How to approach Listening Test Part Three • In this part of the Listening Test you listen to a long conversation or interview an

F OK, Clive, now you’ve said that at this stage in our consultation process you want to talk about promoting the business ...
M Yes.
F And I would say the place to start is establishing what it is you mean by ’the business’.
M Uh-huh.
F So the first step is to carry out an appraisal,
M Like an analysis?
F Yes, considering all aspects of your operation, strengths and weaknesses, and so on, so you can get clear in your own head what your selling points should, be. The possibilities for what you might focus on are pretty wide. People often tend to have a strong belief in their products, although these days expectations are generally so high that differentiation can be tough to establish on that front. In your case being able to get the goods to customers quickly is likely to have a greater impact and so be something worth drawing attention to - it represents the kind of service that will make the goods easier to sell, and so give you a wider appeal.
M Interesting.
F And you should also think ahead a bit, and specify what you’re looking to achieve through greater publicity.
M Right. I’ve been thinking in terms of improving the customer base. Bike accessories is a surprisingly competitive area but I’m satisfied that we’re positioned reasonably well - although I would like to be selling in higher volumes, getting more bulk orders through chains. I’ve got some very capable staff who’d welcome the challenge of testing their skills in handling bigger deals.
F And further into the future?
M I think basically bringing in product improvements. Obviously, cycling as a sport plays a key role in the market - people expect ever better equipment, and I need to be upgrading what I produce all the time, so that eventually the whole range is what I’d currently term ’best’. That all makes sense. Now, you referred to the idea of newspaper advertising in our meeting last week
M As one way to go.
F It’s a popular form of advertising, of course, but not without its pitfalls - although I certainly wouldn’t want to ignore its many advantages. Bear in mind that most people do not read a paper from cover to cover nor for any length of time. They flick through and dip into it for about ten or twenty minutes and may therefore miss your advertisement. A significant proportion of them won’t be interested in your message anyway, however brilliantly you design it. And of course papers have very skilled design departments who’ll do their best to give you a striking layout. Papers tend not to be kept for very long - people leave them behind on trains and in cafes. You can seek to compensate for this by publishing repeats and variations as often as you wish, of course, but you could find you’re chasing ever lower returns.
M I’d also wondered about guidebooks. I thought they could be a safe bet, despite having a fairly law circulation. I’ve noticed a fair number of ads in this year’s edition of the tourist guide far the region, for example, and I feel that it’s a type of publication that people tend to leave lying around for others to read, or borrow, so the exposure could be quite effective throughout the year
F Good point. Moving onto direct mail ...
M Now I’ve been having some doubts there, Rose.
F Oh?
M Yeah, I mean, in terms of resources. I understand that it can impact quite welt, although the percentage rates I hear quoted don’t strike me as particularly impressive. But assembling the whole thing seems pretty labour-intensive. There’s so much else to be getting on with, without trying to plough your way through some endless list of potential consumers, most of whom may not be interested anyway,
F Well, that’s certainly something to take into account, but I’d still recommend you to seriously consider doing a mailshot.
M I’m not ruling it out.
F And if you do, make sure you take an effective approach, because that envelope and its contents will be saying a lot about you. Your letter could be short and concise or long and explanatory, but it should attract attention to the quality of your operation and generate orders or at least enquiries. And to make people get as far as reading it, you need the right packaging, with colour, fonts and graphics all reflecting the right image for your operation. Impact is everything with a mailshot.
M OK And the last possibility was exhibitions.
F Yes, now here I would just urge caution. As with any industry, there are a lot of cowboys operating in the exhibitions field, with unsuitable venues or unrealistically high costs, and you have to make sure that what’s on offer really is of value to you. There again, be clear, about what that value might be, because you’re unlikely, even at the best run exhibition, to be flooded with orders - people are looking around, comparing - so it’s really for you to decide as an individual if participating, being away from your office, would pay off or not.
M Hmm, there’s plenty to think about, and I think...