We are halfway through 2014! Are your sales numbers making your hair turn gray? Are you investing more into Clairol and Revlon then you are banking for your next vaca? This is not uncommon for newly anointed entrepreneurs and small business owners. Sales can be tough. It is all a learning process and it takes time but it can stress you like no other and turn you gray in a heartbeat if you do not pay attention to the numbers, sales trends, and market.
Have your first and second quarter sales been a nightmare? Are you wondering if your last two quarters will mimic the previous? If answered “yes” to either of these questions, read on. If you answered “no” then you may want to read on anyhow to see if you are achieving all the sales you could.
Sales will make or break ANY business no matter the size! But when you are fresh out of the gate with little backing and/or marketing dollars to create the stir to get the sales it can be downright the most frustrating and aging experience ever (thus the increased revenue for Clairol and Revlon)!
Allow me to share with you a little insight and suggestions that you can easily implement to give those sales numbers the needed boosts. I totally understand not everyone has a ton of money lying around to throw into some fancy marketing campaigns and/or increase bandwidth but there is something that most of you do have – previous customers – right? Let’s take a look at the marketing capabilities you have right there alone!
Many people are guilty of not following up with previous customers after they have made a purchase. I know I once was guilty of that myself. If you are anything like I was, I didn’t want to “bother” people – at least that is what I thought I was doing. The fact is, you are not bothering them – you are valuing them as a customer. A simple follow up email after a purchase can make a world of difference in your bottom line. The email can be as simple as asking the customer how was their experience with your establishment. Feedback can be a valuable tool in creating the perfect business plan. In addition, you also let the customer know you care about their experience, value their insight, and put a gentle reminder out there that you are still around to serve them in your niche.
Did you know the best way to increase sales is through referrals? It’s true. When someone comes to you through a referral you already know they are interested and more than likely NEED what you offer! Again – what better way to get referrals then through previous happy customers – right? Darn skippy that’s right! So when you are emailing previous customers, make sure when they respond to THANK THEM and to ask if they would please share your name with others. Easy right? Yes, it is yet unfortunately not enough people take advantage of putting in that simple request in an email. What is holding you back? If you don’t ask you will never receive.
Another great way of increasing your customer base is to offer incentives! If a customer orders something from you in your invoice or receipt – offer an incentive for referrals. It can be as simple and small as 10% off their next purchase for every purchasing referral they send your way! If your mark-up is on point – the 10% will not affect your overall business. Do you see where this is going? Each of those referrals is yet another potential customer you can reach out and touch via email or even phone to create a relationship. Bigger customer base = more opportunity to increase sales! And what did this cost you out of pocket – ZERO – just time and consistency. Don’t allow those two things to keep you from obtaining your sales numbers and investing all your hard work into Clairol and Revlon!