Top Tips
Put A Rocket Up Your Business!
In today’s market, it is vital to keep one step ahead of the competition by
continually improving product and service offerings and to look at clever
ways in which to increase brand awareness and boost sales. Those businesses
that fail to move with the times risk losing out on valuable sales and will
ultimately be left behind.
In order to help, David Robertson, Chief Executive of Bibby Financial
Services, has developed 10 top tips to help owners and managers shoot for
the top and skyrocket their sales for long-term, stratospheric success.
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Strike while the iron is hot — respond to customers and
prospects within 24 hours — leave it any longer and their interest will
have waned or they will have gone to the competition. Always remember,
time is your scarcest resource, visiting a prospect that has no intention
of buying your product or service is a waste of time for them and you.
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Benefits in kind — your customers don’t really want to
know what your products do, they want to know what the benefits to them
will be. Keep your sales message very simple, focus on the key benefits
and lead with the one that has the strongest selling appeal and make sure
that all pricing is straightforward and clear.
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It’s good to talk — it’s amazing how little, firms
actually talk to their customers. There is a wealth of opportunity and
information in their existing client base. Increase your sales revenue by
talking to clients, find out what they want and most importantly, learn
how to adapt and change to suit those client needs.
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Don’t exist in a vacuum — keep your eyes and ears open
and watch what the competition is up to. Are your competitors
undercutting you on price? Is the competition stealing your key customers
from under your nose? Keeping tabs on your rivals will help you stay one
step ahead of the game and ensure you don’t lose valuable market share.
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Never say never — just because prospective customers do
not buy from you the first time they learn about your product or service
does not mean they will never be interested. You could potentially lose
many sales if you do not revisit those prospects further down the line.
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Smooth the way — make it as easy as possible for
customers to buy from you — accept credit cards, don’t ask for
unnecessary information, if you have a website have a simple online order
form. Every non-essential action in the buying process is an opportunity
for your customer to turn around, reverse their decision and cause you to
lose a sale.
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Get the word out — want to tell the world how great your
product or service is but can’t afford to promote your business? Then
think again. Public Relations is a great way of getting free publicity.
If you cannot afford to employ a PR agency write your own press releases
in the manner of a news story and send it to your local papers and
business magazines, whose contact details can often be found on their
websites.
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Prize your assets — a handful of big customers can be
responsible for a large proportion of your profits. Reward your long
standing clients by offering them a discount off their next order or
invite them to a special event that lets them know how much you value
their loyalty.
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Look after the pennies — the pounds should look after
themselves. When was the last time you negotiated with your suppliers?
Think what a five or 10% reduction in costs could have on your profits.
Many businesses get stuck in a rut with suppliers and forget to push them
for bulk or loyalty discounts. Take a look at what new suppliers would
charge you — you will soon know if you are paying a fair price.
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Partner power — increase your clout and work smarter by
teaming up with another firm that you don’t compete with in a similar
situation to share advertising or printing costs. You could team your
product up with another complementary product to leverage additional
promotional opportunities.
David Robertson concludes, “Boosting sales, increasing your profits and
leveraging your competitive edge needn’t be a pipe-dream and doesn’t have
to cost you the earth. In today’s cutthroat market, standing still or
burying your head in the sand is just not an option and by following the
tips above, should ensure that your business continues to shoot for the top
and fires on all cylinders.”
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