Do you want to retain your customers, attract new ones and increase sales ? If you have been asking yourself these questions for some time, but do not know where to start, this article, dear entrepreneur, is dedicated to you. Whether it is a pharmacy, a tobacconist’s or any other business activity, sales and, above all, their increase, are the goal of every entrepreneur. These are linked to various other parameters and factors, such as customer loyalty or the evolution of the corporate image, through the aid of new, effective on and offline communication tools.
I always say that to make money a company is not enough to just look at the turnover (which is true): no sales one any company would be doomed to fail .
In this article, therefore, I want to suggest 7 promotional activities to increase sales, whatever your business and in any field it operates. This does not mean generalizing sales strategies, nor even giving random advice, but rather putting my knowledge and my decades of experience as a marketing coach (not guru, nor braggart, it is clear) at your service and your company, in order to find the right way to increase sales and revenues and maintain a constantly rising trend, even in “lean periods”.
1) INCREASE THE CONVERSION RATE
By reading the word “conversion” you are surely thinking of some strange sect or some bizarre magical concoction … none of this! To put it simply, increasing the conversion rate is the basis, as well as the starting point for making passing customers, paying customers! This expression is usually used in the context of e-commerce, but the conversion rate can also be applied in the case of a store or a physical business, where the passing customer not only enters and takes a look, but decides to buy and, possibly, to become a loyal customer. Whether it is an e-commerce or a point of sale, to attract more customers and convince them to purchase, you can resort to various stratagems, even (and above all) online:
- Offer discounts on your first purchase (to be displayed on the home page, or to be promoted directly in the store)
- Create a web page, a landing page (or a brochure / flyer) with discount coupons
- Offer free shipping , shopping assistance and home delivery
2) UPGRADE OF PRODUCTS (AND SERVICES)
I realize that, if your company produces specific goods, in which the cost-benefits must be evaluated and monitored over time, it will not be easy to expand the range of products, much less implement new services for customers. However, as I always say, investing resources in research, development and training always bears good results.
It is therefore necessary to increase the range of articles and services offered , but also to improve their quality. Like? By proposing a new line or product, even for a specific period of time, or by implementing an interactive customer service. I’ll give you an example: some time ago in my blog I reviewed the manual by DaniloForesi (” You can be a craftsman to an entrepreneur: the organized hairdressing method”), In which there was talk of combining the classic hairdressing activity with the creation from scratch of a line of hair care products, to resold in the store and online.
Therefore, to create a new line of products that meets the needs of existing customers, but that attracts new users, attentive, for example, to environmental and vegan issues. And what about the services? The customer “is always right” and needs more and more attention and care. Yes, therefore, to customer assistance that is pre, during and after sales, not only through email and telephone, but also through live chat channels. Whatever the sector in which you operate, it is necessary that you invest in the products and services you offer , because they are themselves the tredz discount code for promoting your business.
3) DEFINE THE RIGHT PRICE
Strengthening and improving the range of products offered is one of the winning promotional activities for increasing sales and addressing a wider audience (but not losing sight of your target audience and your market niche), nevertheless you have to pay also pay attention to another factor, which most of all influences in the choice and purchase of a specific product or service … the price! However great your products and services may be, and however much you want to maximize your profit from sales, setting the wrong price can lead to great failure .
So be careful not to offer too high prices (and thus exclude a good slice of the market), but not too low (and thus make your product “undesirable”, making it appear of poor quality). In addition to your price list, it is advisable that you offer discounts or special offers in conjunction with certain events, periods of the year, or linked to a certain line of products.
4) STORYTELLING AND SHOPPING EXPERIENCE: PLAY ON EMOTIONS
Whether it’s a dress, a policy or a beauty product, selling is increasingly synonymous with… thrilling! I already read in your faces the amazement and disbelief in associating these two concepts, apparently distant, but which actually play an important role for each other, especially in the digital age and online sharing. Exciting your customer in-store, but also online , means involving them not only in the purchase itself, but also in the whole process that revolves around it. Entering a shop or a welcoming office puts the potential buyer at ease and makes them more likely to spend more time there, as well as stimulate them to buy. Lights, sounds, layout of space, smells… but also storytelling is online shopping, come into play to win over the customer and convince him to buy.
Storytelling (literally telling a story) aims to excite through a real story, through images and / or texts, which depict the evolution or the path of how a product was born, of those who made it or the purposes (ethical, social, environmental …). Telling a story (well) not only involves the user, but helps your business to convey and transmit its business philosophy “lightly”, as well as promoting the launch of new products or services.
5) CREATIVE PACKAGING
The dress is not the Monaco, but the packaging can said , however, much of a product . A cardboard box with some logo or funny image on it is not enough to define itself as a creative packaging, much less effective for attracting the potential customer. Would you buy a pair of shoes from the anonymous and little studied box? The answer is definitely no, although many of you certainly struggle to admit it. Believe it or not, the wrapper also plays an important, if not fundamental, role in helping to increase sales . Because? Simple, even through the packaging you can convey messages about the product or service you offer, company policy and, why not, it can also become the subject of original shots that will go to the front pages of some social networks. Like?
- Evocative images
- Effective phrases, slogans or jokes (perhaps using some pearls of the “web lyricists”)
- Packaging in recycled paper, which symbolizes the environmental vocation of your company
6) LIMITED EDITIONS
The charm of the exclusive always attracts everyone! Whether you like it or not, few are able to resist limited editions and to grab an almost unique product with a limited edition, which, over time, can also see its value grow exponentially. Limited edition products may seem an inexpensive idea and that only affects a small market niche, but in reality they produce, in most cases, a high conversion rate, generating value for those who buy it and also for the image of who creates it .
Making a shoe, a candy or a service available for a certain period of time and in a predetermined number, “forces” the customer to do everything to be able to buy it … and it is precisely in this case that high prices are not a constraint, on the contrary, they contribute even more to making the object or service desirable and indispensable.
7) BRAND IDENTITY: POSITIVE ONLINE REVIEWS
Thinking of increasing sales without a minimum of word of mouth or direct or indirect advertising is crazy! In addition to the classic banner advertising on the internet, retargeting or the classic TV commercial (which can be very expensive), your brand identity played online. One of the most effective advertisements are, in fact, positive reviews and their diffusion through the most popular or influential social networks . Word of mouth of the new millennium passes, in fact, from social networks such as Instagram or Facebook, as well as successful blogs, through which there is greater resonance and the possibility of reaching a wider audience .
But beware of the pitfalls of the web: positive reviews can decree immediate success, which can boost sales, but just a negative review (mostly fake or some hater) is enough to discredit a particular product , if not even your company name. These seven promotional activities are just a small part of the strategies you can adopt to increase sales and evolve your business. Entrepreneurs can’t improvise and you need a real marketing coach to boost your business.