Sales can slow down for a variety of reasons, from seasonal demand fluctuations to tough economic times. Most sales professionals cannot afford to lose sales when clients stop ordering. By developing a collection of strategies to jumpstart sales, you won't be caught off guard during slow periods.
Network
Networking can be a powerful way to jumpstart sales. Analyze your current clients, and identify the decision-makers. What industry organizations and associations do they belong to? If you sell to engineers, for example, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a valuable resource. Attend networking meetings, trade shows and other industry events to meet with crucial contacts. Don't jump in with a sales pitch — engage attendees in discussions about the latest developments, and build relationships with industry influencers and thought leaders.
Outdo Competitors
Occasionally, sales slow down because of a change in your competitors' strategies. Avoid losing customers and jumpstart sales by investigating what competing businesses are doing well. Analyze their products and sales strategies, looking closely at prices, marketing tactics and product features. Then, figure out how you can position your products to make them sound more appealing and more beneficial to customers.
Make Buying Easier
Most customers have multiple options for the same product. If your sales process is too complicated or too confusing, you may be turning off potential customers. To jumpstart sales, spend time streamlining the entire process. Transform a three-step online ordering system into a one-step one. Invest in a new shopping cart system that accepts more forms of payment. Create an online resource for customers that helps answer their questions. The easier it is to buy from you, the fewer barriers there are for the customers to overcome.
Create Partnerships
For sales professionals, it can be expensive and time-consuming to bring in new customers. Boost your sales without draining your resources by building partnerships with complementary businesses. If you sell nutritional supplements, you might partner with a health foods store. Hold events together, or promote each other's products on your blog, in your newsletter or on your social media profiles. In doing so, you'll reach a pre-existing audience that has a high likelihood of being interested in your products.
Work Harder
When sales are slow, it can be tempting to lay low until things pick up. A better and more productive strategy is to work harder. Take advantage of the lull by reaching out to potential new customers and investigating new market sectors. Test out new sales pitches on unlikely clients. Make more cold calls, and send out more emails. Reach out to your existing clients to see if they are satisfied with their last order or have feedback to offer. Even if your efforts don't pay off immediately, they often jumpstart sales down the road.
A slow sales period can be distressing and disheartening. Instead of wasting time worrying about low numbers, take action to boost your business and jumpstart sales. In doing so, you can increase profits in the short and long term.
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