By
Allyn Cutts
Marketers
from every niche have common ground when it comes to bills. Yeah,
every month there’s a new stack of bills demanding to be paid. Will
there be enough profit to slide right through bill paying time
without a flinch? Or do you find yourself fretting about whether
you’ll even break even? You don’t have to be victimized by envelopes
and 8x10 sheets of paper. Implement these 3 techniques to boost your
sales.
1.
Find More Customers - The
first thing that comes to mind when we think of making more money is
getting more customers through our doors. In fact, the majority of
advertising focuses on doing just that. There are several things you
can do to entice more customers to buy from you.
Implement
Follow-Ups - Marketing
gurus have discovered that follow ups can increase your customer
conversion rates by as much as 50%. Now, that’s a whopping
improvement! Don’t let potential customers fade away. Keep the doors
for future communication open, and watch the drastic growth in your
profits.
Encourage
Referrals - Every
satisfied customer will tell 3 friends or family members about your
business - without encouragement. Imagine what would happen if you
start rewarding their efforts.
Get
Free Publicity - Nearly
everyone keeps a sharp eye on the local news. Hey, it’s funner to
know what’s going on when you personally recognize the names and
faces in print! Find ways to make your business newsworthy and catch
the attention of potential customers without even paying advertising
fees.
2.
Sell More Per Customer - Think
about it... how can you get every customer that walks through your
doors to spend more money before walking back out the doors? Here
are 3 sure-fire, profit increasing tips:
Increase
your prices. - Hey,
that might not be as bad as you think. Along with the price
increase, focus on increasing the perceived value of your product.
Yeah, we all expect to pay a little more for high quality stuff. Not
everyone is bent on finding the absolute cheapest price in town...
they may be more interested in lasting quality.
Add
some higher end products or services to your business. -
It’s
never wise to put all of your eggs in one basket. That’s why wise
marketers diversify their products and services. Think of it this
way... higher priced products may not make as many sales, but each
sale will bring in a much greater profit. You don’t need to make as
many sales to come out on the best end of the deal.
Upsell
- Offer
every customer an additional product that accents his current
purchase at the register. Hey, maybe they forgot they’d need
batteries to go with the toy they're getting for their niece's
birthday gift! You can be a hero... a richer hero.
3.
Sell More Often - The
fact that it’s easier to sell to the people who know and trust you
is obvious. Sometimes we get so focused on new customers that we
miss the gold mine in our own back yard. Take advantage of the hard
work you’ve invested in winning the loyal customers you already have
with these ideas:
Create
a Special Deal - Show
your customers you appreciate them and understand their needs with a
special offer catered just for them. You’ll be thanking them, and
selling more in the process.
Add
New Products - Increase
the number of products you already have available - especially
products that your customers have asked for. They’ll know that
you’re looking out for them, and you’ll take their thanks to the
bank.
Communicate
- Resell
yourself on a regular basis. Don’t forget to let them know about
upcoming specials that they’ll appreciate. Most of all... keep
selling them on the benefits of the products or services you
offer.
About the author - Allyn Cuts has spent over 24 years helping
businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales to
current customers. He is a marketing and sales fanatic, providing
measurable marketing solutions that drive huge results for small-to
mid-size business clients. Allyn works personally with clients to
design and deliver off-line and on-line direct marketing strategies
that focus on metrics and measurable results. You can learn more
about Allyn Cutts at http://www.AllynCutts.com.