– Effectively communicate messages when a member of staff isn't able to. Perhaps you're rushed off your feet and don't have enough staff in, or everyone's busy serving other people. Convey your messages to browsing customers via POS, from a simple hello on entry to letting them know about the latest offers.
– Navigate customers and clients around your business. From the changing room to the till points, the customer services section to specific areas of your company, POS can help people know where they're going when nobody's around to tell them!
– Entice people into your store by promoting it via offers, unique selling points or just on the off chance they may be looking for exactly what you offer! Displaying effective POS outside can be a great way to convince people they need to visit your store, event or business.
– Further promote those offers, USPs and discounts in store without having to lift a finger!
– The ability to stand out from the crowd with unique and individual branding. Perhaps you're in a row of restaurants and want people to come into yours, and quite rightly so. That's where effective outside POS can really come into it's own.
– Creativity, imagination and personality in displaying products or services. POS Display Units aren't just for promotional posters. They can be used in visual merchandising too, for innovative display ideas.
– The ability to retain customers and leads by encouraging them to interact with the business by way of social media or signing up to a newsletter/entering a competition. By promoting your social media accounts on a stand somewhere in store, it allows customers with smart phones to immediately interact with your business.
– Promote any visuals or photography campaigns. After all, if you have beautiful imagery, why wouldn't you want to share it?
– Cross marketing with other brands and companies. Perhaps you're doing a joint competition with the company down the road? You can promote their business in store by way of flyers or brochures on a stand and vice versa.
– It can be costly. Once you take into account your branding, whether you're hiring someone to create graphics for you, and the person printing promotional flyers, leaflets or posters, it can soon mount up. A clear and concise vision is needed for the business, and seasonality or changes (especially in hospitality or retail) needs to be taken into account. However, once the initial POS display units are purchased, it is just a case of changing the artwork or messages as and when you need to.
– You may have to react to competitors branding, which again could become costly. Perhaps you've introduced a new product and they've done the same? Or maybe they've slashed their prices on something and you're still advertising it at full price. Either way, it can take a lot of effort to keep up with competitors' POS.
– There is the potential to offend. Recently <a= href" http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3062776/Beach-body-ready-advert-Protein-World-removed-three-days-advertising-watchdog-investigates-weight-loss-claims-hundreds-complaints.html rel="nofollow"> Protein World launched their new campaign promoting their weight loss collection. It featured their product, a female fitness model and the words 'Are You Beach Body Ready?'. It was quickly picked up on social media and an onslaught of outraged comments ensued. It sure did get a lot of press for Protein World, but at what cost? Make sure your campaigns are thoroughly thought out, or that you have a good PR company to help you if it all goes a bit upside down!
– Vandalism. Yes, really. Having an a-board or chalk board outside always brings a potential risk of someone smudging your hard work. It's a small con but an irritating one none the less!
Disadvantages Of Not Having POS.
– You need the manpower to make up for the lack of information offered. Having to approach every customer, client or individual would probably be quite exhausting, but unfortunately is a must without adequate back up of POS.
– People may not understand what your business is on the outside without a prompt. Yes you may have a fabulous name, but if it doesn't directly echo the point of your brand, people may just pass on by!
– Once they're inside they still might not understand what your company is about. People are very visual, but their eyes will scan for something to read, so make sure you're giving it to them somehow.
– Offers and information about brands or products may not be communicated properly. Maybe you're selling something at a discount, but unless someone physically checks the label, they'll never know. POS helps to communicate where the discounts are.
– You may lose custom by not being able to communicate with your leads effectively. Being ignored isn't nice, but a welcome and farewell sign softens the blow of not being able to talk to a human being!