Top 10 Ways To Increase Sales In 2010” – Part 1 2
4. Spend money on those who are spending with you
This is not the time to be taking a shotgun approach to sales, trying to sell all things to all people. Rather, this is when you should be targeting those who know you best—particularly customers that have a higher propensity to buy from you in good times and bad. Spend money on those who are spending with you. Don’t make the mistake that so many companies make during an economic downturn, taking a hatchet to their marketing budget. There’s a real opportunity right now for smart companies to step up their advertising and marketing efforts—provided that they are willing to invest the time to target who they are going to reach with their message and then measure the results.
In addition, consider how you can improve up-selling and cross-selling in your current market. Look carefully at who buys your products or services. Let’s say you’re a sales rep for a food-services company and you notice that your product line is selling briskly among women who are Toronto-based restaurant owners in the 45–65 age bracket. Maybe that’s who you should be targeting. Find out what their needs are, and market aggressively to them, showing how your product meets that need.
5. Network
There are many mysteries in life, but this much is clear: nothing can help you get by like a little help from your friends. This is just as true in sales as it is in life. Truly effective sales people – the ones who always have time to make one more prospect call, finish one more project and grow their client base by another 10%, all while bringing fresh-baked cookies to the office every day – all have one thing in common. They are all more likely to employ a broad network of connections, friends, family and acquaintances to help them seize opportunities, and respond to challenges. In other words, the most successful and effective sales people are also the ones who are most likely to ask for help.
Many people feel that networking is something that only business people do – that it’s only used to grow your business, sell more products or find a new job. This simply isn’t true. Think about it on a personal level. Would you rather go to a dentist whose name you found in the phone book, or the one who your neighbor with the perfect smile always recommends? Would you prefer to shop for a used car at the first dealer you come to on the highway or one who’s a personal friend of your sister-in-law’s?
The fact is, in our personal lives as in our careers, we succeed or fail based on our networks, and on people. As has been said many times: “take care of your people (or, in this case, your network), and your business will take care of itself.”
Stay tuned as the next Engaging Ideas issue will reveal Part Two of the Top 10 ways to sell more in 2010 – ideas six to ten!