ATLANTA – If you’re going to advertise, dominate your mode of choice. If it happens to be a magazine, choose one with broad circulation.
“If I want to advertise, I go with the AARP [American Association of Retired Persons] magazine with its 23 million circulation,” said Mandy Chia, CEO of Stars N Stripes, Beverly Hills, Calif, during her presentation at the recently concluded Medtrade. “It was expensive, but I got thousands of leads…dominate the most affordable venue for you.”
Chia brought a powerful message of marketing and customer care for providers looking to boost their retail/caretail presence. While acknowledging the importance of a robust online presence, Chia reminded Medtrade attendees that offering service and/or repair brings people into the brick and mortar shop. “You must offer service,” she said. “You must offer something that the computer can’t offer.”
As for what to advertise, emphasizing the service aspect improves response. “I had three times as many calls [by emphasizing service instead of sales] and half wanted to buy,” explains Chia, winner of last year’s Best Booth Award at Medtrade 2015. “And if someone comes in to my store, I practically jump out…With this in mind, you can’t afford to not train your staff. Customers walk in for a reason. If they walk in, they want to buy.”