Its holiday season – your sales should be at peak level. But what do you do if they’re not? Get the hell off facebook! Facebook is a great tool. It offers a low cost solution with high reward. But you can’t rely on just facebook for sales. You need to get off your butt and do something different. Here are ten ideas to help you boost your sales. Tried, tested and proven!
- Be your best customer. In a typical day we’ll share pictures of a yummy meal and recommend the restaurant we ate in, we’ll tell our family about a special offer in the supermarket and we’ll snapchat our friends the cute new outfit we just purchased. Why are you not talking about your own products?? Buy them, use them, wear them and recommend them! Let people see how good they are, tell them how good they are – personal recommendations are trusting and will convert into sales.
- Don’t spread yourself too thinly. You’re selling on facebook, twitter, instagram, linkedin, gumtree, netmums and just about every online portal you can. STOP. Research your market, find out where your target market have social media profiles and concentrate on a few of those. marketing to every Tom, Dick & Harry is time consuming and exhausting. Concentrate on the ones you know your best potential customers are.
- Research your local area. Are there lots of mother and toddler or weight loss groups in your area? Or maybe working mens clubs, exercise classes? Approach these types of places. Be armed with catalogues and samples, introduce the owner/leader of the establishment, introduce them to your business and ask if you can leave some things for their customers to look at. Don’t forget to leave them with an incentive as a thank you for doing so.
- Business cards are invaluable. Think about the potential of your business cards. You can display them on shop noticeboards or put a few in the package when sending out orders to customers so when they recommend you they have something to pass on. Jump out of your comfort zone and leave one with the cashier next time you’re in the supermarket paying for your shopping. Leave one with your tip in a restaurant or when you next pay a taxi driver. Slip those babies everywhere you can (without being wasteful!)
- Attend events. Lots of local schools have shopping events, especially as Christmas approaches. Look for local events and get involved. They’re usually quite low cost and are teaming with potential customers. They may not buy on the night but give them a leaflet or business card and they’ll remember you next time they’re looking for what you offer.
- Be cheeky! Do you get direct sales catalogues through your door? If they sell a different line of products to you pop one of your leaflets in there for when they return to collect it. People like to support other local people. You may find yourself with a new customer, or if you’re lucky a new recruit.
- Get yourself some product testers. As I’ve said before, personal recommendations are important. People will buy things that people they know (and trust) have recommended. Advertise for some product testers and send them some samples to use for free, offering them an incentive if they buy the full sized product, in the understanding that they leave you an honest review. This does require a small investment in your business but it will always pay off.
- Just be you. Stop shoving your product under people’s noses in every post. People buy from people. Post things you find funny, things that are trending, insights into your life (keep it positive!) and you will easily convert fans into customers. Get them engaged, grab their interest and they will warm to you and build a trusting relationship with you.
- See the potential in other local businesses. Every town/city has hairdressers, dentists, doctors, hospitals, offices and places like these. Visit these places with some catalogues and samples and introduce your business to the receptionist. Find out if it would be ok to leave these items in their staff rooms/canteens/waiting areas and offer them an incentive. You’ll be surprised how many people say yes.
- Nurture your current customers. Sometimes we get so lost looking for new sales leads we forget the customers we already have. Offer a loyalty scheme, slip a small freebie in with their orders, offer a referral discount, run competitions, link sell your products. Get those customers returning to you.
FM Cosmetics With Terri 