To boost sales, you first have to put yourself in your customer or client’s shoes
It’s called the user experience or the customer journey, and it’s something many small businesses aren’t addressing. Oftentimes when we start a business, our first sales are to family, friends, and acquaintances that already know us. They know our story, they like us, and there is likely some trust there. If they have a question or don’t understand something, they feel comfortable asking.
But what happens when a stranger stumbles upon your website or social channels? What will they find as they look around? Do they understand EXACTLY what you do, who you help, and why and how to buy from you?
Figuring out this user experience/customer journey and then infusing it into your communication is absolutely essential to your marketing. If you’re reading this and are looking to boost sales, there’s more than a decent chance that you’re not doing this as well as you could be. Below, I’ll outline four simple tweaks you can make to your marketing communication that will boost sales and grow your business.
Ready to know exactly what to do to optimize your marketing communication and boost sales????
Make a Connection
Gone are the days of buying from companies and brands just because they’re there. The internet created a way for just about anyone to start a business and sell all over the world, so the choices we have as consumers are limitless. How did that change our buying behavior? People buy from brands and people they know and connect with. So as a business, that means you have to communicate your story, your values, and your mission. Why did you start the business? What do you hope to accomplish other than making money? Another way to look at this is to ask yourself what problems you solve or how you want your customers/clients to feel. Most people buy on some kind of emotion, and they find that connection in your story.
The “About Us” page of your website is a great starting point for this.
Or, if you really want to go next-level with it, include it on your packaging!
Thoroughly Explain What They Get & How it Works (including your sales process!)
This one is more practical and less emotional. Does your customer understand the features and benefits of what you’re offering? For products or stores, this means plenty of photos and a thorough description on a product page. This includes what it’s made of, how to care for it, and sizing information. What can the person expect when they open the package, use it, and clean it? How long does it last?
(P.S. How many times have you bought something from Amazon only to find it was way too big or small?!)
Be RIDICULOUSLY clear on this and you’ll save yourself a lot of customer service time as well. Remember – if someone doesn’t know you they aren’t going to go through some big effort to contact you to figure out if the product is for them – they’ll just go somewhere else!!!
The same applies to service businesses. What exactly will a person get if they hire you? What WON’T they get? Communicate what they can expect AND what you expect from them. This will also serve to qualify your leads before you spend a ton of time on the phone trying to figure out if you’re a fit. And speaking of spending time on the phone… you also need to communicate the sales process. What happens if they schedule a call? What happens after? Clearly explain this and again, you’re going to save yourself a lot of time and frustration.
The bottom line? Don’t make assumptions. You could be losing sales for the simple reason you assume people easily understand what you’re selling and how to purchase. To boost sales, clearly outline exactly what they are getting, what to expect, and how to buy it.
Talk About Outcomes and Results
While you definitely have to explain the features and benefits of what you’re selling, to boost sales you have to talk about tangible outcomes and results of what you sell. Here’s an illustration of this:
A Subaru has airbags and a special braking system (Features)
These features make it one of the safer cars on the market (Benefits)
You can let your teenager drive your car without worrying about what will happen if they get in an accident -peace of mind (Outcomes/Results)
Again, a lot of this ties back into emotions and your why/your mission. You choose your particular business for a reason, so you do have a why and a purpose. The key is tying that into what you’re selling and showing people how it helps get them to that result. This process works for almost every business. Everyone has problems they want to be solved!
Have an online clothing store? You’re trying to help people look their best so they have the confidence and energy to do what they need to do in life. Combine that with the features and benefits of your products and that’s how you need to be talking about your business to boost sales.
Example: “Don’t spend another minute worrying about how you look or feeling self-conscious. These slimming, tummy control leggings will have you feeling great all day to focus on what really matters.”
Highlight What Makes You Different
Businesses are like fingerprints – there are no two that are exactly alike because they are all run by unique people. So you ARE different, but some businesses are better at communicating that than others. It’s called differentiation, but in plain English, it’s just sharing the unique characteristics of you and your business. There’s a whole long list of things you could talk about here, but that’s probably a whole other post. In a nutshell, many differentiators can be found in your story- including your mission, your expertise, who you serve, and the way you do things. To boost sales, you have to stand out and to stand out, you have to communicate why you’re not the same as everyone else.
It’s a crowded, crowded world out there so simply helping people understand why you’re different and giving them a reason to buy from you can help grow your business and improve your sales.
The takeaway? Clear communication helps boost sales – guaranteed
But first, you have to walk a mile in your potential customer/client’s shoes. What would stop them from buying from you? What questions would they have? Is there something that would push them over the edge to hit the “buy now” button rather than closing out the tab? An even better strategy is to ask for feedback from your target market. Heck, even ask someone who isn’t and probably has no idea what you do to evaluate your website and social channels. If they can easily grasp it, then you know you’re on the right track!
Source: https://www.smallbusinesssociety.co/2021/02/27/tweaks-to-boost-sales/
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