How Do I Develop a Sales Promotion Schedule?

Create a sales promotion schedule to keep track of promotional activity for product launches.

Companies use sales promotions to help them introduce their products to consumers and ensure that current customers remain loyal to the brand. Sales promotions include product sampling, coupons, rebates, contests, events and premiums. Offering consumer incentives to try products has been shown to increase sales and brand awareness, for small and large companies. Successful sales promotions are planned strategically using a sales promotion schedule.

Things You'll Need

• Spreadsheet software

Instructions

1. Develop a list of sales promotion goals based on your company's overall business goals for the year. Create goals that focus on ways to get your product in front of your target market and intrigue them enough with your product benefits, that they're motivated to try your product, and share their experience with friends and family.

2. Assign a promotional activity to each goal you set forth to accomplish. Promotional activities can include offering discount coupons to customers, setting up a sampling booth at a local store, hosting a contest or attending trade shows to network with potential clients and vendors.

3. Review the previous year's promotion schedule and results to see if there are any previous sales promotions that made a positive impact on your business and incorporate them into the sales promotion schedule for the new year, if applicable.

4. Use a spreadsheet program, including Microsoft Excel or Open Office Math, to create a sales promotion schedule for your business. A spreadsheet format will allow you to include detailed information about each sales promotion you have in place, beyond just including the date.

5. Include the following columns on your blank spreadsheet: date of promotion, promotional activity, items needed, expected cost, actual cost, person(s) responsible, expected outcome, actual outcome and notes. Bold each column heading, so that it stands out on your spreadsheet. Under the date column, list the date for each sales promotion activity you have planned for your promotional campaign. Once you've entered the dates, go back through the spreadsheet to fill in the other essential information for each promotional activity.

6. Review a 12-month calendar and pay special attention to seasonal time frames, holidays celebrations and events that may be able to coincide with your sales promotions and apply them to your schedule.

7. Store your final sales promotional calendar in a central location, so that other members of your team have access and are abreast of the plan

8. Advise the production and distributions teams of your sales promotion dates and plans, so they can have products created, in stock and ready to be shipped to customers. Give them the average response rate you expect for each promotion you plan to ensure there's enough inventory available.

References

• Inc: Sales Promotion
• KnowThis: Objectives of Sales Promotion
• "Promo Magazine": Promotional Spending Trends

Resources

• docstoc: Sample 12 Month Promotional Calendar for Small Business
• Idea Marketers: Establishing Your Promotional Schedule
• Small Business Notes: Promotion Plan