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What Is Point of Sale Marketing?

Point of Sale Marketing

What Is Point of Sale Marketing?

Point of sale marketing (a.k.a. point of purchase marketing) is the talk of the marketing. But what exactly is it? And how can it improve your company's bottom line? We've got the info you need about this effective and popular marketing strategy.

Point of sale marketing has been around for a long time.

If you've ever been tempted to buy a pack of gum at the checkout line at the grocery store, then you've experienced point of sale or point of purchase marketing firsthand. But these days, you'll find it in a lot more places than the grocery store -- any business that filters customers through a purchase station is preconditioned for a point of sale marketing strategy.

What Is Point of Sale Marketing?

Point of sale marketing strategies take advantage of location, i.e. proximity to checkout. The idea is that this is the moment that purchasing decision counts most–right before the customer pulls out his wallet and seals the deal. The trick is to design point-of-sale marketing strategies that not only increase total sales, but also achieve other results through the sale of targeted products.

Entrepreneurs are increasingly realizing that point-of-sale strategies can be an effective selling tool in a wide variety of business models. Professional offices (e.g. doctors offices, veterinary clinics, etc.), online catalog stores, and other companies are finding creative ways to utilize point-of-sale techniques at the moment the customer pays for his order.

Point of Sale StrategiesPoint of sale techniques typically don't promote brand loyalty. If a customer is intensely loyal to a specific brand they'll look for it on the shelves – even if a similar product is conveniently located near the point of purchase. However, for less committed consumers, point of sale marketing can be a way to encourage a transition to a new brand.

With a little planning, you can use point of sale strategies to increase the visibility of targeted products or to offload overstocked items. If you are interested in pushing a particular product line on a go-forward basis, a regular (but constantly updated) point of sale display has the potential to keep the line on customers' radar. If you're more interested in selling products quickly, label point of sale items with a "sale" or "discount" tag.

Some customers enjoy point-of-sale displays so much that they become a competitive advantage for your business. Don't settle for boring point-of-sale promotions. Instead, go above and beyond to make your display a fun and gratifying experience for your customers.