Spring Sports Are Being Booked Right Now!

Though we know it is near the end of September 2007, you should be looking at the calendar as though it says March 2008; especially if you are planning to market, book, and shoot spring sports. Though you may think this notion extreme or, perhaps even premature, I can assure you that if you are not yet planning for the spring sports season, your competitors are!

If you have decided that youth sports (such as baseball or soccer) will be a viable market for you in 2008 then the groundwork must be laid now. So where do you begin?

First, decide what spring sports you want to focus on (why not all of them), and search through your files to see if you can create great looking samples, which you'll need to market your services. If you don't have great-looking images, CCS can provide its' customers with sample images for most of the popular sports played in the 4 to12 age group.

Great looking samples will be an integral element to whatever marketing materials you'll be leaving with your league decision makers, along with a letter of introduction, testimonials from past customers and a sheet detailing why they should be working with you.

Next, you are going to need some leads. Good sources of potential clients for your sports business are church, school, and league websites; city/town recreation departments; and also competitor's websites. Online research is the easiest way to learn about your competition also!

After accumulating leads a sales plan must be designed and implemented. Are you going to plan an email campaign to potential leagues; or, perhaps, use a cold-calling phone campaign to establish appointments or presentations to league or school administrators? What points of difference will you highlight: your products, your pricing, your marketing method (view proofs first and purchase later vs. traditional pre-paid)?

Whatever sales strategy you select, just make sure it is clear and repeatable. Assign a staff member to focus on sales so it does not fade in importance. The sales process for spring sports has an early wake-up call. Think of it as spring training that happens to take place in the fall!


*Candid Color Systems offers great tools for pre-paid and speculation sports programs. We offer online proofing, online ordering, order envelopes, password cards, mailing direct to your end customer, software to print paper proofs, an amazing array of sports products, photographer order entry and over 30 years of photography experience!

For help or questions, please call Brian Speers at 800-336-4550, Ext. 251, or Dan Hays at Ext. 227.

 

Candid Color Systems has
NEW 4x8 Photographic Greeting Cards
and
Premium Folded Holiday Cards
 

Seven new styles of our 4x8 Photographic Greeting Cards were introduced this year to join our five most popular styles from last year.  These cards are available on standard photographic paper or with Pearlized Portrait Finish in sets of 12 or 20 (all with envelopes).

CCS is also introducing a new line of premium greeting cards that are printed on non-photographic paper. These new Premium Folded Greeting Cards are 5x7 (folded) and sold in sets of 12. The cards are printed on high gloss coated 10 pt paper.  Each set is packaged with box-flap envelopes, in a beautiful black box secured with a silver tie. If more than 7 sets are ordered of the same image at the same time, then a 25% discount is applied.

   
Greeting cards are a great remarketing product! They give you a reason to send an email communication to your past customers! The “No Greeting” option makes these cards perfect to include in your year round product offering. Other non-Christmas greetings available include Happy Valentine's Day, Happy Easter and Thank You.

*Sample images are available for CCS customers. These images are suitable to use on order forms and on your website.
  
 
 
     
 

CCS uses only Kodak professional paper
and chemistry.
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