This past Mother’s Day, CosPro Agency executed a fragrance event at a major department store with huge success! The event took place in 50 stores and included several different fragrances by a well-known national brand as well as product demonstrations with some new and exciting nail products. Our demonstrators sold a total of 674 pieces of product, an average of 13.5 pieces per store in JUST 4 HOURS! Demonstrators were able to promote the fragrances for Mother’s Day to shoppers looking for unique gift ideas, while the moms shopping loved having a nail makeover with fun new styles. To encourage customers to visit the table, there was a Gift-with-Purchase offer during the event.

Additional results were as follows:
• Over 1,200 coupons handed out resulting in future sales.
• One of every three people approached ended up making a purchase.
• The demonstrators trained a total of 75 associates on the products, creating an educated sales force to continue selling the products long after the event was over.

According to a recent survey conducted by the National Retail Federation, Mother’s Day is the second biggest spending holiday after the winter holiday. Don’t be left behind – let CosPro Agency help you to create a custom event to take advantage of this high traffic volume filled with customers looking for experts to advise them on what to buy. CosPro Agency can make your event special with custom additions such as sentimental signage, high value coupons, tip flyers, a gift-with-purchase option or even gift wrapping for those guys out there that need a little extra help. Stand out from the crowd and sign up early to reserve your date. Contact Kristin Bocox at 877 3COSPRO to schedule your promotion or email her at Kristin@cosmeticpromotions.com.

1.     Understand your market
American families on average buy the same 150 items repeatedly, which comprise 85% of their household needs. It is therefore a bit difficult to get something new to become part of the routine and very important to market your product to the correct consumers. The quickest way to gain a new customer is through TRIAL. According to the recent Arbirton Product Sampling Study, more than 25% of consumers who have never heard of a product buy it right after sampling it and almost half of consumers plan to buy it in the future. CosPro Agency is an expert at targeting specific demographics. Contact us about our teen, males, college, senior, Hispanic and African American sampling programs.

2.     Let potential customers try your product
In-store demo events allow customers to try your products prior to purchase, giving them confidence in their purchase and removing the worry of buyer’s remorse. Since 89% of first time purchases are the result of trial or sample, it is important not to skip this step in your launch plans. At CosPro Agency, we are experts at product demonstration, fragrance sampling and complete beauty makeovers – we are the only agency with over 1,500 professional makeup artists. In addition, CosPro Agency can add many of the extras that make your events more exciting – such as custom coupons to further encourage purchase, educational brochures for more complicated products or even a gift-with-purchase as an added incentive to buy today.

3.     Create a surround sound event
A true launch will interact with the customer on many different levels. A product launch should include multiple media outlets such as print ads, online marketing, email blasts, sweepstakes, flyers, signage and more added to your in-store promotions. CosPro Agency is a one stop shop for all of your custom chain marketing needs. Some of the added extras we offer include in-store signage, sales contests, store employee training, bag stuffers or even a national consumer sweepstakes with a custom web page component to create a surround sound event. With full online and in-store support, your launch will be on the road to success. Check out a couple of our on-line campaigns: L’Oreal Sweeps, Hot Days Cool Cash.

4.     Train your sales force
Remember the importance of the people selling your product. If they don’t believe in your product, then they aren’t going to be committed to selling it. You certainly don’t want customers to know more than the salespeople about the product. During your in-store promotion, CosPro Agency demonstrators train the store employees on your products on the day of the event. They also hand out product training guides for the stores to keep, so the off duty employees are able to review later as well. The one-on-one training and product training guides are just one more helpful extra that CosPro Agency provides to create a sales force around your launch that can continue to sell, sell, SELL once our demonstrators have left.

5.     Utilize social media
Today we have SO many social media outlets and it is important that you don’t underestimate the value of these. CosPro Agency posts to Twitter and utilizes such sites as freebeautyevents.com, eventbrite.com, zvents.com  and foursquare.com to promote your event to drive customers to the stores to try your new products. It is just as important to drive traffic to the store for your event as it is to reach the customers that come in, so that your launch event reaches as many consumers as possible.

At CosPro Agency, we love to brainstorm and create new and interesting ways to execute events and create excitement around product launches. Call us today to discuss your new item and get a custom quote for your launch! Contact Kristin Bocox at 877 3COSPRO or email at Kristin@cosmeticpromotions.com.

The origins of Black History Month began in 1915, when Dr. Carter G. Woodson and Rev. Jesse E Moorland co-founded the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History (ASNLH) to research and bring awareness to the role that African-Americans have played in history. In 1976, Black History Week turned into a month long observance. So why February? Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation was born on February 12th. Frederick Douglass, a leading abolitionist, was born on February 14th. Every year, the ASNLH chooses a different theme. This year’s theme is African-Americans and the Civil War which will honor African-American efforts to end slavery in the United States.

Did you know that African-American consumers in the U.S. account for $913 billion in purchasing power? Using the CosPro Agency target marketing program to reach this demographic specifically instead of using a one size fits all approach makes sense. African-Americans have nuances within lifestyle, language, and culture that should be used to leverage marketing efforts. For instance, Essence Magazine and Vision Critical Group performed a study that revealed that African-American women spend 80% MORE on cosmetics annually and nearly twice as much on skin care products than general market women do annually. This is a fantastic time to schedule in-store promotions targeting the African America customer. CosPro can create coupons appealing to your target market which is a great way to encourage sales.

Another way to boost sales for February is to target Valentine’s Day shoppers.  It is believed that Americans began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700′s. According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making it second only to Christmas. Valentine’s Day is also celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

St. Valentine’s Day is rooted in Christian and ancient Roman tradition. One legend says that Valentine was a priest in the 3rd century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men so they would be soldiers instead, Valentine performed marriages in secret. Another says that Valentine fell in love with a girl while in prison and wrote her a letter before his death signed “From your Valentine”. Others purport that Christians decided to celebrate Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February to “christianize” the pagan Lupercalia festival which was a fertility festival on February 15th. Also, the Middle Age French and English notion that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season contributed to the idea that Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance.

In 2011, Valentine’s Day shoppers spent around $15.7 billion on their loved ones (1.7 billion more than in 2010) and retailers reported an increase of 4.2% in comparable sales. This year-to-year growth makes it plausible that 2012 sales will be even higher with advertising and promotion. Since 85% of all Valentine Cards are bought by women, it can be safe to target females by offering a fragrance sampling, Gift with Purchase program or even having a gift basket raffle to encourage sales. Sign up early with CosPro Agency to schedule your promotion. Contact Kristin Bocox at 877 3COSPRO or email at Kristin@cosmeticpromotions.com.

Having a percentage of a purchase donated is beneficial for a brand because it encourages repeat purchasing and loyalty. Men tend to lean toward causes where being involved requires a financial contribution rather than emotional involvement, which tends to appeal to women. Therefore, they are more likely to support organizations like The Salvation Army or Goodwill, while women support disease prevention causes like Breast Cancer Awareness.

With this in mind, the CosPro Agency is offering an opportunity for clients to show their customers  that they care about finding a cure for breast cancer by honoring Breast Cancer Awareness month in October.When you book an event with CosPro involving 100 stores or more, 5% of the proceeds will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure. In 2009, this offer resulted in $3,900 of donations for the Susan G. Komen foundation. The Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure is the global leader of the breast cancer movement and is the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to fighting breast cancer in the world.

Book your event now by calling Kristin Bocox at 877-3COSPRO ext. 501# or email her at Kristin@cosmeticpromotions.com.

Choosing a modeling or demo agency to represent your company is an important decision. The people who do the actual event could be the ONLY representative of your company that your potential customers get to meet. It is essential that the promotional models meet your target demographic and completely understand your product. When retaining a demo or modeling agency, here are some questions to ask:

1. What experience do your models have?
2. Can I see pictures of the models?
3. Is your agency open the day of the event?
4. How do I know that your model has shown up to the event?
5. How do you train the model on my product?
6. What feedback reports do I get from you on the event?
7. Can you provide models that match the demographic of the event?

CosPro Agency was created as there was a need for professional makeup artists nationwide. Most agencies do not specialize in the beauty industry and use one model to do everything from food to foundation to foot powder. For every model we book, we can provide a photo and brief resume so you have the comfort of knowing your product is appropriately represented in each store. In addition, all of our artists have at least 2 years of experience not only with makeup, but with retail sales as well. In short, we provide competent, attractive models that are familiar with the beauty industry and trained to sell your products.

Our standards and results are higher than any other agency.

Do you have a specific target market you want to reach? CosPro can help! Whether you have products that are targeted for African Americans, need Spanish speaking makeup artists, or just need models that are all a certain ‘look’, we can help. We are completely turnkey leaving you with minimal involvement for a stress free promotion experience. If you want the best, you want The CosPro Agency.

Visit us at cosproagency.com or contact Kristin Bocox at 877-COSPRO3 Ext. #501 to schedule your next event. New customers receive a 20% discount* off your first event!

*Not valid with other discounts or offers.

Summertime is the season when women use less makeup and with the downturn in the economy that could mean even lower sales this next quarter. However, by promoting the right products you can help recover, or even increase your summer cosmetics sales! Here are five products to focus on promoting this summer.

1. Nail Polish

Overall cosmetic and toiletry sales were down by 0.8% last year. But nail polish is the only cosmetic to see a double digit increase  – 14.3% since last year -  because many women are giving themselves manicures and pedicures at home and skipping pricey salon visits. Summer is also the season when nails see the most exposure, so make sure your consumers have plenty of bright summer shades to choose from.

2. Bronzer and Sunless Tanners

Sun-kissed skin is always a fashionable look and is especially sought after in summer months. Stock your shelves with sunless tanner products since consumers often want to give their tans a jump start before appearing at the beach or pool in their swim suits. Bronzers also contribute to looking more tanned and summery so be sure to have plenty on hand.

3. Lip Protection

Frequent sun exposure can cause burnt, chapped, and uncomfortable lips. Make sure you are promoting lip products with SPF, aloe, and other cooling/healing ingredients. Lip balms are among consumers’ top impulse purchases, so make sure to have a display somewhere near checkout as a reminder for them.

4. Sunscreen

Sunscreen is a must-have when the summer months roll around because skin protection is important, not just for women, but for the whole family. Have a wide variety of sunscreens to choose from and feature them prominently in your store and remind associates to suggest it with every other summer-type purchase.

5. Moisturizers

Consumers have more exposed skin in summer than any other time of year. After all of the sun’s exposure to bare skin, you can bet your consumers will want to keep their skin hydrated. Moisturizers that contain sunless tanner are great to promote because your consumers get two products in one, making them feel the great value of the product.

Cold Calling – While not the favorite method of reaching new clients, it can still be wildly successful if done correctly. Research your prospects and their industry – first to make sure that you are contacting someone that would benefit from your services and secondly so that you can prep before your call to outline how you can help them. Prep an opening statement customized to that prospect to catch their attention. Loosely script your call to help you keep it brief and to stay on subject. By talking to the right people about problems/issues specific to their industry that you can help with, you increase exponentially your chance of success with a cold call.

Word of Mouth – Everyone knows that a dissatisfied customer will talk to many more people than a satisfied customer, hence the hyper focus on customer service, right? But good customer service can only reduce your chances of negative word of mouth. How do you actually generate positive word of mouth? Believe it or not, there are a couple of different ways. Get active in your community, professional networking groups and professional associations (see below). Develop a referral network – determine what professions work to complement your services and develop relationships with them. Think of wedding services – florist, photographer, caterer, travel agent – each networks and refers each other so that a referral for one is a referral for all. Finally, make it easy to refer you – whether sending an email, business cards, brochures, etc with your invoice – make it easy for people to pass on your contact information.

Networking – Most people have a wide variety of networks already in place that they fail to take advantage of, such as Alumni Associations, Special Interest Groups, Volunteer Organizations, etc; there are a variety of people within these groups that may have need of your products/services. Don’t be afraid to bring up your business in these groups, even if it is just in your introduction to someone new and giving them a business card. People are much more likely to go to someone that they have met before and shares some life aspect with them, than to risk going to a company that they do not know. Most important to remember when networking is to be sincere, relaxed and to follow up – so if you promised to email an article to someone next to you on a plane, do it. Networking is about building your trust and credibility, NOT about smoozing everyone you meet.

Current Customers – The quickest, most cost-effective way to increase sales volume is to sell additional products/services to your existing customer base. Compare your current service/products offers to those of your competitors. Add complementary services/products. Expand the range of your service/product line. Offer volume discounts, special offers or package deals to up-sell orders. Be a 1 stop shop for your customers as much as possible. Your customers will thank you for saving them time and making them look good. When they do, GET REFERRALS!

Doing these 4 things should help you to reach new customers immediately, but again, there are a million different ways to expand your customer base.  If you have a great tip, feel free to sound off below!

Now, persistence does not mean calling the prospect each week to see if they are ready to sign yet – you do not want to be a pest. Persistence simply means staying in touch with prospects in a way that builds the relationship and positions you as a valuable resource and trusted advisor.

The Rule of 7 is a fairly well known marketing concept which says: a prospect needs to see, hear, or otherwise be exposed to a message at least seven times before they respond in some way, shape or form. In other words, if you don’t have a contact strategy that touches the prospect at least seven times, you significantly reduce your odds of sales success. Optimally, you should be using a mix of vehicles for those 7 touches from emails, articles, webinars, phone calls and direct mail campaigns in order to reach your contact and get that first interview and begin building a relationship. Try to provide value in each communication in order to gradually move them closer to seeing you as the expert they can go to when needed.

Patience should be utilized in all aspects of your sales relationship. From prospecting to sales calls, to negotiating, to purchases, in this current economy customers have smaller budgets that they are being asked to do more with and are therefore taking longer to make sure they make the correct decisions, consider all their options and get the most bang for their buck. As a sales person, you need to make sure that you have the patience to follow up with them until they have time to talk, listen attentively to all of their problems/concerns and take the time to go through each with them.

Patience shows the customer that you care and that you are willing to take your time with them to make them happy. Customers love to feel that they are special, because they are. The more attention that you give to a customer, the more that they will feel that they are buying a product from a genuine and loyal person who wants to help them make a smart buying decision.

Selling is tough. Just remember that what we do is difficult and the relationships essential to success are not forged overnight. It takes time to build trust and credibility and prospects are going to engage you when they are ready. You can’t force them into meeting with you or buying from you. You need to have patience to guide them along the decision-making process and persistence to not give up. Sooner or later the prospect that took you 10 months just to get a meeting and another year to close could mean tons of repeat income to your firm.

“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”  Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

“He that can have Patience, can have what he will.” Benjamin Franklin

This article was written by Tracie Gilbert, VP of Business Development at Cosmetic Promotions. For more information on Cosmetic Promotions, please check out their website www.cosproagency.com or contact Tracie direct at Tracie@cosmeticpromotions.com.

SEEK KNOWLEDGE – To become an expert in your field, you need to seek knowledge at every opportunity. Talk to people in your industry who have experience. Research and read everything you can on your specific field – the internet makes this almost too easy these days. Become an expert on trends in your industry. Learn about technology that is changing business processes.

KNOWLEDGE GAPS – As much as you can become an expert in your field, you cannot know everything. If you do know everything – congrats, you can stop reading here. However if like the rest of us, you run into a question that you do not know the answer to, admit it. Promise to find the answer and get it to them shortly. Do NOT make up an answer or not answer at all. The customer needs to trust that you know what you are talking about and if you fib or prevaricate, then you run the risk of losing that trust.

KNOW YOUR LIMITS – It is always better to under-promise and over-deliver than the other way around. Some sales people think that their product/service can fix everything under the sun and then some, which is just not possible. Know your product, know your customer and determine their problem. Figure out if your product/service is a good fit for their issue. This can mean the difference between a repeat customer and years of partnership or one-time only sales and negative word of mouth.

KNOW YOUR DIFFERENCE – How is your product set apart from others on the basis of superior performance in one or more areas? Your ability to differentiate your product or service probably is one of the most important factors in the customer’s decision. Why should they use you instead of their current provider? Know your competition and their benefits as well as their downfalls.

KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER – Know your customers most common problems. When are they most likely to happen? What are the causes? What can be done to solve them? Make yourself valuable to them by becoming their problem solver for a specific set of issues and making their job easier.

Helping your customer by being their own personal expert in that field will help you to create repeat business and increased sales. If you are satisfied with where you are or think that you have nothing else to learn…well, you probably wouldn’t be reading this, would you? Instead, seek to be the best, strive for knowledge and try to become an expert in your own little corner of the world.

“Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise. View life as a continuous learning experience.”  Denis Waitley

This article was written by Tracie Gilbert, VP of Business Development at Cosmetic Promotions. For more information on Cosmetic Promotions, please check out their website www.cosproagency.com or contact Tracie direct at Tracie@cosmeticpromotions.com.