09 Apr 6 Ways to Generate Sales for Your Business Right Now
With the current situation, there are two routes your business can take: pause or pivot. Foot traffic and sales may be dwindling on the daily, but that doesn’t mean every avenue to cash flow has to be boarded up. The most successful businesses and leaders will look at what is possible because of this challenge and be willing to adapt their sales funnels and plans. Here are 6 ways that you can generate sales in your small business right now.
1. Shift Your Services Online
The most practical route to continue offering your services, is to shift to an online sales platform. If you are a retailer, an online shop may already have been on your to-do list. Now is your chance to invest in eCommerce. For Wellness Instructors, you should look into offering online classes. In fact, if you are an expert in next to anything, an online course is always a reasonable avenue through which to generate sales and will very likely become a passive or alternative revenue generator when you can reopen your brick & mortar.
2. Shift to Serve Essential Problems
A goal for any business should be the ability to identify and solve current problems, in a way that benefits your sales. Specific to the current pandemic, we are seeing businesses shift as follows: Party rental businesses are now offering emergency service. Liquor companies are now producing in-demand batches of hand sanitizer. And caterers are doing their best to stock community pantries or are now offering ready-made meal services. Sign companies are creating Plexi shields for grocery stores and medical workers. What skills or products do you have that can be shifted to the essential problems that need solving now?
3. Pay it Forward Program
Considering the current economic climate, a pay it forward program is a great way to involve the community in supporting your small business while getting an immediate influx of cash. This can include a retail shop or yoga studio offering gift cards, or creating a membership program for your restaurants or event company where customers receive special perks (like priority seating or special discounts) when they pre-buy now.
4. Grab the Low Hanging Fruit
We’re talking to a lot of business pros, all with a dizzying array of possible ideas and paths. Our advice? Don’t overcomplicate things. Pick the easier thing you can implement the fastest and then build on that. That may mean you post your 5 best selling items for sale on social media now and not get bogged down because you don’t have an online shop on your website.
5. Ask for the Sale
This is the number one mistake people make in sales is not to ask for the sale – crisis or not. You need to ask people to buy from you and not feel guilty about that. If you are solving a problem for someone, you have the right to be compensated for this. You may not be opportunistic or manipulative but you may be paid for your efforts. Our go-to question to close a sale is “How does that sound?”
6. Stop Serving Your Ego
Your ego is clinging to what was and getting in your way for moving forward. Set aside your need to preserve past paths to success. It is this now. You will have to be creative and let go of your sense of entitlement to carve a path that works. Doing what works now, not holding on to what did, will generate sales. Instead get creative and be open to any and all possibilities. Ask for help. This means you may have to do things you don’t want or never wanted to do, in order to make sure your business is still standing in the end. Still struggling here? Check out these actionable principles you can take to lead others and yourself, right now.
Do you need help shifting your business online or adjusting your marketing strategy to generate sales? Path & Compass is here to help with Small Business Marketing Kits. We can help with building new sales funnels, online shops and pivoting to solving new problems as well as update messaging and marketing tools to connect you to customers and maximize new opportunities. Reach out today to get started, at inquiry@pathandcompass.com.