Whether you have been running a small mom and pop business in Eugene for several years or you are dreaming of opening your own company in Roseburg, Florence, Portland or anywhere else in the beautiful Beaver state, it is imperative that you find and use effective ways to increase your sales. After all, you can have the coolest products and nicest team of people working for you — not to mention a great location and fair prices — but if you don’t find ways to keep the profits coming in, your small business may be in trouble.
In order to jump start your sales as much as possible, check out the following ideas:
Use Technology to the Fullest
When used correctly, technology can definitely help increase sales. For example, consider using a customer relationship management (CRM) software program that can help you track your current customers and their purchases, store information on potential customers, see what a client has been contacted about by your team and also streamline price quotes and invoices. If you use advanced CRM software like Infor CRM, ensure that your employees have access to a form of continuing education that will help them stay up to date on the latest technology changes that occur within the sales space. For example, encourage your team to visit the Customer FX Video Library, which has over 300 free videos that cover everything related to Infor CRM (Saleslogix), including product training.
Use Social Media to Advertise to Locals
While advertising in local publications can be a good way to bring in more customers, it can also be pricey. You can advertise on Facebook, which is typically far less expensive than traditional ads and can also let you advertise to people who live within a certain distance from your business. This hyper-local approach to advertising may bring in more customers who didn’t realize you were in their neighborhood and/or are devoted to supporting local companies. You can also use your regular Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts to get the word out about your products to all of the people who have “liked” or followed your pages.
Communicate Your Goals and Reward Your Team
Instead of vague goals like “We need to increase our profits this month,” come up with tangible targets and let your team of employees in on your plans. Hold a meeting and announce that you hope to land five new clients this month, or sell 10 dozen more decorated cookies or two dozen more articles of clothing. Let your employees know that you are working on advertising to bring more people in the door. Promise your team that when you reach whatever goal you decide upon, you will reward them in a fun way — maybe by bringing in lunch for everyone, giving them half a day off or treating them to a movie night at a local theater.
Make Sure You Are Priced Properly
Another proven strategy that can increase sales is to research what your competitors are charging for similar products or services. If sales have been slowing down, you may find other companies are charging far less for the same thing. If this is the case, over-deliver in other ways that make the higher price seem worth it. For example, ship immediately at a lower price, offer outstanding customer service and a better selection and motivate your customers to order again by offering incentives like a bonus freebie or a discount on a future sale.
