10 Tips That Will Increase Sales This Christmas
Nov 17, 2009 | Posted by bryan in Business Development, Featured | 0 Comments
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Top 10 Ways to Increase Sales Over the Holidays
Hopes run high that a healthy consumer spending index this holiday season will help jumpstart the economy into a more pronounced recovery. November and December are the hottest months of the year for retail, and despite the current economy, this year will be no different. Here are some tips to help make the most of this time.
Advertise More
Make sure people know what you sell, and that you are there for them in this stressful season. Without advertising, your business won’t grow. Enough advertising is absolutely essential to bringing in business.
Up Sell
Up selling is when you give a consumer options as to what they want. You might have a budget vacuum, a middle-of-the-line model, and a truly excellent model. Find out their price cap and then work from there. Often someone will be willing to spend “just a little extra” for something that is a gift.
Cross Sell
Similar to up selling, cross selling is when you offer many products that go together. If someone is purchasing a vacuum, be sure to show them the attachments that go with it.
Offer Free Shipping
Free shipping goes a long way toward sweetening the purchase someone is making. Offering free shipping for purchasing a certain dollar value has made Amazon untold amounts of money. The idea of saving seven dollars on shipping, but getting an extra item for nine dollars is very appealing to shoppers; they would rather have something tangible than spend money on a service.
Give Cashiers the Power to Make the Customer Happy
Suppose a customer comes up and wants to use a coupon. Upon inspection, the coupon is expired, and the customer doesn’t want the item if they can’t use the coupon. This is one example where the cashier should be allowed to save the sale – manually give the customer at least a partial discount.
Make the Shopping Easy & Convenient
If your online shopping and shipping system is overly complex (more than 5 separate screens, for example) people may become frustrated and go elsewhere – even if they end up paying more for the item.
Host Holiday Events at Your Store
If you run a pet store, offer the local shelter to exhibit their puppies for adoption. If you run a music store, invite the local high school show choir to sing carols. Anything that increases the likelihood that someone will come to your store will increase sales.
Remember to Hire Extra Staff
Customers want a quick and easy shopping experience. The brick-and-mortar equivalent of making checking out easy is to make sure there are enough people manning your store to ensure customers don’t have to wait.
Stay Open Extra Hours
If you are closed on Sundays, consider having extra sales days. If you usually close at six in the evening, stay open later. Be sure to advertise your new hours everywhere – and update your website with them as well.
Remember to Promote Gift Cards
Their friend loves camping, but the customer doesn’t know what exactly they have. If you don’t offer a gift card, you are most certainly losing out on that revenue. Most stores have this option now, but if you don’t, make sure you do. And if you already offer gift cards, be sure to hype them.