11 tips to increase sales

You probably already know your best prospects to help you increase sales. They are in your filing cabinets and on your accounting software. I encourage you to change the emphasis from seeking new customers to persuading proven customers to buy from you again, reactivate your lapsed customers and to revisit all old enquiries and proposals.

Before looking for new customers, try some of these ideas to increase sales.

Old customer files.

Take some time to review your old customer files, include job enquiries and quotes as well as account files. Make a list of people to contact using a line such as “ we are updating our records” to check that your contact is still there. If they do not need your services try asking for referrals to other people who might.

Lapsed Customers

Do you know which customers have not purchased your products and services recently? How many are just records on the accounting system?

Spend some time reviewing these and deciding on what you need to do to get them to order again from you.

Perhaps you could ask them why they stopped using you by sending a short survey and then follow up on the results.

Could you send them a letter telling them what is new and inviting them to try your service again?

Perhaps you could arrange a special promotion for this group. Remember it is the second order that is the most important.

What else could you sell to your existing customers?

Create a grid that can help you increase sales and profits. On the left hand side of a piece of paper list all your customers. Across the top list all your products/services.

Starting with the first customer put an X in every product/service box that they purchase from you. Repeat this for all customers.  When completed look at al the empty boxes, these represent opportunities to sell more to your current customers.

Develop a plan to fill the gaps.

Upselling

Encourage your team to upsell. Basically this involves selling related products and or services. In my father’s chemist shop everyone was trained that if a customer bought a toothbrush, they were asked if they needed toothpaste. That’s the point the item must be of benefit to the customer. One of my clients cleans and restores marble, when he is cleaning the marble if he spots a small problem he demonstrates a suitable product and recommends the customer to purchase for emergencies.

Consider the opportunities in your business and write a list. Maybe even your sales order-processing system could be set up to prompt staff.

Would you like some personal help? Email me gareth@gapmanagement.co.uk or phone 01226 290288 for an initial consultation

Improve your marketing message

Make sure that your message helps prospects to understand what you do and why they should contact you. Review your message to ensure you are telling them what you can do for them. When you tell people you are a solicitor you are telling them about yourself, not what you can do for them

For a free review of your current marketing activities and suggestions on how they could be quickly and simply improved please give us a call on 01226 290288 or email Gareth@gapmanagement.co.uk.  My suggestions are free and yours to keep. Usually cost nothing to implement.

Build credibility

People do not buy from companies they buy from people. They buy from people they know, like and trust. Use case studies, testimonials and endorsements in your marketing material to demonstrate what you do and how you meet your customers’ needs.

Benefits

Everyone knows that benefits sell, but the only benefits that sell are those that are relevant to the customer.

For example, there is no point in telling Porsche owners that the 5th gear is for fuel economy they are not interested! You need to discover the benefits from the customer’s point of view.

List the features of your product, and then answer these questions:

• What do the features mean?
• What motive do the features satisfy?
• What advantages do they give your customer? Think in terms of, saving time, money, improving efficiency, productivity, increasing sales. Profits, reducing down time etc.

Do you know all the benefits of the product or service you are selling? By finding out you might find new ways to increase sales.

Increase the frequency of purchase

Be easy to do business with. Make it easy for customers to buy from you repeatedly.

Try walking through your business as a customer and review:

• Your responsiveness to emails and telephone calls
• Follow up on proposals and meetings
• Accurate and timely invoicing

Set up a simple rewards system. It can be as simple as the 5th cup of coffee is free. A discount on a customer’s birthday.

Free samples to customers

Could you include free samples of another product with customer’s orders. These can encourage people to try and if they like the product to buy some of it too. Samples could be passed to colleaques or friends who may also like the product and buy it too.

Know your customers

Do you treat your regular customers the same way as you treat your other customers? Can you create a difference that regular customers will notice to show them that you value them?  Anything from greeting them by name, to giving them special discounts or advance notice of events such as sales.

Increase the number of units sold

Whether it is the number of hours you bill or selling more units what can you do to add additional benefits or solutions?

Understand how your customers define and interpret the value they derive from your products or services.

A restaurant example. A restaurant could decide to offer existing customers 25 percent off for parties of 4 or more for early dinner. The idea gives existing customers a benefit they could share.

If you do decide to develop a campaign like this make sure you can measure the results and keep records.

About GAP Management

GAP Management helps business owners and managers to focus their sales and marketing efforts to be more effective and to find win and keep customers, to grow their businesses and be successful whether they market in person, in print or on the web.

For personal help with marketing and sales to grow your business contact us on 01226 290288 or email gareth@gapmanagement.co.uk