Sep 28, 2016
How likely are you to stay on the line when your phone rings and the voice on the other line is part of a pre-recorded message? Be honest. If your first instinct is to hang up, you’re not alone. Who likes talking to a machine, anyway? The point, of course, is that you really don’t get to do any talking at all. If you don’t hang up (good for you, you have patience), then you’re forced to listen to someone speak without actually speaking to you.
Gone is your ability to ask questions. Absent is your option of interrupting to explain that perhaps you’d be willing to receive the information being provided at a later time. And completely missing is your freedom to ask that no further calls be made to your home. This is why, at TK Enterprises Inc., we are such big proponents for the live call. Nothing quite beats an actual conversation between two real human beings! Robocalls simply can’t compete.
What exactly is a “robocall”? As defined by Consumer Reports, “robocalls refer to autodialed or prerecorded telemarketing calls to landline home telephones or cell phones, or unsolicited text messages to wireless numbers. Autodialed informational messages, such as those announcing school closings or weather alerts, are permitted according to the FCC, as are calls to landlines on behalf of nonprofit groups and political campaigns.”
Consumer Reports also goes on to call robocalls an “epidemic”, stating that the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission receives in excess of 150,000 consumer complaints every month about recorded telemarketing calls. And according to Bikram Bandy, who is the program coordinator for the National Do Not Call Registry, robocalls have eclipsed live telemarketing calls as a source of consumer complaints.
To deal with the robocalls “epidemic”, many register their phone numbers with the National Do Not Call Registry. Others simply turn off their ringers and let their phone calls go to voicemail. That doesn’t exactly put a stop to the calls. To reiterate an earlier-made point, the annoyance that is generally associated with robocalls is why the team, here at TK Enterprises Inc., believes so strongly in the live phone call. We also strictly adhere to all FTC guidelines, both federally and at the state level.
How do live phone calls produce better results? Firstly, it’s important that we note that our Retail Marketing Event services specifically target individuals who are already customers of the stores that we call on behalf of. Cold calls are not exactly the name of the game. With the brands already having established rapports with the people we contact, each call uniquely begins with a sense of familiarity. Secondly, giving customers the opportunity to converse with real people goes a long way.
Our team of phone agents is made up of very warm and friendly individuals. But, even more importantly, they are well-versed in the areas of jewelry and the importance placed on jewelry purchases within the American public. We know how important it is to professionally represent the businesses that we call on behalf of and therefore, we’re always fully equipped with the knowledge to answer pertinent questions.
Our long-standing rates of success have proven that live phone calls far exceed the impact of robocalls. With the ability to actually engage in worthwhile conversations with your customers, we can ensure that your jewelry store’s next in-store event is a resounding success.
For more information about our Retail Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to contact us. You can call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195 or email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com.
Sep 21, 2016
The team, here at TK Enterprises Inc., would be hard-pressed to come up with an article of merchandise that deserves a more higher-profile showcasing than jewelry. Just last week, we blogged about the sentimental value that most of us place on our pieces of jewelry – value that often, far outweighs the monetary costs of the pieces. As a result, those seeking to purchase jewelry tend to thoroughly enjoy the process of viewing, touching and feeling new pieces for themselves.
And there will be plenty of opportunity for that this weekend in Chicago, Illinois! We are excited to announce that we will be attending this year’s Select by Centurion Midwest Show. Now in its second year, this incredible two-day event features more than 50 high-level exhibitors in the jewelry industry. It all takes place inside the luxurious five-star Four Seasons Hotel at 120 E. Delaware Place in Chicago this coming Sunday, September 25th and Monday, September 26th.
The Select by Centurion Midwest Show will be specifically located in the hotel’s ballroom on the Lobby Level. And, the TK Enterprises Inc. booth can be found at L2. We very much look forward to this year’s event, as we do for every live trade show event we visit. We find it very exciting to meet with new exhibitors in order to discuss our fantastic Retail Event Marketing services that can successfully promote their upcoming in-store events.
Of course, it’s also a lot of fun to peruse through all of the incredibly beautiful pieces of jewelry that will be on site. We certainly hope to see you there! The Sunday event will run all day from 10:00am to 6:00pm, while Monday’s event goes from 10:00am to 5:00pm. We imagine that this year’s Select by Centurion Midwest Show will place a special emphasis on making jewelry purchases for the holidays. Believe it or not, the time for holiday shopping is fast approaching!
We would argue that the fourth quarter of the year (which starts in a little over a week) is the best time of year to invite your customers to your store to peruse through the amazing pieces of jewelry that you have available for purchase this holiday season. And we can’t think of a better place to discuss the ways our Retail Event Marketing services can help you pull off the greatest of all in-store events than at the Select by Centurion Midwest Show this weekend!
The two-day event, by the way, is more than just an exhibition of beautiful jewelry in a fantastic hotel. The show’s organizers, Joe Carullo, Bryan Cohen and Howard Hauben regard it as so much more. “We continue into 2016 with our famous venue, great breakfasts and lunches, retailer education on both mornings, purchase-credit drawings, various buyer hosting packages, a delightful Sunday night cocktail party and more,” they are quoted as saying on CenturionJewelry.com.
According to the site, the trio believes that a trend towards retailer preference for manageable, easy-to-work shows in classy hotels is the main reason for the great success had by the Select by Centurion brand over the past six years. This year, they have already launched shows at Ritz Carlton hotels in Laguna Niguel, California and Dallas, Texas and most recently at Foxwoods in Ledyard, Connecticut.
If you are looking for more information or to still register for the Select by Centurion Midwest Show in Chicago this weekend, feel free to call 1-888-427-4697 or visit SelectJewelry.com. Of course, we’d like to hear from you as well. Please don’t hesitate to call TK Enterprises Inc. toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com. Or we’ll see at you booth L2 this weekend!
Sep 14, 2016
Jewellers all across the United States are very well aware of how popular their items are. Jewelry, it can be argued, has always been in style – and will always be in style. In addition to the obvious belief that jewelry adds both beauty and prestige to one’s look, various pieces are very often associated with great sentimental value. None is more obvious than the wedding ring. It is a clear cut symbol of one’s lifelong commitment to another.
The history of the wedding ring being worn on the fourth finger of the left hand is rooted in its representation of being connected to the heart. The idea is that the vein in the fourth finger of your left hand can be traced all the way into the heart. This is based on an age-old tradition that isn’t necessarily based on scientific evidence. Nevertheless, the concept has been strong enough to encourage millions to follow the tradition.
“Thousands of years ago, there was a Greek and Roman belief that a vein from the fourth finger on the left hand ran directly to the heart,” explains Adriana Pastor of Mervis Diamond Importers, “This vein was known as the ‘vena amoris’ also known as the vein of love. This belief led to the tradition of wearing the wedding ring on that particular finger, symbolizing the love amongst the couple being married.”
Of course, wedding and engagement rings aren’t the only pieces of jewelry that we attach sentimental value to. In fact, various pieces of jewelry have different meanings for different people. Jewelry pieces are often passed along from one generation of a family to another and are therefore, considered important heirlooms. As a result, necklaces, bracelets and rings and other pieces are often worth much more to their owners than their actual monetary value.
On TheGuardian.com, Helen Walmsley-Johnson, who writes under the pseudonym, Invisible Woman, describes the “heart-wrenching” feeling of discovering that her home was burglarized. She explains that of the many items stolen – a television, cash and even a old vacuum cleaner – the most painful loss to endure was that of her jewelry box. Admitting that there wasn’t much monetary value to the items lost, it was her sentimental attachment that caused her such great pain.
“Jewelry is weighted with meaning,” Walmsley-Johnson writes, “It doesn’t matter what it is, there is likely to be some sentimental or emotional reason you wear a particular thing – in my case, I wear my mother’s wedding ring on my right hand, and a battered, misshapen silver thumb ring, bought for me by my youngest daughter with her 50p pocket money…I wince when I see people parting with jewelry to raise cash because I know how that feels. It hurts.”
At TK Enterprises Inc., we believe that the sentimental value that is so often associated with jewelry is one of the top reasons that jewellers should find it advantageous to speak with their customers directly about their buying choices. Delving deeper into the purpose behind each purchase rather than focusing on the pieces themselves can often lead to higher sales and better overall customer satisfaction.
It’s the personal approach that we take when rolling out our Retail Event Marketing campaigns on behalf of jewellers all over the United States. Our talented and experienced team contacts customers on behalf of jewellers to cordially invite them to in-store events that give business owners the opportunities to build upon the personal connections they’ve already made with their brand’s supporters.
Let’s work together on getting you to reap the benefits of the sentimental value that your customers attach to your products! For more information about our Retail Event Marketing services, please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com.
Sep 7, 2016
There are various ways to advertise your business. And while television commercials, radio spots, print ads and billboards haven’t exactly gone out of style, they are both incredibly expensive and don’t always meet the needs of their advertisers. TV commercials, for example, generally last about 30 seconds each. But what is the overall impact that they have? Here, at TK Enterprises Inc., we have come to realize that nothing beats the “personal touch”. And commercials on television can’t provide that.
How do you make personal connections with your customers? No matter how technologically advanced our society has become, there is nothing comparable to the face-to-face meeting. Engaging in personal interactions with your customers trumps faceless advertising any day. This is why Retail Event Marketing has been so successful for jewelers all across North America. When customers shop for jewelry, it’s incredibly important for them to see, touch and feel their potential purchases.
Quite obviously, jewelry purchases are important ones. Very often, they are associated with special occasions and commemorations of special unions. There is often a deep sentimental attachment to a jewelry purchase. So, it only makes sense that a customer would want to ask questions of a reputable and friendly representative of the jewelry store he/she is visiting. Hosting an event at your store is an excellent and proven way to generate greater interest in your items.
What is the best way to invite customers to your in-store event? As we pointed out in our last blog, the good old phone call can’t be beat! At TK Enterprises Inc., we offer our Retail Event Marketing services via a team of very talented telemarketers. It’s their job to contact your customers on behalf of your brand. Again, there’s no comparison to getting a live, friendly voice passing along a personal invite to your event. No other type of advertising offers such a “personal touch”.
Which customers are called as part of your Retail Event Marketing campaign? We make phone calls to your existing customers. They are defined by those who have made purchases from you within the past 18 months. Our callers provide details about your current promotion including information about the date and time of your in-store event. If your customers can’t be reached, our team leaves friendly and informative voicemail messages.
Do such Retail Event Marketing campaigns actually work? In our experience, they certainly have! Not only does our history show that there is evidence that customers appreciate the “personal touch” that comes with getting live phone calls, it also tells us that customers do listen to voicemails. Knowing that the message was left by a real person specifically for the customer encourages its recipient to actually listen before deleting it.
Why work with TK Enterprises Inc. specifically? We are a family-owned business that has been operational since 1980. And no other company quite does what we do. To give you an example of our commitment, we have made over 300,000 calls for in-store jewelry events over the past two years. Our dedication to launching the strongest campaigns possible is unmatched. To provide it, we provide daily and weekly reports to keep you abreast of our progress.
Of course, there is so much more we could tell you about our Retail Event Marketing services. But, true to our word, we’d like to connect with you over the phone. That way, you can ask any questions you wish. You can be assured that you will receive detailed information about how our services can help your jewelry store to enjoy a very successful marketing campaign that involves making personal connections with your customers!
Please don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com.
Sep 2, 2016
There are tons of different ways to market your business. But not all marketing methods are created equal. Before deciding upon the type of advertising strategy you wish to implement for your next campaign, it’s important to consider exactly what you’re looking to get out of the entire process. At TK Enterprises Inc., we’ve learned that when it comes to hosting in-store events, there is no better way to advertise it than to put in direct phone calls to customers.
Consider the ways in which you are invited to any party or industry event. How enticed are you to go when you receive an invitation by email or even through social media? While it may be considered an “old school” method, our experience has proven that nothing beats a good old traditional phone call. And we’re not talking about inundating your customer base with voice recordings. We’re talking a live human voice on the other end of the line!
Here are three reasons to use phone calls to distribute your event invites:
1. Human-less invites can’t talk. Consider the power of having a live voice on the phone, answering questions about your store’s next event. A warm and friendly voice has the ability to endear your brand even more to the customers who have supported it in the past. Traditional invitations, be they in paper or online, can’t crack a joke or offer additional insight into the goings-on of your company. As Andy Dickens explains on Virtual-Sales.com, talented phone agents can turn many a “no” into many a “yes”.
“A successful telesales operator has the skill and expertise to turn an initial ‘No Thank You’ into a ‘Yes Please’,” he writes, “Persuasive telesales staff are experienced in removing objections to a decision-maker select to buy your product and turning around a poor sales situation. No other method of direct sales approach can as effectively transform a losing situation into a winning one.”
2. It is proven to be the most effective marketing method. It’s important to never neglect the human element of business marketing. As much as consumers are interested in getting high-quality and dependable products and services, they still place great value on their customer experiences. Being able to speak to actual people helps them to associate a personality with your brand. This has proven to be a very successful marketing tool
On ConstantContact.com, Fernand Zuili explains that telesales produce the biggest responses from customers. “Outbound telemarketing can, under the right circumstances, contact and secure a yes or no from much as 85 to 95 percent of the available universe,” he informs, “No other media even comes close…It even beats the Internet much of the time, because with telemarketing a live telemarketer assist the client and prepares him for the next steps by asking all the right questions, and making sure everything is correct.”
3. Your in-store event is all about making personal connections anyways. As mentioned earlier, it’s important to consider the type of promotion you wish for your customers to learn about. In the case of an in-store event, the entire occasion is all about mixing, mingling and getting to know others. Naturally, these events present plenty of opportunities for customers to peruse your items, ask questions and be given the opportunities to make purchases on the spot.
On LinkedIn.com, Fraser Hay explains that telemarketing is best way to get people to come to your event, as it begins the entire human interaction process. “Telemarketing can be very effective for getting ‘bums on seats’ to your workshops, seminars, webinars and conferences,” he says, “If you are planning an event and want people to attend, telemarketing is an excellent way of getting delegates to book their place.”
TK Enterprises Inc. is happy to make those personal invites via the phone for you. Our highly-experienced, enthusiastic and well-trained phone staff is made up of experts at engaging customers in friendly and professional ways. Please don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about how our Retail Event Marketing services can make your next in-store event a big success!
Give us a call toll-free at 1-877-622-0195. You may also email us at heidi.tke@tomkaufmann.com.
