Every business experiences cycles of sales; all have busy seasons and slow seasons. Some have to wait until the job is done to get paid. For whatever reason, your sales will have natural rhythms.
In order to stay in business, it is necessary to be prepared for the rhythms of sales.
The right marketing techniques will help you to accomplish more continuity in your flow of sales, helping you to avoid those times when it’s hard to keep the bills paid. Here’s how:
1. Start Your Year with a Good Marketing Plan
You must be intentional about your marketing campaign. Understand that you will have lapses in sales and learn how to prepare for them. Marketing at strategic times will combat the slow seasons. Plan for a postcard mailing campaign a week or two before the slow season hits. Then send out steady reminders and sales ads to your target customers.
2. Advertise When Business is Going Well
There is a simple formula you can use to decide how much to spend on marketing. Begin by learning from past sales trends. During periods of high sales, invest in a bigger marketing campaign. When sales are slow, then invest in a smaller one. For instance, if spring is a high sales time and summer is slow then you should spend more on postcards and flyers in spring to prepare for summer and then less in summer because fall is already a good sales season. Use good times to prepare for the bad.
3. Follow Up on Advertisements
When you promote your business, get contact information from prospective customers. In your ads, encourage people to call you or check out your web site. Make sure you lure them in with good bait like a pretty good discount, freebie or a coupon. While you have them inside your store, on the phone at logged onto your website, give them a reason to want to give you their contact information. Once you have their information, follow up. Give them a call or send them an email within 24 hours. Otherwise, you will lose the energy that brought them to you in the first place.
4. Take Advantage of Postcard Marketing and Direct Mail
Contrary to popular belief, postcard printing and marketing is inexpensive and grabs attention very well. As long as you have a mailing list, then you can send personalized postcards out to your target audience every week or so. You will keep your name fresh on consumers minds so that when they need your product or service they will come to you.
Don’t let off-seasons catch you by surprise. Let marketing be your greatest strength and you are sure to succeed.
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