By Peggy Sealfon

Are you missing obvious opportunities to sell more effectively? If you're overlooking the science of psychology and the art of merchandising, you may be passing up potential revenues. Retailers, restaurateurs, bankers and a variety of other businesses should be harnessing the tools of merchandising and sales promotions to increase volume and, in fact, such programs should be part of an overall marketing plan. Subliminal or blatant stimuli at the point of purchase can have a dramatic effect on consumer behavior and ultimately on sales.

Businesses that are the most successful in their use of merchandising and promotions have clearly detailed the roles of these programs in their marketing mix. They've been able to identify precise goals and expectations. For instance, one company may want to increase community visibility and goodwill to create a top-of-mind awareness of their product or name. Another may want to use a promotion as a long-term brand or service position holder. Another may use it as a way of introducing a new graphic or slogan. Once the goals are decided, a strategy needs to be devised to achieve the desired results.

Let's clear the air about promotional failures. Almost 98-percent of promotions don't work because they're not practical. In other words, they may have been remarkably creative ideas, but they lacked the proper distribution or fulfillment. If the promotion ends up in the trunk of a salesman's car or on the salesroom floor, no matter how clever the concept, the promotion will not sell the bacon.

Without a quick and accurate way to confirm that all products on special have the proper signage, for example, merchandising loses its impact on sales. The results are two fold. Potential sales are lost because retailers can't implement the needed programs, and the staff is not being utilized effectively.

When creating any promotion, you need to understand the product, the market and the target audience and develop a total package that can be carried through. Besides considering your objectives, you should also evaluate advertising support, costs, point of sale opportunities and any lead time that must be factored in.

A merchandising campaign cannot stand alone but must be carefully integrated into a larger image plan. Keep in mind the target market groups and the kinds of items these consumers might use. An elderly market may not be very receptive to buying in-line skating kneepads, but canvas tote bags might be very appealing. Typical merchandise items include buttons and badges, T-shirts, note cards, calendars, posters, fans, balloons, tote bags, coffee mugs, hats or caps, pens -- but more creative ideas abound.

It's not enough just to feature an image or logo on the item -- the item itself must have some intrinsic value and help deliver the message. Plus it's helpful to select an item that will continue to be used and displayed so that your message will be perpetuated. But also be careful in the amount of items you purchase since imprinted merchandise may have limited use. If at all unsure, you're better off working with one of the local companies who handle specialty items rather than ordering through catalogs. The staff at these companies can usually provide excellent advice on items that work and can make suggestions on quantities based on your uses.

OK, so if you're not selling bacon, maybe you can be inspired by promoting turkey. Really! A Web site devoted to foodservice -- and specifically to turkey -- offers a remarkable series of approaches to encouraging the purchase of turkeys. Many of these ideas can apply to a variety of products and services. For instance, the site recommends developing innovative ways to include turkey in events. Or sell more turkey by making the menu items more noticeable. Or get involved in community promotions through contests, competitions and community support. The site recommends at the conclusion of the promotion to review the original goals to determine whether or not they were achieved.

To build better promotions for the future, you will want to conduct a full evaluation with your customers and your staff. Track sales before and after the promotion so that you can readily see how your profits increase as product sales increase. Brainstorm and share ideas with your employees and allow them only to be limited by their imagination.

Peggy Sealfon, owner of Naples-based advertising agency Sealfon & Associates has written on a variety of topics for national magazines and newspapers.