9 Ways To Boost Sales By 20% In Any Business

1. FORGET ME NOT

Get your messaging right. You want to steer clear of being remembered for all the wrong reasons. And you also want to avoid being instantly forgettable. When it comes to messaging, be bold, articulate and inspiring in what you have to offer customers.

Think about the biggest, most truthful claim you can make about your business.

Do you have a USP? Consider why your customers choose you over the competition and amplify the message.

Above all, many businesses are still 'people businesses', and how your customers feel when they engage with you and your team - whether directly or indirectly, virtually or in-person - it all matters.

2. FIRST APPEARANCES

Everybody knows the importance of making a positive first impression. So why do so many businesses only give it lip service? You should regularly review the entire customer experience and genuinely strive to see your business through their eyes.

Is the entire buying experience straightforward and a pleasant experience? Or is it complicated, tiresome or confusing? Remember, from a sales perspective, confusion creates indecision.

?3. KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER

Really understand the mind and motivations of your customer. Sounds obvious; sounds easy. But few businesses get this spot on.

It's important to ask the right questions, in the right way at the right time. There is a pace and a sequence to questions, which will help you establish a natural process of discovery for your customer.

But be patient and don't be in a hurry to hurtle through your questions, just because you think you know the ending. Listening and learning from new and existing customers is essential to building rapport. And if you don't have rapport, it makes the selling process a whole lot harder.

4. TESTIMONIALS

You've got an amazing product or service? Well, you would say that wouldn't you?

When a happy customer is prepared to vouch for you, there are a few more powerful marketing tools at your disposal. How this works might depend on the nature of your business.

Sometimes this might be verified testimonials on your website - in text or video. For bigger ticket items or more discreet businesses, it might be offering to connect potential customers with existing clients to have a private conversation. Don't underestimate the power of social proof.

5. FACTS TELL, STORIES SELL

What sets humans apart, is their ability to communicate to others through the art of storytelling. And it is an art.

Buying decisions from your customers are highly emotional in their nature. And using a narrative to convey the benefits to potential buyers of buying your products or services is critical. Facts and figures can be important, but it depends upon how they are used to tell the story and make your prospect feel.

6. YOU SHOULD GET OUT MORE

Whether your team members are office-based or remote, the same working environment day in, day out can breed monotony and you can lose your edge as a sales machine.

Regular training and coaching sessions held off-site, can be an effective antidote, through acting as a kind of pattern disruptor - and a way to develop the team without office distractions. Not to mention the power of guided learning and improvement.

7. THE 80 / 20 RULE

We've all heard of the Pareto principle or the 80/20 rule. It applies to sales in a very obvious way.

First, it takes less time, money and effort to generate sales from existing customers, than it does from new customers. In other words, customer retention is more valuable than customer acquisition. Not to say that new business is not important... but we are talking bang for your bucks.

Second, the majority of sales will be easy wins, compared to the hard slog required for a minority of sales. Always be clear where to find (or at least identify) the easy wins.

8. SALES PROCESS

What does your sales process look like and how does your sales and marketing funnel actually work? Some businesses are clear and others are not.

It's crucial to have a handle on every detail and understand the rationale behind why you do it this way. What's been tested, what assumptions have you challenged and how can you continually improve the system? Again, it comes back from seeing things through your customer's eyes and analysing the data...

9. METRICS & KPIs

And talking of data... what gets measured gets understood. And what gets understood gets improved.

For example, if you track what happens in your sales and marketing funnel at every stage, it becomes a simple exercise to spot where the problems lie if your sales numbers are not where they need to be.

Which part of the funnel is under-performing? The number of enquiries? The number of outbound calls? Face to face meetings? Proposals sent out? Agreements signed? Invoices sent out? Whatever and wherever the issue, you can pinpoint it and take the necessary steps to resolve it.

Without clear data, you're guessing...

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