In an effort to revitalize the buying experience at market, sales rep Richard Alan of Richard Alan & Assoc. (RA&A) launched the RA&A Passport program at January’s Lightovation. With help from the American Lighting Assn. (ALA) and his vendor partners, the goal was simple: With great incentives, bring more buyers through the manufacturer showrooms his team reps, and expose his retail showroom clients to new lines.
It took a lot of preparation and resources, but Alan was happy with the results.
“The program went great,” Alan says. “Despite the crazy weather that there was in southern Texas and Louisiana, we had 300 participants.”
It worked like this: A Passport book was given to every RA&A customer at Lightovation, who then brought this book to each of the manufacturer showrooms Alan and his team rep. The customers toured through and got a stamp at the end of each visit. Once their Passport card was completely filled with stamps, they turned it in at the ALA booth in order to be eligible for the drawings. At the end of market, winners were drawn for a whopping 28 prizes, including $1,000 cash, manufacturer gift cards or product, an Apple watch and an ALA Conference registration.
Varaluz, one of RA&A’s vendors who participated in the Passport program, was excited to see someone doing something different at market.
“We at Varaluz love when our sales reps get creative in a way that is exciting to our customers, and that’s exactly what Richard Alan and his team did this year,” says Sarah Muniz, National Showroom Sales Manager. “Our industry is full of opportunities to grow and expand with leaders who are always looking to push new boundaries; we think Richard Alan’s Passport program was a step in the right direction.”
“Richard Alan’s passport program was one of the most successful marketing programs that I have seen an independent rep put together," added Jennifer Kirkpatrick, National Sales Manager Lighting Showrooms at American Lighting. "The passport program brought in customers who had never been in before and in turn increased our customer base in the Texas market.”
Due to its success, Alan says he plans to run a similar program at future markets.
