Council10 ways to make more sales
Strong sales are the goal of every business, but they don't take care of themselves. Follow these tips to freshen up your sales strategy and build a platform for consistent success.
1. Take a clear look at your sales strategy
Do you have the right approach? If not, adopt a more customer-focused sales procedure and re-evaluate its success in six months. Look at what has worked and what hasn't, and learn from your mistakes.
2. Concentrate on increasing business with existing customers
The cliché about 20 per cent of customers providing 80 per cent of revenue is often true. Existing customers are already convinced about your product or service, so think about ways to generate more sales from them. Maybe they're unaware of the full extent of your offer and its benefits.
3. Go back to basics
Make sure you're targeting the right market and listen to what potential customers really want. Remember that whatever you're selling, it needs to meet people's needs.
4. Make excellent customer service a priority
Put simple steps in place, such as offering after-sales support and providing training for any customer-facing staff. As well as encouraging repeat business, keeping customers happy means that often they'll do your selling for you by recommending you to others.
5. Get your prices right
Are they too high, and putting people off buying from you? Are your prices too low, with the result that potential customers fail to recognise the true value of your offer?
6. Look at what you're selling
Do you need to replace flagging lines by launching a new and improved offer? Would this enable you to make more sales? Successful businesses know when it's time to make a change.
7. Do some basic market research
Are you up to speed with the needs and expectations of customers? These can change rapidly. Take a look at what your competitors are doing, and look for ways to provide your customers with better value for money.
8. Raise awareness of your business
Perhaps by launching a new marketing or advertising campaign. A simple leaflet drop can increase your profile, or it might even be time to take out a new advert in your local paper. Consider sending your local newspaper an attention-grabbing press release about something newsworthy to do with your business. Encourage your customers to tell others about you - word-of-mouth recommendation is the best form of advertising.
9. Assess your image
Is it making you look unprofessional or out of date? Consider ways you can improve your business image. This could involve decorating your premises or even just having a good clean up. Maybe you and your staff need to dress more smartly. Perhaps it's time to upgrade your stationery or website. Simple changes aimed at improving customer perception can make a big difference to sales.
10. Consider training
Be honest with yourself about your sales technique and how you and your people deal with customers. If you have any concerns, get some external training. You could even seek advice from a mentor with a proven track record in sales.
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