Last Updated on March 26, 2023 by hassan abbas
World Bank statistics show that there are over 316 million small businesses worldwide, all of them vying for customers. In such a cutthroat market, it’s important to have a clear-cut plan to gain market share. This article explores the best tips from sales classes to improve your sales and give your business a firm grip on the market.
Know your customers
The customer is a business’s number one asset. So, it’s important to stay in touch with your customers’ needs and deliver beyond their expectations.
Take time to dig deeper and understand their pain points. When you’re in tune with and can address your customer’s needs, you can build a loyal following and earn their trust. Thorough customer research can give you an edge over similar brands.
According to Zendesk, 52% of customers will go out of their way to buy from brands they are loyal to. Statistics compiled by Finances Online say that repeat buyers spend an average of a third more than new customers per sale.
One of the best ways to understand your customers’ needs is to engage them on a regular basis. Listen to their opinions by conducting surveys. You can also relate to them through your social media channels. Glean their thoughts on your products or services and on your customer service.
Once you know your patrons better, you can work to improve your weaknesses and double down in the areas your business excels in.
Offer promotions and discounts to pull buyers
Running promotions exclusively for your current customers can help give them a sense of belonging that can increase loyalty.
So, sales classes advise running promotions for current customers regularly, for example on a monthly or quarterly basis. With a consistent schedule for promotions, you can wet your customer’s appetite as they look forward to the next offer. This is a handy method to boost your sales.
You can also run irregular promotions to attract new buyers, such as free trials of your products and services.
Promotions can also spur customers to refer you to people they know. According to Nielsen, buyers are four times more likely to buy a product or service when referred by a friend.
Use social media effectively
Statistics compiled by Backlinko show that close to 60% of the world’s population is active on social media. So, it pays to develop your business’s social media presence so that you can continuously engage with your customers and attract new buyers.
Make the right impression on buyers by creating profiles that pack a punch to draw the right kind of attention. Strong profiles communicate what your business does and show your company’s personality.
Remember, each social platform has its own etiquette and rules of engagement. So fine tune your content based on the social media platform. You can also take advantage of paid advertising opportunities on different platforms to pull more buyers your way.
That said, it helps to maintain consistent branding across platforms. For instance, keep your brand colors regardless of the site you’re on. While it may be tempting to shake things up, you may end up confusing your buyers.
Use email marketing
The buyer’s journey is seldom a short and straightforward path. From the time you encounter the prospect up until you land the sale, you will likely require several interactions and touchpoints. Email marketing is a cost-effective way to interact with and convert a prospect into a buyer.
When you keep in touch with customers, you stay at the top of their minds. So, use your emails to give a voice to your offers. Educate readers about your products or services, specials, and discounts. You can also throw in some testimonials and case studies to shine a spotlight on the value of your sales offer.
Remember to be succinct and stick to the point. Readers can get lost in long-winded emails. It also helps to create strong subject lines to grab the reader’s attention quickly. Consider taking copywriting classes to craft emails that convert.
On the whole, understand your customers and meet their needs. Also, offer discounts to attract new buyers and to hang on to current buyers. Remember to use social media and email marketing to stay in touch with customers.
