The PR Adviser: Why Aren’t More Retailers Opening My Emails?

fax machines were more important than emails, I too thought it was important to show retailers press coverage. I remember dutifully compiling press clips for my jewelry and watch clients and doing monthly mailings to their retailers, thinking they’d get excited about all the press my clients’ products were receiving.  

Yeah, no.

They appreciated knowing we were out there creating excitement about their inventory. But unless Elizabeth Taylor barreled into their store, clutching a Vogue magazine page showcasing my clients’ jewelry while throwing her JP Morgan Reserve card at the nearest salesperson, they didn’t give a flying fig.

Ahem.  

Don’t stop getting press coverage for your collection. How else is Elizabeth Taylor going to know about your jewelry?

As I continue working with business owners one-on-one, especially business owners whose end customer is not the person the business owner is interacting with directly, it’s clear to me, Ms. Ignored, that you don’t realize who has the most power.

The person taking your jewelry home is the most powerful. This is whom you need to impress.

Absolutely take care of your retailer relationships; make sure Ms. or Mr. Buyer and her or his team burst into song and dance when they hear your name.  

But remember: Just as you are beholden to Ms. or Mr. Buyer to order your jewelry, Ms. or Mr. Buyer is beholden to Elizabeth Taylor to purchase it.

My close friend is a senior sales rep for a well-known jewelry company. While everyone reading this understands just how rare it is for Saks to offer anything other than memo for its orders, my friend told me that this particular company’s deals with Saks were mostly cash and very little memo.  

Why? Because this well-known company has millions of Elizabeth Taylors, and if Saks wanted to continue swiping those Platinum cards, it needed to play ball.

And, to make sure the jewelry company kept acquiring more Elizabeth Taylors, it would happily treat editors at the major magazines to their very own baubles during the holiday season. And when I say “baubles,” I mean the finest quality VVS diamond-somethings the real Elizabeth Taylor would salivate to possess.

So, to answer your question more directly, what you’re doing wrong, Ms. Ignored, is focusing your energy on Ms. or Mr. Store Buyer instead of the most powerful person in the store—the customer.

Use your press and marketing strategy to acquire more Elizabeth Taylors, then I guarantee you Ms. or Mr. Buyer will program her or his Outlook to emit a special tone exclusively for when your emails come through.

You’re probably now wondering how to acquire more Elizabeth Taylors.

Well, my friend, that’s what I’m here for. Email me your pressing PR and marketing questions to answer in my next column, or better yet, invite me to your office!

Until next time, dear friends, stay cool!