How to Reach Your Target Market

Marketing an Engineering Equipment and Supplies Business

At Gaebler, we've seen what great marketing can do for a small business. But if you own an engineering equipment and supplies business, exceptional marketing may well be the determining factor in your long-term survival and success.

Marketing is much more than classified ads, business cards, and brochures.

The marketplace is constantly shifting to accommodate consumer demand and that means businesses need to adapt their marketing requirements accordingly. More than ever before, foundational marketing concepts have become the bedrock upon which successful marketing strategies are constructed.

Managing Negative Publicity

Not sure how to handle negative PR? You're not alone. It's a probably faced by many engineering equipment and supplies businesses. The worst way to handle negative buzz is to put off developing a response until reporters are pounding on your door, demanding a comment from a company spokesperson. The creation of a quality, crisis PR plan and the adequate preparation of key stakeholders is a requirement for any engineering equipment and supplies business interested in controlling negative messages. Mailing list providers can also provide quick access to accurate mailing lists, an important consideration if your crisis response plan contains a direct mail component.

Loss Leaders

Smart engineering equipment and supplies businesses understand that more customers will walk through the door if a few products are priced at less than full retail value. Moreover, a loss leader marketing strategy can compensate for dead periods when customers tend to making purchases. But to be effective, loss leader marketing requires planning, especially in product selection and price points. When used in engineering equipment and supplies businesses, this approach is most advantageous when it is coupled with a promotion for complementary products or services that are offered at full pricing. Whenever possible, piggyback a loss leader approach with the purchase of bulk merchandise that can be bought at a discount.

Technological Expertise

The PR and marketing community has embraced technology with open arms, transforming basic marketing concepts into sophisticated, tech-driven systems and solutions. One of the things that needs to be considered by engineering equipment and supplies businesses tends to be a search for news to leverage technology to scale up the organization's promotional firepower. Despite the initial cost associated with many technological solutions, the long-term payoff for the right technologies almost always outweighs the upfront expense.

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary