Case Studies - Karcher Product Demonstrations and Direct Sales

Client: Karcher

Campaign: Demonstrations & Direct Sales for Karcher Multi Purpose Vacuums.

Locations: 139 X B&Q stores simultaneously over the same period.

Brief:

• To drive sales for Karcher's range of DIY Multi Purpose Vacs within 139 selected B&Q Warehouses and major Superstores across the UK & Ireland, via product demonstrations, direct sales and product merchandising.

Campaign Description:

• With only twelve days notice to co-ordinate a nationwide campaign, Link Communication devised and created the following staff training plan:

Staff on-line training session

• Product Information & Demonstration Training - This included a presentation of the Karcher Vacs product range detailing: price, product features, advantages over competitor products, assembly / usage, maintenance tips, spare parts ordering, etc.
• Demonstration Practice – Beside verbal/screen training, all demonstrators required to undertake a practical demonstrations section and they also received the product a few days ahead of activity to give them time to familiarise themselves with the product features.
• Advanced Sales Training - In order to ensure that the field teams maximise all their sales opportunities within stores, they were provided with a comprehensive set of questions, benefits and closes to run through with customers.

Stock setup, POS items and display area

• Link Communication liaised with all the stores (139 B&Q stores) directly to ensure the stock was ready to be merchandised during short period of notice.
• The teams were well organised on setting up product display, POS items and followed up with evaluations & reports on a daily basis.

 During the campaign

• The teams of trained up, sales driven product demonstration staff visited the 139 B&Q stores and carried out the demonstrations.
• A sales incentive scheme was set up to encourage the teams to achieve the highest sales possible.

Branding:

• During the campaign, branded posters, leaflets and sales promotion signs were displayed around the demonstration area to draw in customers. All demonstrators were professionally dressed with branded polo shirts.
• A mix of floor surfaces with dirt, debris and liquid were setup for the demonstrators to perform demonstration work to attract more customers, to show varied usage and encourage them to try the product for themselves.

Results:

• The field teams received excellent feedback from all the visited stores. Full demonstrations were carried out showing customers how to set up the product, explaining all the different functions and capabilities.
• The field teams also worked closely to the management team in the B&Qs to gain a regular arrangement for in store announcements of the demonstrations, which attracted higher footfall to the demonstrations area.
• Sales were successfully made across all selected stores; with some sales results being more than triple or quadruple those of Karcher’s own team of full time professional demonstration staff, averaging out at over 500% uplift across the range of stores