Tweet

Sales Tips to give your sales a boost in 2010

Guest post by: Karen Andrews

Article Overview: customers, the same results can be achieved. Besides, you can find new customers from referrals within your existing client base. Here is a couple of quick tips to help you build your revenue in 2010.

Sales Tips to give your sales a boost in 2010

Well the holidays are definitely over and everything is back in full swing, with most of the people I'm coming across brimming with positivity and confidence about the year ahead. As always at this time of year, it's important to re-evaluate your goals and what you want to achieve this year. Remember, if "nothing changes, then nothing changes" so it's important to reflect on what worked last year, what didn't work and what you will do differently.

I am currently recommending to my clients that they do some analysis on their existing customers, what revenue they have brought in, what they have bought and what opportunity there is to cross sell and upsell.

Many people spend so much time and effort trying to generate new sales that if they simply focused on cross-selling or up-selling to existing customers, the same results can be achieved.

Besides, you can find new customers from referrals within your existing client base.

Here is a couple of quick tips to help you build your revenue in 2010.

1. Analyse your Customer spend

Analyse your customer database and find out what percentage of sales each customer contributed to the overall revenue. Classify your customers into A, B and C level depending on the spend, percentage or value to the business.

Dig deeper and list out what products or services they bought and what else they could get some value or benefit from.

2. Love your Customers

When was the last time you sat down in front of your customers and had a strategic business discussion regarding plans and goals? tMake appointments with all your A class customers and those B and C customers that are valuable to the business or have the potential to grow and ask them

- what does 2010 have in store for your business?

- what are the goals of the business this year?

- how can we make dealing with our business easier?

- is there anything else we can do for you?

- are you aware we also offer (insert new product/service)?

We often take it for granted that our customers know all about our business and the products and services we offer. Take the opportunity to inform them of your plans for the year and what products or services they aren't buying that you feel they could benefit from, and why.

3. Develop an Account Management Plan

Based on your A, B and C tiers develop a plan on how often each of tiers should get a visit from yourself or your salespeople. This will strengthen or improve the relationship and help to keep competitors at bay. The goal should be to have not just satisfied customers but LOYAL and satisfied customers. The frequency of visit depends on the type of business you have but as an example:

- A Class must be visited at least 4 times year

- B Class must be visited at least 2 times per year

- C Class must be visited at least once per year or at least proactively contacted by phone

4. Go back in time

Go back through your records and do a comparison of sales from 2008 to 2009 (calender or financial year, whichever is appropriate). Are there customers that have reduced their spending? Are there customers that stopped spending with you?

Just because they haven't bought from you last year, doesn't mean they don't need you this year. Pick up the phone, make an appointment and get back in contact with your old customers

5. Never underestimate face to face time

Although we live in a time of technology, where just about everything can be done without meeting face to face, never underestimate the value of sitting in front of people. It may seem like a time-consuming, costly exercise but I can just about guarantee that sales will be made (and quicker) when you sit in front of new and existing customers.

It might seem easier to email a proposal but how many times do you play phone tag, wait for them to cal you back and suddenly two weeks has gone by and your still waiting to talk to them? When you sit in front of someone and present your solution in person, you have their complete attention, you can answer any questions and determine their readiness to buy. It really does improve your conversions (quote to sale ratio) and speed up the sale.

Related Articles
  5 Sales Coaching Advice that will Help Increase your Sales
  Creating The Perfect Holiday PR Pitch: Tapping Into The Billion $ Spending Season
  How Many Ways Can You Calculate 2010?
  3 Quick Copy Tips to Boost Web Sales
  Orchard survey shows that CEOs expect business climate to improve in 2010
  What Makes You Think You Have a Sales or Recruiting Process?
  Strong Retail Sales Offer a Bright Outlook for 2011
  Get Out of the Way and 8 Tips for Sales Success
  3 Key Tips on How to Make Sales Incentives Work for Your Business"
  A Successful Sales Model: The Key to Franchisee Success
  Promotional Marketing With Samples
  Top Online Business Opportunities 2010 Part Three
  10 Ways to Better Manage & Motivate Your Sales Team
  QuickBooks 2010 - Download This Product Update (R5) for Less Intrusive Marketing
  Want to do something different?
  Ingenious Concept of The Unified Tribe
  Is Your Goal to Increase Sales A Wish or Something More?
  Baseball's General Managers versus Business' Sales Managers
  Tip of the week - It's never too early to start connecting
  Your Gift for Being Good

Article Tags: closed questions, increase sales, managing sales, open questions, prospecting, questioning, sales, sales coach, sales expert, sales objections, sales person, sales pipeline, sales strategy, sales tips, sales tricks, salespeople, strategic selling



Related Forum Posts
Business Tips - How about: Tips for managers to handle employees more effectively? Tips on how to deal with difficult customers? Tips on how to deal more effectively with suppliers? The only three I have in mind right now, but will try to come up with something else. Chris
Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz] I second the request...
outsourcing sales - Hello My name's Chris from England, I'm new to this forum. I am launching a new start up next month, a bicycle billboard company. I have two questions: What would it take to convince your business to adopt a new advertising medium that you hadn't used before? Would you recommend outsourcing sales for small start ups? (I am considering using an outsourcing company / freelance individuals to book appointments and recruit and manage a Field Sales team as I do not have experience in sales and would prefer to leave it to professionals)
Re: Just got laid off, new user - Welcome! Sorry to hear about the lay off. Times are really tough right now for anyone who isn't extremely wealthy. If you want to be your own boss and are willing to try sales, I'd like to talk to you about a lucrative reseller position that you could start with just a car, a smile, and a phone. I know sales isn't for everyone, but if you're willing to give it an honest try, 2 -3 sales per month could be a very good income. Let me know. Otherwise, be creative with what you know you already have going for you and I know you'll figure out a way to be a great entrepreneur!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Stay Employed In A Down Economy

The Substance Abusing Employee

What To Do With a Troublemaker?

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.