With a new financial year on the horizon, you’re probably beginning to take stock of what you made in the twelve months. What are the figures showing? Did you smash your targets and turn a huge profit?
Or are you finding that the paperwork is making for disappointing reading? Either way, it’s worth considering these five ways to boost sales in 2016 onwards and upwards!
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Personalize your sales
Have you heard the saying “features tell but benefits sell? It’s true, and studies have shown that 94% of businesses report that personalization is critical to their success.
So what does it mean for you? Essentially, personalization refers to the fact that people don’t buy your product, they buy the benefits of your product in order to improve their lives.
For example, if your business sells beds, you might list all the amazing features of your mattresses.
However, what’s more, likely to get your customers opening their wallets is the promise of a good night’s sleep: the increase in energy for a hard-working businessman, or a restorative sleep for a new mother. So, sell the lifestyle benefit, not just the tech spec.
Develop your competitive advantage
What is it that sets you apart from your competitors? Why do you think people should buy from you? Perhaps you use eco-friendly parts, rely on manufacturers and suppliers from your own country, or stock one-of-a-kind products.
Whatever the case, nailing your “unique selling point” will help you strengthen some core aspects of your sales pitches which could ultimately mean you boost sales this year!
Sharpen up your presentation and communication
Your marketing materials are the first impression your customers have of you – so it’s important that your tone of voice and attention to detail is faultless. Start by examining your online presence. How is your social media, email, and digital customer service coming across? Is there anything you need to change?
Your offline efforts are critical too: make your documents professional by investigating letterhead printing from Helloprint, register your company to a reputable address, and spend some time and effort on smaller details such as business cards.
Getting these things right builds trust between you and your customers and could lead to more sales.
Use social media to your advantage
If you’re not using social media, you’re seriously missing a trick. Shopping online on mobile devices is now the norm, and your customers expect to see you on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.
More importantly, they expect to be able to interact with you. So, publish content, talk to your customers, and respond to their queries if you want to make more sales. “Positive” interaction will strengthen your brand, and even negative feedback can be turned into positive feedback by handling it in the right way.
Focus on keeping your customers
Of course, you want to increase your customer base, but you’d be foolish to ignore your existing customers. Totango has found that most businesses spend approximately “21% of their marketing budget on existing customers” but that they account for “61% of their revenue”.
So, to boost sales this year, target a portion of your sales efforts toward the people who have already bought something from you!
