you not targeting today but know would perform well?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, he recommended identifying an ideal client profile and persona. A client profile might include information about a customer like number of employees, sector, revenue and location, while a persona offers information on the specific person you want to get in front of, which might include their gender, age, role or title, and type of educational degree.<\/p>\n
\u201cStart with a definition of who you\u2019re targeting,\u201d he said. \u201cIt will help us make better decisions on where we go next.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leverage Multiple Platforms To Engage Potential Customers<\/p>\n
Email might be the first medium people think to focus on as they engage potential customers, but Baumgart says that\u2019s a mistake.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would never focus on just email,\u201d he explained. \u201cEmail deliverability is not great right now and response rates are low.\u201d<\/p>\n
Instead, Baumgart recommended combining email efforts with texting, LinkedIn messaging and other methods.<\/p>\n
Go Where the People Are<\/p>\n
One of the biggest opportunities to get in front of people within a specific niche is to find out where they gather.<\/p>\n
Baumgart said investing in booths at trade shows is one way to guarantee brand visibility. He offered the example of a print and promo shop with a focus on corporate gifting for HR leaders at large organizations. The company attended a conference hosted by the Society for Human Resource Management, the largest professional association serving HR management professionals, and showed up with new hire kits and gifting solutions for sale.<\/p>\n
Other times, accessing a niche requires a bit of creativity. Baumgart offered up the example of one print and promo shop that specialized in working with breweries. The distributor created a brewery \u201ctour\u201d where it set up shop at breweries around town. As a value-add, the company also offered to redo the retail merch presentation at each brewery.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt allowed the brewery to sell more gear, and it was incredibly valuable for driving additional revenue,\u201d Baumgart noted.<\/p>\n
Regardless of the niche, Baumgart said employing strategies to identify prospects by showing up at the places they\u2019re already hanging out will allow distributors to establish themselves as a valuable partner.<\/p>\n
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Stay Ahead of the Curve<\/p>\n