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How to increase wholesale sales of women's clothing. How to increase your wholesale sales. Features of wholesale trade

Crisis, crisis, crisis! Now we only hear about him. And since our clients are all business owners, we also hear the same thing all the time: “Sales are falling!

Clients don't have money. There are no customers either! And the main question now for everyone is how to increase sales in a crisis? How? How? Change and accelerate!

Again this crisis...

Yes, unfortunately the 90s are over, the 2000s are over. Many people want to run their own business, and the market has not been as capacious as it used to be.

And during the crisis, it also decreases. Therefore, my favorite saying becomes more relevant than ever: “Now it is not the big that absorbs the small, but the fast slow”.

Hooray! Yes I am faster

And indeed it is. The sooner your company can: change the prices of goods/services.

And also change inefficient employees, find new line products, the faster you will break away from competitors or even increase your sales during a crisis.

In this article, I gave a very good example about our client, who, before the crisis, fired all the old employees and hired new ones.

In my opinion, this is not even a great example of acceleration in a crisis, but in a pre-crisis moment, which for me just compared it with the Delphic Oracle. So be sure to read it.

But enough philosophy...

Let's figure out exactly how and what needs to be done to increase sales in a crisis. Both retail and wholesale.

There are 2 proven ways to increase sales during a crisis, which are used collectively or individually:

  1. cut costs
  2. Reduce prices

If I fully agree on cost reduction, then I don't agree on dumping. Reducing the price, especially in a crisis, has not brought anyone to anything good. There are more interesting ways...

Sales increase: 8 tools

At first glance, it seems that nothing will save you in a crisis, but there is a way out. Now I will tell you about the main tools and how they can affect the increase in sales.

I warn you right away, you know these tools very well. And so, let's get started.

1. Product

First of all, you need to find another supplier with a cheaper similar product line (by the way, I recently heard on the radio that saying “product line” is wrong.

It is necessary to say “product range”, but this is so, by the way. Thus, you can capture a new niche.

A good example is a manufacturer stretch ceilings we have in Irkutsk. They have always been in the segment of an expensive manufacturer.

However, before the crisis, a separate direction was singled out - cheap wholesale, with low prices, minimal guarantees and simply disgusting service (as the owner said: “So that a person clearly understands where he has come!”.

And you know, it's gone! So much so that now this direction takes up to 30% of their turnover!

Alternatively, also make a cheap-medium-expensive product if you only had an average.

Thanks to this, you will be able to expand the sales market and, perhaps, a decrease in sales in one segment will happen to you imperceptibly, thanks to an increase in sales in another.

For example, I give a picture as we showed on the website of one of our clients that he has wallpapers for every taste, starting from the cheapest (the prices, to be honest, are nowhere cheaper).


Range

2. Price

The easiest way to keep sales in a crisis is not to lower the price, but to leave it at the same level.

Just teach your salespeople/sales managers how to sell normally.

Showing your competitive advantages, work out or “orally add” new qualities to it (I think the article below will help you with this).

I know that this will be extremely difficult to do. After all, what is the most important weapon of a bad seller (read lazy)? Right! Discounts! That is why they will convince you to lower the price:

  1. Competitors have lower prices
  2. Customers demand a discount otherwise they will leave;
  3. We cannot sell at such high prices;
  4. And a million other reasons.

Important! Do not agree to this and do not follow the lead of your managers in the desire to reduce the price.

Sales during a crisis with such a strategy may increase slightly, but profits are unlikely to grow with this approach. So leave the price the same.

3. Scripts

Answer just one question. Do you have sales scripts for managers? If yes, how long ago did you update them.

You won’t believe it, but scripts for selling goods on social networks are increasingly being ordered in this direction.

Which once again confirms that only those who quickly navigate the crisis will be able to win. And another question. How long ago did you change your presentation materials?

4. Automation

Put all employees on reporting. Moreover, make them both daily and weekly (I don’t even mention monthly, a priori it should be).

Be sure to implement various automatic reminders and control over their implementation. Optimize business processes.

How? Very simple. For example, an accountant can submit all documents for a client to a manager in Bitrix 24, instead of the same Skype (one of our clients switched to such a system and is not overjoyed).

Remember, in any crisis, automation of all business processes defeats chaos.

And if you implement in your company not just CRM, but a whole one, then you will be head and shoulders above (and more successful than) 80% of small and medium business entrepreneurs.

WE ARE ALREADY MORE THAN 29,000 people.
TURN ON

5. Team spirit

There's nowhere without it. If your employees constantly talk only about the fact that the dollar / euro is growing, the crisis is getting stronger, customers are not buying anything, then, no matter how ridiculous it may be, it will be so in your company.

Therefore, motivational speeches, team spirit to win - now your main concern. To paraphrase the famous phrase, there are no bad employees in the team, there are undermotivated ones.

6. Motivation

It's time for a pay rise. And now I'm not kidding at all. Naturally, I mean all these percentages and bonuses, but not the salary part.

Give the employee the opportunity to earn more, but only if he sells. Remember, people are used to getting paid for their work, not the promise of a better life.

Do your employees already have? So that's great! Add a new bonus for certain number new customers or a bonus for the increase in the average check.

In addition, do not forget that employees are people too and love to be played with. Now I'm not talking in a dismissive tone, but about, for example.

The sales manager / seller who makes the biggest check in a week will go to the camp site for the weekend at the expense of the company (by the way, you can buy at Biglion without significant costs for your wallet).

Once every two or three weeks, update the reasons for the contests and the employees will get used to it and begin to fight for prizes more willingly and with pleasure.

7. Staff

The staff is more difficult. I have prepared several recommendations for raising efficiency and sales levels, even during a crisis.

Develop and train. Yes, it's time to invest in employees. Train them in sales, conduct trainings and seminars, hire and invite sales coaches.

And be sure to test on the material covered. Both in writing and orally. Otherwise, all these trainings will remain fun gatherings for your employees, and not a storehouse of useful information;

Learn to evaluate employees. Enter the employee performance criteria you want (for example, one you've never evaluated) and summarize them on a weekly or monthly basis.

Say goodbye to the inefficient. No matter how harsh it sounds, but you need to say goodbye to employees and everyone who undermines your authority in the company.

Why do you need employees in the company who only do what they complain about the crisis, the dollar, instead of selling?

Hire professionals. Now there are a lot of employees in the market. And by the way, you should not think that only bad employees are looking for work, among them there are many professionals who have lost their careers due to a closed company or layoffs. These are the ones you need to grab.

8. Leader

The most delicious - you, I left for dessert. Yes, you heard right, now we will talk about how to simplify your life.


Hooray!

Yes, as I wrote, there will be no easy money. You'll have to work hard. Wake up earlier, go to bed later and work harder.

Delegate all the small work to employees or outsource (for example, you can easily organize) and take care of more important things.

What will be the most important in your business is easy to understand. Just sit down for a few minutes and think about what your head is most filled with in your business. That's where you pay your attention first.

Briefly about the main

Yes, it sounds complicated, but let's do the math. If we work out each item by only 5%.

Let's add new scripts to change the staff motivation system, add a CRM system and make the staff not only occasionally enter it, but even use it correctly, then:

1.05 to the eighth = 1.48. The increase will be almost 50%!

And if each item is worked out by 10%, then the increase will be more than 100%! I answered your question how to increase sales in a crisis? 😉

And if you get a 2-fold increase in sales in your company while your competitors are dumping (and in the end, because of this, most likely they will go bankrupt), I think you can safely say to yourself that you did a great job!

Ruzalina October 20, 2015 at 04:04 pm

  • Trinion Blog,
  • Sales management

IN Lately In connection with the crisis, as a business consultant, many clients ask me questions related to increasing sales. Businessmen almost never have questions related to the search and purchase of materials or finished goods, as well as the organization of production. It's no secret that today half of Russia is engaged in resale, and the other half wants to do it. And therefore, first of all, everyone is concerned about the question: how to increase sales.

In addition, when I lead projects related to the organization of an accounting system, the implementation of CRM and other software products, I also encounter these issues. In the process of working on a project, I constantly communicate with business owners, managers, heads of sales departments. I get a lot of information about how different companies sell, how they sell various groups goods, what methods of sales organization are used in one case or another, what ideas lead to success, and what decisions turn out to be unsuccessful.

When I faced the problem of increasing sales, I realized that these issues are poorly covered on the Internet. There are no normal sales materials. On the net you will find either fantasies on the topic: how to increase sales in 14 days, sales scripts and other similar information, or various books on marketing and pricing, but they are not relevant for small and medium-sized businesses (how can a book about how Coca-Cola increased its sales help you?)

In this article, I decided to talk about the tools that lead to increased sales. My advice is practical and requires organizational rather than financial costs, which is very important when revenues fall.

I will speak, first of all, about increasing the efficiency of working with an existing client base. Finding and attracting new customers, promoting the company on the Internet and offline will be the topic of a separate article.

Some of the solutions that will be discussed below will work in a complex way, i.e. will not only increase sales, but also attract new customers. However, this will not be the main focus of the article. Here and now I will talk about increasing sales volumes.

All the ideas and solutions that I will talk about have been tested in practice by my clients. However, I recommend that you carefully consider this or that advice and implement it taking into account the realities of your business. Some solutions are only for manufacturers, others are suitable for almost everyone.

Increase the value of the product.

If your company is engaged in the production of any product, then one of the decisions that positively affects sales is to increase the value of the product. In many cases, to increase sales, you can change appearance product, such as its packaging. And, as a result, the value of the goods in the eyes of buyers will change.

Solution Implementation Example

My client's company was engaged in the production of cheap clothes that were sold in the markets and in cheap shops. As a result of the analysis, it turned out that the main competitor of this company was China. The goods that the company produced were perceived by consumers as Chinese, and the price of the products was slightly higher.

It is clear that clothes made in Russia cannot compete with Chinese ones in price. Even the fact that the quality of the products was higher did not help in this situation, since the nondescript appearance of the goods, together with the relatively high price, reduced the interest of buyers.

We analyzed the product and its perception by customers. Consulted with dealers and sellers. And they came to a rather risky decision: they changed the packaging to a better and more modern one.

What we did:

  • Changed the logo, fonts, design. Made it bright, stylish, attractive.
  • We chose a different material. Instead of cheap plastic bags, high-quality cardboard packaging was used.
  • The packaging contains as much information as possible about the product.
As a result, the goods in the perception of buyers "fell out" of their usual price category. Thanks to the packaging, it began to be perceived by customers as more expensive and of higher quality. At the same time, at first the price was not raised at all, and the real cost increased quite a bit.

Thus, the product "left" in the perception of buyers from the filled Chinese goods niches, and the real price has not increased much, since the cost carton packaging in terms of a unit of goods was quite small. Of course, we had to tinker with the introduction of new packaging; in production, any changes are associated with certain difficulties. But this is a different story.

But thanks to the new packaging, the goods moved from one value category to another in the perception of buyers, which became a real "springboard" to increase sales.

Quality work on order.

For some reason, many companies still neglect to work with the buyer's order. Of course, certain actions are being taken. The manager accepts the order, processes it, issues an invoice, then the shipment is made, etc. At the same time, most of the small and medium-sized businesses, and I remind you that I work with these segments, do not work on order.

The sales departments of companies are somewhat reminiscent of stalls: what is available is what they sell. And if the requested product is not on the balance, the manager does not even offer to issue the desired item “on order”. Most often this happens because the system does not have necessary tools, and the manager simply does not know how to place such an order.

It would seem that the solution lies on the surface. Do not refuse buyers! Offer not only analogues, but also the design of the desired product "on order". Those. your customer orders whatever he needs. And the manager accepts the order and notifies the buyer about the delivery time, taking into account the time of receipt of the missing items on the balances. All companies that have implemented this system have received a noticeable increase in sales.

In this case, I'm not talking about online stores that operate without a warehouse at all, i.e. only on order, regardless of whether they inform their customers about this fact or not. I'm talking about companies that have their own warehouse, but at the same time they can order goods from a supplier.

What is the problem with implementing such a scheme of work? It lies in the fact that companies do not know how to technically implement it. Now I will give an example of how such a scheme was implemented by my client, who is engaged in the wholesale of ceramic tiles.

All products are divided into two groups:

  • The first is the goods in our own warehouse, i.e. those goods that you yourself ordered from your main supplier.
  • The second one is “foreign” goods, i.e. those that can be quickly ordered from another supplier or competitor. This attribute “Alien” was filled in the product card to designate goods ordered from competitors. Also, the supplier (competitor) from whom this product is purchased was indicated in the product card.

In this company, which trades in imported goods with a long delivery time (about two months or more pass from the moment of ordering to receipt at the warehouse), a special system was developed when, when receiving a buyer’s order, if there is no goods in the warehouse, and there is still a month before the next delivery, the manager can find out whether there is this product from a competitor and order it. The manager includes this product (Foreign product) in the customer's order with the designation Under the order (To supply), and when the customer's order is posted in the system, the order/orders to the supplier/suppliers are automatically created (data on suppliers are taken from the product card).

As a result, the client receives all the assortment he needs and continues to actively work with your company. He will not go to a competitor in search of the position he needs, because you have everything he needs.

This approach significantly increases the volume of sales, while in many cases the profit increases slightly, because you buy goods in small quantities, perhaps even from competitors, and therefore sell some items at almost no markup. What is the point?

You get customer loyalty. Your customer does not leave, fills out an application from you, buys other goods along with an unprofitable “foreign” position. And you will notice an increase in profits from such a scheme of work at the end of the month, quarter or any other reporting period. By increasing customer loyalty, sales and profits will increase markedly.

Sale of related (additional) services.

Many companies sell only goods without any additional services. But often it is the service that contributes to the fact that buyers make a choice in your favor.

For example, among my clients was a company specializing in the sale of cable products. At some point in time, they decided to introduce an additional service - cable laying. Those. in addition to the delivery available to all, they began to offer cutting the cable on the spot, as well as its installation at the customer. As a result, not only profit increased due to payment additional service, but also the volume of sales of goods.

What is the reason for this increase in sales? Some customers of such products consider it a big plus to be able to order everything in one place: both goods and services. They do not want to waste time looking for performers and cannot install (lay) the cable they need on their own. Those. in this case, customers argue as private buyers: “if I bought a sofa, then I need to assemble it right away, albeit for an additional fee.”

For some reason, many companies neglect this opportunity to increase customer loyalty, the attractiveness of products for new customers, as well as profit margins. In fact, selling services is a great way to increase sales. Don't forget about him.

Make the terms of cooperation softer.

Many companies work with their clients on very strict terms. Especially often those who have been working on the market for a long time, often since the 90s, work with imported goods, with products that have no analogues on the market, and so on.

For example, I had a client who traded in imported professional cosmetics for beauty salons. Given that one can of funds can cost from 17 euros and more, in order for the dealer to receive a 5% discount, it was necessary to complete the volume of purchases of 2500 euros, and to get a 20% discount - 7500 euros. In addition, dealers took on the obligation to buy and distribute magazines that no one wanted. There were other requirements, often uncomfortable and unfriendly to customers.

What has been done to increase sales in this company?

The company has reduced the threshold for receiving discounts. They did not make a one-time total discount or promotion, they made softer conditions, which ensured not only sales growth, but also customer loyalty.

Those. to increase sales, you can simply soften the terms of cooperation. This is very important for your clients. The market is constantly evolving, competition is growing in all areas. Even if you trade in something exclusive and special, sooner or later some analogues appear on the market.

For example, the client discussed above sells products for beauty professionals. The end users of his products were and still are private craftsmen and beauty salons. On the one hand, professionals get used to the quality and features of a certain brand. On the other hand, if the price becomes too high or an analogue appears that will be more profitable to buy, they may reconsider their preferences.

Usually, clients who do not want to soften the terms of cooperation give the following arguments:

  • We are selling best product, we are the best and will work with us on any terms.
  • If the conditions are softened, we can lose margin, as a result, profit will decrease.
But! It is better to lose 10 kopecks on a discount, but earn 2 rubles, than not to lose these 10 kopecks, but not earn anything either.

Synergy.

Synergy is the summing effect of the interaction of two or more factors, characterized by the fact that their action significantly exceeds the effect of each individual component in the form of their simple sum. Wikipedia

What is synergy from a business point of view and what do I mean when I talk about synergy?

Many companies that work simultaneously with several areas, for example, sell goods and services that are not related to each other or are weakly related, completely divide these areas up to the creation of different sites and different legal entities for each direction. Also, sales departments do not interact with each other, which is a noticeable minus. What can be done in this case? Combine different directions under one brand.

Again, I will give an example of a company whose activities are related to beauty salons. This example is very convenient and visual, and therefore I often use it. This company has directly beauty salons, there is a training department, there is a department wholesale sales hair care products. And they all work independently of each other.

Yes, they work under the same brand, but in fact they are not united: they have different non-linked sites, the culture or business process of transferring information about the company as a whole and its divisions is not developed. It is almost impossible to find out for a salon client that there is training in the company, just as it will be possible for a wholesale buyer to find out about the salon and its services, perhaps by chance.

What have I done for this company?

The first and most simple - all three divisions were combined into one site. Those. a person who visits the site sees all three areas of the company's activities. This increases solidity, the level of trust, and also informs people about certain additional features companies.

If, for example, a master visits the site in search of a product, then in addition to the assortment, he will find out that you can always get training in working with these products, as well as evaluate their effectiveness by visiting a beauty salon. Similarly, the combination of directions has a positive effect in other cases.

Moreover, such an association increases the level of trust in the company as a whole, as people see that the company is large, solid, engaged in several areas, etc. Also, experts from different areas began to recommend each other. Thus, a synergistic effect has manifested itself, i.e. the joint work of different areas has led to an increase in efficiency in each of them.

Start selling through the site.

Until now, many wholesalers and manufacturers of goods do not use their sites for direct sales. As a result, some potential customers are lost.

Even if you beautifully presented all your products on the site, but there is no price next to the product, the person who found you through search engines or clicked on an advertising link is highly likely to leave without a purchase or a call. There is such a rule: a product without a price is not a product. As long as a person does not see the cost figure, he can think whatever he wants. And far from everyone agrees to call or send requests, especially since nearby (in search engine on adjacent lines), most likely, there are competitor sites with prices and convenient order buttons.

Now I'm not talking about sales to the end consumer, there is an obvious need for an online store, I'm talking about sales in the B2B sector, where representatives of the commercial sector are looking for materials and goods for own business, and therefore they mostly browse the websites of manufacturers, dealers, regional representatives, etc.

What do these sites say? "Call us at work time”, “Submit a request for a price list”. But after all, a visitor may be on the site during off-hours or on a weekend. Far from everyone and not always leave an application with a request. In general, many people, in the absence of a price, subconsciously begin to suspect that they can be deceived here, and therefore try not to leave any contact information. Or they suspect that the price is not shown on the site because it is too high. In any case, potential buyers leave the site without a purchase and an application. So show me your prices!

The question often arises: if we, distributors, start selling goods to customers of our own dealers through the site, will this not interfere with business?

No, it will not. First, you, as distributors, can set a single price. The main thing is that it should not be lower than that of your dealers. And secondly, you can add a page with a list of your dealers so that the client can decide whether to buy from you and wait for delivery from another city or choose a supplier in his region.

This solution will even help increase sales. For example, if a buyer from Murmansk visits your site, he will not order goods from you in Moscow anyway, this goods will have to wait too long and delivery will be expensive. Moreover, if he finds contacts of a dealer in his region on your site, then the sale will take place, even from the dealer, who, in turn, will order more goods from you.

If you inform your partners in a timely manner that you are posting prices on the site, and also inform them in a timely manner of any changes in the pricing policy, this will not harm their business in any way. And if you invite your partners to post their data on your site, they will gratefully provide all the necessary information.

Do not forget that your customers and partners are, most often, small regional companies which are poorly represented on the Internet. And your site, most likely, occupies a leading position in search results, since you are a distributor. So, such interaction will benefit both you and your partners.

Lay out the prices for the site, develop your project, according to the brand name, it should be among the first in the search results. Make sales through the site. And lay out the contacts of your partners. As a result, the number of sales will increase significantly, buyers will find your site and order goods either from you or from your dealers.

Another common fear is that dealers won't want you to show prices, as buyers on your site may want to become a dealer after looking at prices.

What can be said here? These concerns are dealers' problems. For you, such interest from new potential partners is only a plus. Any business needs to grow and develop. And the potential threat that you can change the dealer in a particular region will stimulate your dealers to work better, develop more actively, sell more. The dealer will not go to another supplier, even if you have a buyer, and he has a competitor in his own region. And your business needs to grow.

Volume discounts.

Many companies assign discounts to a particular order, announce various promotions, but very rarely use volume discounts. Or they set a very high, one might say, unattainable threshold for obtaining such a discount.

Most likely, you yourself know such a marketing law: with each unit of product purchased, the desire to buy from a client decreases.

Accordingly, the more he has already bought, the less he has the desire to buy more. And the volume discount helps to overcome this psychological factor.

And here again objections arise: due to discounts, part of the profit from the sale of goods is lost.

I remind you that in a falling market, losing a small portion of the profit from the sale of a unit of goods is not the biggest loss. It is much worse if this product ceases to be sold at all or its sales volumes decrease.

A volume discount encourages the customer to order more. As a result, you will fully compensate for the loss of profit due to price reduction by increasing sales volume and get a loyal customer, which, from the point of view of business development, is much more important than momentary profit.

A smart move is to hire a "star".

Today, sales managers are in high demand. The number of vacancies in this specialty is huge. At the same time, very often businessmen offer their future managers a very low salary and more than a modest percentage of sales. Who will they be able to hire on such terms? How successful will this specialist work?

In a declining market where salesmanship is highly valued, companies are looking to save on salespeople.

Here is such a paradox. And the reason for this paradox is banal greed. But do you understand that momentary greed does not bring anyone to good?

It should be understood that in most successful companies, a significant part of sales rests on one or two specialists who know everything about the goods, are able to find mutual language with any client, they know how to sell at the "star" level. But these specialists are much more expensive than an ordinary sales manager.

Do not be stingy, hire such a “star” in your sales department. Believe me, the quality and sales volumes will pay back all your expenses for the purchase of a "star". You should not bet on a large number of cheap and weak sellers. It is better to spend the same funds on one really cool manager.

Yes, the "star" will have to pay a lot more. Yes, you will have to check its level in practice. Yes, there is always a risk of running into a scammer. But all these costs and difficulties will fully pay off when a real “star” appears in your sales department.

If you study companies that have a strong sales force, in almost every case you will find one or two top-notch "star" people in that department. These "stars" can always suggest a good solution to colleagues, they pull the rest along, help and train as they work. As a result, the entire sales department works much more efficiently.

As Elon Musk said, "Number never makes up for talent, and two people who don't know something are no better than the same one."

Therefore, you should not buy a lot of cheap employees, look for talent!

Acceptance of money through cards, online wallets, etc.

Oddly enough, but such an obvious plus as the expansion of the list of payment methods is overlooked by most businessmen. I would like to remind all businessmen: we live in the 21st century, and cash payments along with bank or postal transfers are far from the most popular payment methods.

Today, Internet wallets, credit and debit cards are actively used in all areas, and in some cases even mobile phone bills act as a source of funds. And the more payment methods available to your customers, the more likely it is that a purchase will go through.

Often, when refusing to connect payment via the Internet, the argument sounds: “Why should I lose money (3-4%) when withdrawing funds?”

It's simple: in cases where a person, for one reason or another, cannot pay your bill within the period of time specified by you, does not consider it possible for himself to spend time and effort searching for a form of payment that is convenient for you, or does not want to pay for the goods in cash, the sale will not take place at all. And then you will lose not 3-4%, but all possible profit from the sale.

For example, when placing an order through a website or over the phone, some customers tend to pay immediately just to be sure that the goods are reserved and will be delivered on time. And if you cannot offer him a suitable payment method, the customer may go to your competitors.

One more example. Small companies often do not have terminals for payment bank cards or card accounts for direct transfers from card to card. They work as they did many years ago: they issue invoices that can be paid at the bank, or they offer to pay for goods in cash.

I personally observed the work of one of these companies in the process. And what I noticed: some of the buyers came to them with credit cards. They were all sent to an ATM located nearby. But not everyone returned. The reason turned out to be that when cashing out, these customers lost 2% of the amount. Their discount did not exceed 5%. And payment in cash assumed the absence of documents. As a result, the discount no longer looked so attractive, and buyers left to look for a better solution.

Accept as many types of payment as possible! Your customers need to be comfortable. Remember: it is better to lose 2 rubles on cashing out 100 rubles than not to get any profit at all. Yes, you will not lose anything, but you will not earn anything either.

Increase in conversion.

In this case, conversion is the conversion of your visitors in the office, store or website into buyers, i.e. to the people who placed the order and made the payment. And if you have a question about increasing sales, then you also need to increase conversions.

Have you ever wondered why so many people show interest in your company, read the information on the site, ask questions in the office or in the store and leave without a purchase?

But in addition to the objective reasons for this behavior, there are also your mistakes and shortcomings. For example, the lack of prices on the site. I already talked about this above. There are other mistakes that negatively affect the conversion of a visitor into a buyer.

I had a client who collected a record number of such errors on his site:

  • He had as many as 7 phone numbers on his website. And none of them were multichannel. Therefore, all of them could be busy at one time or another. As a result, some potential customers left simply because they could not get through.
  • Some of the goods did not have a final price. Those. the price of the commodity item was indicated, but it was constantly changing, and the website said: “due to fluctuations in the euro, this price may not be relevant, call and specify the cost of the goods.” From my point of view, there is nothing worse than telling the client that we are selling you incomprehensibly what is incomprehensible for what money, and let's call us back. To increase sales, it is very important to sell at the price that was first announced to the client. Otherwise, the level of trust in you will fall catastrophically, and sales will follow it.
  • Long application processing time. In some cases, it could take up to 2 weeks from a call to an answer to the client - when and how much he will receive the ordered goods! Naturally, during this time, some customers were also lost.

What did I do to increase conversions for this client?

First of all, I entered electronic document management. Now, when an application was received from the site, it immediately entered the general database, a responsible manager was appointed for it, who was obliged to work with this application in a short time.

I also improved the quality of interaction between employees. There were many moments here, a lot had to be changed, in fact, the entire structure of the company underwent changes to one degree or another. I also put things in order on the site, helped to fix errors and make it easier for buyers to access information.

As a result of the transformations, the number of applications from the site, and, more importantly, the number of purchases made, has increased significantly with the same number of visitors to the web resource.

I recommend that you analyze and identify the points where you may experience a client breakdown: a “falling off phone”, poorly speaking managers, an inconvenient or uninformative website, high prices or harsh terms of cooperation. Carefully work out these points, think over a loyalty program - and then the conversion will certainly increase.

Use all channels of interaction with customers.

Quite often, companies use only a part of the possible channels to interact with customers and to find new customers. For example, some work only through the site, others operate ads in Yandex.Direct and nothing more, others work at exhibitions, and others use SMS mailings. In fact, they, like a drunken man in an old and widely known joke, are looking not where they lost, but where it is light, i.e. use only those methods that once showed good results.

Use all channels available to you. Inform your customers that you have this or that promotion going on, prices have been reduced, new products have appeared, and everything that you consider important. Apply for this all methods at once. Let it be news on the site, email and SMS-mailing, leaflets and letters on paper, ads on the Internet, meetings, seminars, calls to clients, etc. Do not neglect any of the possible channels of information. Thus, you will be able to reach the maximum audience.

Take orders online.

When I talk about the need to take orders online, I mean the B2B business segment. Until now, many companies ignore the possibility of receiving orders via the Internet. At best, some forms in Excel are used and Email. And most often all orders are taken over the phone.

The arguments of those who refuse to work online are quite similar: “they won’t understand, they won’t want to study, we’ll just waste time”, etc.

In fact, today Russia ranks 6th in terms of accessibility and prevalence broadband internet in the world. Most of your customers are now very good internet. And the ability to use online order forms is also very well developed. So don't underestimate your customers. Those of them who do not like the option of an online application will say so themselves and will always be able to traditionally continue to dictate orders by phone. And the rest will be able to leave an application online, at a convenient time, calmly and thoughtfully. At the same time, the processing of applications from your managers will take a minimum of time, which will allow you to devote more time and effort to new customers.

Moreover, the ability to work online increases the loyalty of your customers. They will see your balances and the entire list of your products. Will be able to order more, view the full list of products. While when ordering by phone, a lot depends on the manager, on his knowledge of the assortment, on whether he will be able to offer the goods the client needs. And when ordering online, the client himself sees everything that you can offer him, sees the prices, the cost of the order. Do not deprive your customers of such a convenient tool, check it out in practice: the introduction of an online order very often increases the average bill.

Be always available.

Your availability at any time is an important factor in increasing sales. I had clients who periodically had an unavailable phone, who did not always respond promptly by email, in some cases even the site was turned off for a while.
Your availability is a guarantee that you will not miss a single order. Let you not have missed calls on the phone and unanswered letters from customers in the mailbox.

Another important point: properly sort the mail! For example, my client had only one mailbox, which received all mail without exception. The secretary was in charge of the post office. And she simply did not understand anything in the assortment of goods, applications could lie in a box for several days without an answer.

After I studied the situation, we transferred access to the mail to the head of the sales department and turned off spam filters. On the one hand, the amount of spam in mail has slightly increased. On the other hand, the sales department can always recognize a letter from a customer or a potential partner and promptly respond to it. And turning off the spam filter ensures that no important email ends up in the Spam folder.

Another client, whom I have already cited as an example, had 7 phone numbers listed on the site. It looked something like this:

Wholesale department:
Tel.: +7 (495) xxx-xx-xx
Tel.: +7 (495) xxx-xx-01/02/03/04/05
mob. +7 (495) xxx-xx-xx (works on Saturdays)

All these numbers are working numbers of managers who constantly serve wholesale customers, that is, at some point in time all numbers may be busy. And who among us will dial all 7 numbers without calling two, maximum three numbers?

Always be available and be sure to properly set up your mail, phone and other options for buyers to access you! Don't miss anything important.

Remove the insider.

Today, many companies exist at the expense of another, more big company where the insider works. Those. in the sales department there is an employee who regularly "merges" orders and customers of another company. This usually happens imperceptibly, it can be very difficult to catch an insider, it is even more difficult to blame.

For example, his reaction to a call from a client might be: “We have a this moment, unfortunately, there is no product you need, but you can contact this company, they are our partners, and they definitely have everything.

Another option, the insider names a deliberately high price, or simply reports that this product is not in stock, despite the fact that it is available. At the same time, the manager retains the contact details of the customer: his mobile phone, which is displayed on the screen, other information received during this call or earlier.

All this information is transferred to a competitor who calls the client and offers him exactly what he needs, while always ready to offer cooperation conditions more attractive than your company. Naturally, the client makes a purchase where he was called and offered necessary goods at a favorable price. As a result, you invested in promotion, worked with a client, spent time and energy, and a competitor receives a profit.

How to calculate an insider?

  • The easiest method is to ask your trusted friends to call from a number that your employees do not know and place a test order. Call every manager. And determine after which of your calls your competitors called you back.
  • If you are recording phone calls, listen to recordings of conversations of various employees. But as a rule, when recording telephone conversations, the insider acts very carefully.
  • Guard your database. Carefully distribute customer data among your managers and limit their access to information that they do not need in their work.

It is possible that there is no insider in your company, and your problems with sales lie in a completely different area. On the one hand, it is not necessary to arrange mass and regular checks with the persistence of a paranoid. So you just push earlier loyal employees to dismissal and, maybe, to insidership. But vigilance should not be lost.

Conclusion.

In conclusion, I would like to say what should not be done in any case: you should not arrange sales of goods. What works in the retail sector is seen as a weakness in the B2B sector.

The retail client needs to consume now, because any promotions and sales attract his favorable attention. A wholesale buyer expects a long-term perspective. And stability is more important for this client than momentary profit. Upon learning that you are selling goods or giving inadequate discounts, the client comes to the conclusion that your company is “sinking” and will soon leave the market, respectively, long-term cooperation with it will not work.

It turns out the opposite situation: you want to sell more at the expense of discounts and attract new customers, but as a result, on the contrary, you scare away your regular customers who bring you the main income. The announcement of a total price cut is seen as a white flag.

In this article, I have listed, of course, not all ways to increase sales. Here I have selected the most common and simplest ones that do not require special costs. These methods are more organizational than financial. Therefore, they can be implemented in the conditions of the financial crisis and falling sales.

Find good sellers

Some executives assume that by recruiting good salespeople into the team, wholesale sales will increase. So where do firms get so many good salespeople? There won't be enough for all of them. And what is " good seller"? You will not hear a definite answer to this question from anyone.

Increase the range of goods

Also, some managers believe that with an increase in the range of products sold, the volume of wholesale sales will increase proportionally. Unfortunately, this is a misconception. Everyone knows such world-famous companies as Ford, Gillette and others.

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So the Ford company has a large number of cars produced, but everyone has only one car in mind at the word Ford - Focus. This is the so-called "locomotive product" - the best-selling one, which also pulls other cars of this company with it. The Gillette company also has a lot of manufactured products, including skin care products before and after shaving, however, everyone knows their “locomotive products” - men's razors with three and five blades. Therefore, in order to increase wholesale sales, you need to isolate your “locomotive product” and focus the attention of buyers on it as much as possible.

The need to advertise products

Yes, indeed, in order for your product to be recognizable, it must be advertised. But an increase in the number of advertisements absolutely does not guarantee you an increase in wholesale sales if your product is not interesting to this group of people. To increase wholesale sales, it is necessary to make the product more attractive and interesting for a certain group of people, in whose circles it should be advertised.

Reduce prices

Reducing the price of a product also does not guarantee you an increase in wholesale sales. In addition, such a radical move can bankrupt your company. The price of any product must be in the range: above the "confidence level" in the price and below the level when the buyer may consider that the price is too high.

Wholesale specifics

Distinctive features wholesale trade from retail are as follows:

    • as a rule, goods purchased from a wholesaler are also resold in the future;
    • the wholesaler works with significantly larger volumes of goods and assortment than the retailer;
    • coverage area to maintain wholesale activity more extensive.
The wholesaler, as a rule, acts as an intermediary between production and retailer, less often - between organizations, organizations and entrepreneurs. A wholesaler in his activities must build high-quality and long-term relationships with nearby links - a commodity producer and a retail buyer. Based on such relationships, the whole process of uninterrupted and efficient wholesale trade is formed.

Proven Ways to Increase Wholesale Sales

  • Cold calling or telemarketing

One proven way to increase wholesale sales is to expand your customer base. To achieve this goal, telemarketing is used - on-line search for potential customers with their subsequent phone calls.

  • Direct marketing

Direct marketing is a way to increase sales by sending sales letters to potential customers. To prevent your mailing list from being regarded as spam, you need to narrow the circle of addressees, focus solely on target audience.

  • Advertising budget control

Advertising is the most important means of attracting customers and, accordingly, helps to increase wholesale sales. Advertising costs can be up to 20 percent or more of an organization's revenue, so a thorough analysis of its effectiveness is necessary.

How to increase wholesale sales systematically

A modern wholesale trade automation system should ensure the interconnection of various departments trading company in a single information system.

This is the only way to achieve effective customer service, high speed work of employees and avoid errors in the documentation.

Modern automation systems do not always meet the needs of entrepreneurs: they are either too expensive and confusing, or they have many unnecessary functions.

The online program Class365 is a comprehensive solution that allows you to automate wholesale trade at all stages of sales.

Opportunities of the online program for wholesale trade Class365:

  • Inventory control
  • Accounting for goods and services
  • Work with documentation: auto-substitution of data, extract of documents
  • Own CRM system
  • Control of all financial flows: cash desk, settlement accounts
  • Integration with online stores

Running a business is easy! Connect today and get a powerful competitive tool in today's market.

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From this article you will learn:

  • How to increase the company's sales volume by interacting with customers
  • How to increase product sales with prices and promotions
  • How to increase wholesale sales
  • How to increase sales in an online store

The correct answer to the question: “How to increase sales?” – can lead to success for any company. the main objective commercial management of the enterprise - to maximize this criterion. We will review the most effective methods increase in sales.

What needs to be done to increase profits: 19 universal ways

  1. Thorough market research.

Commerce does not accept ill-conceived actions.

You need to learn about all the movements of the modern market, the successes or failures of competing companies, and then use information collected to develop your own business.

Describe your strategy in writing.

  1. Identification of promising directions.

To increase sales, you need to find out which economic spheres are the most promising. Data from the analysis of the consumer index and various events in a particular area can help with this.

  1. Increase in the number of customers.

A small number of buyers equally affects both new firms that have just entered the market structure and have not yet gained popularity, and already promoted ones, whose customers may go to competitors due to internal problems within the organization itself.

In search of new customers, it is very important not to lose old ones.

Often, directors and top managers decide to radically change the operation of the enterprise, completely update the product range - this can force the previous buyers to leave.

You can only act in this way if you have nothing to lose - for example, you have very few old customers.

Otherwise, innovation should be introduced gradually.

  1. Advertising of services and goods.

If you cannot afford to make and display full scale commercials, new technologies will come to your aid: corporate promotion in social networks, mailing lists by e-mail, phone calls customers, viral advertising. Don't forget the good old newspaper ads and flyers distributed by promoters.

  1. Increasing revenue with the help of the phone.

A regular telephone can help in increasing the retail volume. The method of calling from several numbers, which unscrupulous firms often resort to, is best forgotten: excessive intrusiveness can do your organization a disservice.

Try to offer your products and services to those who are interested in them. You need to have not only a complete set of information about your product, but also information about your potential buyer: who he works for, what his hobbies are, what problems they care about - and how your product can help solve them.

  1. Making changes to the company.

Find out which specific methods of your business are not working.

Perhaps it's all about ignorant salespeople. Or your product range is long outdated, while the cost remains above the market. Or maybe you just need to renovate your premises or rebrand, and the question of how to increase sales will disappear by itself.

  1. Creation of highly specialized solutions.

During the year, enterprises operating in the market fashion clothes, several times update the catalog of their products. They want to control the collection of orders for each region and be able to change it at any stage of the trade chain. Such clients can be offered special software for warehouse management and automated messaging with customers. They also offer their partners the possibility of returning the product from the point of sale to the distribution center. Accordingly, they need to provide air or multimodal delivery, and in the case of transportation fur products transportation must be accompanied by security.

  1. USP or detuning from competitors.

To increase turnover, it is necessary to find all the advantageous differences between the enterprise and its competitors. If your main advantage is cost, you need to make radical reforms. Significant benefits can be:

  • free prompt delivery;
  • high quality service;
  • provision of related services;
  • discounts, bonuses and gifts for customers;
  • a wide range of goods in stock, etc.
  1. Quarterly progress report.

Often, customers do not realize what exactly they receive by concluding a subscription service agreement with a particular organization. That is why it is worth regularly sending detailed reports to partners, including a list of all work performed. This helps to increase the level of loyalty among potential consumers and, accordingly, increase the size of sales in production.

  1. social proof.

Studies show that buyers are more willing to purchase goods and services from companies, reliability and good reputation which are beyond doubt.

Confirmation of these characteristics can be, for example, certificates of conformity or other official documents, calculations sociological research, which are the best way to convince consumers (social proof): "2500 customers can't be wrong!".

  1. Improving the quality of services.

This method allows you to answer the question of how to increase sales during a crisis. If you have interviewed your customers in advance, you can proceed to the implementation of the preferred strategic plan. It is necessary to improve the quality of services, train staff, purchase new equipment. Buyers can be offered discounts, bonuses and gifts for the holidays.

  1. "Mystery shopper".

This is a specially trained person whom you hire in secret from your employees. He plays the role of an ordinary client and must record all stages of the trading chain using a hidden camera or voice recorder. This allows the businessman to understand how things really are. What the owner of the enterprise knew and the real situation can be diametrically opposed.

For additional control over employees, you can install special software on work computers that monitors the image on the monitor. The room should be equipped with a video surveillance camera. This will help to identify undisciplined and incompetent employees and, in the end, eliminate the factors that hinder the increase in the company's revenue.

  1. Changing the motivation system.

Launching an updated product line, one of the corporations operating in the wholesale and distribution market computer technology got into a rather difficult situation. The volume of sales compared to competitors was very small. Managers said buyers were uninterested and rarely approached the firm. It was also not possible to offer a product as an alternative to something, since it was not possible to convey to the consumer information about its competitive advantages. In general, the products were practically unknown in the domestic market and did not have reliable marketing support. The enterprise itself had high hopes for this line, but it was impossible to change the principles of payroll for employees. The management decided to pay regular bonuses to motivate specialists. They were paid not only a standard salary, but also $0.5 for each item sold. At first, the amount seemed purely symbolic, but over time, an unexpected move brought a very good result - the level of revenue was increased by 60%. Each manager has significantly expanded personal client base by increasing your income and organization.

  1. Selling site development.

Modern business needs a high-quality website - this is an axiom. The Internet portal is one of the main ways to attract customers and a tool to help increase the level of purchases in stores. In order to improve its effectiveness, it is necessary to Special attention three main elements: home page with good SEO text, application forms and feedback. Here are a few tips to help improve your site's performance:

  • simplify the structure: do not load pages with heterogeneous information. Visitors should intuitively understand what and where to look for;
  • prepare two separate menus: a general one for site navigation and a product catalog divided by business segments (for example, Expert. Restaurant chain, Expert.Club, etc.);
  • Post an infographic on the homepage that illustrates the benefits of your services. For example, you can write how much the company will lose if there is no automation production processes and how much they will receive if they are finally debugged in automatic mode;
  • place on the main page a link to a section with reviews of previous customers (positive, of course). They can push a potential consumer to cooperate with you;
  • leave space on the key page for a banner advertising special offers, promotions and bonuses;
  • in each upper left corner it is necessary to place a button for ordering a manager's call.
  1. Improving and automating the processing of applications.

Another way to help increase the size of retail is the function of sending an electronic application. With it, the buyer can track at what stage his application is. Automatic processing of incoming requests serves two purposes at once: increasing the level of customer loyalty and facilitating the work of employees.

  1. Increasing sales through right choice promotion channels.

Try to connect to advertising campaigns in Yandex. Direct, place your banners and articles on the main sites in your region. For example, an organization that sells land plots sold eight objects, just announcing its special offer. Still effective way promotion is TV advertising. In particular, one of construction companies managed to quickly achieve recognition of her own brand thanks to the launch of the reality show “Construction. Your house in three months.

  1. Blue ocean strategy.

This method is based on the search and formation of new markets that have not yet been mastered by competitors. Take a look at the following practical example. The network of lighting salons offered its customers qualified design assistance. To do this, each client had to take a picture of their apartment and send the pictures to the salon. Having studied the photo, the designer offered the most suitable lamps from the range of the salon. As a result of the action, it was possible to increase sales volumes by 37%. Word of mouth has shown particular effectiveness.

  1. Search for a competitor.

Create a virtual rival for yourself - and the unique advantages of your products and services will become more pronounced against its background. Customers will be much more loyal to you if competition lead in an interesting game form.

Remember, for example, a funny video about the confrontation between MAC OS and PC computer systems, which helped to increase the number of Apple fans several times. Or a classic example of PR battles between Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Co. The indisputable advantage of the latter is the public composition of the drink - this inspires the confidence of customers (unlike Coca-Cola, which keeps the recipe a secret).

  1. Analysis of the causes of low demand.

Often it is not even necessary to increase the sales volume of an enterprise, but only to remove the barriers that prevent it from reaching maximum heights. For example, consumers may be deterred by ignorant or overly intrusive salespeople, an old premise without renovation, even a poorly designed shop window. By eliminating these causes, you can significantly increase the level of retailing.

Techniques to increase the firm's sales ratio through interaction with customers

  1. Orientation to economical buyers.

There are several techniques at once to encourage consumers of the first type (they are 24% of the total) to make a purchase.

Here are some examples of how these methods work.

The cost of the proposal can be changed without changing anything in essence, but only by breaking it down into amounts that are psychologically perceived easier (for example, $100 per month instead of $1200 per year).

Internet company AOL replaced hourly pay of their services on a monthly basis. This strategy is the opposite of the one described earlier and aims to force users not to keep track of their spending every day.

All inclusive resorts provide a feeling of safety and comfort, as tourists think that all costs are already covered and no additional expenses are required.

Netflix has replaced the pay-per-view system for a single movie with a flat monthly rate for unlimited access to all content.

  1. Complete Solutions for consumers.

Make cumulative logistics offers to customers that take into account strengths your enterprise. Test the new service on one of the partners, and if successful, extend it to other customers.

  1. "Devil's Advocate".

This ancient Catholic tradition has taught modern marketers a lot. Studies show that if someone's idea is refuted by the "devil's advocate", that person's confidence in their rightness only increases. Your firm can take advantage of this experience and act as a "devil's advocate" on its own. So you can increase the confidence of customers (they are the main consumers of your products). Let the "devil's advocate" express their doubts, and you will debunk it with the help of scientific and practical experience.

  1. Attracting like-minded people.

Tell your potential buyers about the high goal that you are pursuing (this can be fundraising for charity or any other social project). This will provide an opportunity to attract like-minded people as consignors. 64% of citizens polled by sociologists said that this factor prompted them to make a purchase decision.

A good example is a charity event to increase sales of TOMS Shoes. Its essence is simple: when you buy a pair of shoes for yourself, you give a second pair to needy children. The action helped sell millions of pairs of shoes - and millions of children received new shoes for free. Thus, good and kind deeds can increase sales!

  1. Overcoming the barrier to entry.

Often there are situations when the consumer is almost ready to make a purchase, but he needs an additional incentive. They may be able to try out a future acquisition absolutely free. During a certain period of time, while testing is being carried out, the client will have time to get used to the product or service. This will increase the likelihood that after this period, he will buy the product, simply not wanting to give it up.

A correctly formulated proposal plays a decisive role in this situation. Many resort to the standard phrase: "Try the 30-day demo for free." However, you will agree that the slogan “The first month is free” sounds nicer and more convincing. The goal is one, but the means are different, therefore, the result may be different.

  1. sales scripts.

The technology involves interviewing the seller and the buyer with the following types of questions: situational, problematic, extracting and guiding. Answering them, a person shows more interest in the products offered. Keep in mind that it is impossible to create universal templates for all types of buyers. The head of the department must independently develop a question sheet with expected answers for each item. In order not to lose the skill acquired during SPIN sales trainings, it is necessary to consolidate it every day for a month. Employees should think through the options for questions for such an interview two or three times a day. note that regular customers, accustomed to a certain type of negotiation with your managers, may at first take the new model with hostility. Therefore, to begin with, it must be tested on new purchasers, only then transfer the skill to regular customers.

  1. Explaining to consumers their next steps.

Dr. Howard Leventhal in his research cites the thesis that a person will not perceive relevant information if it does not contain clear instructions. Buyers believe that the described difficulties do not apply to them, and prefer not to worry. But when the description of the problems is followed by instructions for their elimination, the result exceeds all expectations.

Thus, the number of people who received a flu shot increased by a quarter after clear advice on how to avoid the disease was published. This is one of the most common ways to attract new customers to insurance companies.

  1. up-sell method.

Teach your managers to work with visitors, considering them emotional condition. They must know what to tell customers additionally about the quality of products, to consider all its possibilities and advantages. And do it in an accessible form so that the consumer fully appreciates the profitability of the offer.

  1. Recognition of shortcomings.

How to increase sales in a crisis on the experience of your own mistakes? Here you can describe many cases of real industrial disasters that have occurred in recent years (for example, oil spills). Most often, the reason for these situations was the unwillingness of firms to notice their mistakes and correct them. This continued exactly until the moment of crisis came, when it was too late to change anything. For example, the energy company TEPCO (Japan) only a year and a half later admitted the mistake that led to the "nuclear crisis" on the Japanese coast.

When working with online applications, you must have come across situations where developers sent out emails apologizing for technical failures and problems. Such mailings make it clear that the organization is working on the mistakes, does not leave them unattended and will continue to do everything possible so as not to repeat them.

  1. Services to the goods (packaging, delivery, lifting to the floor, warranty and post-warranty service).

Functionality and comfort in use can be half the cost of the goods. For some categories of customers, these factors are fundamental and most influence the purchase decision. It's about mainly about the elderly, mothers of young children and people who do not own their own car. In this case, you should think not only about the growth of the average check, but also about the sale as a whole.

  1. Keeping customers on track.

Keep consumers on their toes. A classic study by Norberg Schwartz shows that just a found dime is enough to change a person's views. Use people's positive reaction to surprises for marketing purposes, give them small gifts. Such an action will help to significantly increase the volume of sales, while it does not have to be very expensive - it is not the price that matters, but human attention.

  1. Newsletter for potential buyers.

This is the formation of bases of people who have expressed interest in your project, even if the contract has not been concluded. Then, in case of any promotions, discounts or changes in the assortment, they can be promptly notified about these events.

  1. Surprises for clients.

Indulge your customers with surprises - and you will be able to win their trust and loyalty, receiving a huge amount of grateful reviews. The online shoe store Zappos traditionally uses just such tactics of influence.

Expecting to receive the order within five days, as promised on the site, you suddenly receive it in a day. Or get the opportunity to return shoes throughout the year. Such surprises helped to accumulate a huge number of reviews on the site, which became a powerful marketing tool for influencing potential buyers.

  1. Using the power of shortcuts.

Use appraisal statements. When studying the factors influencing the voting results, a special behavioral test was carried out. According to its results, scientists found that people who were accidentally called “politically active citizens” voted 15% more willingly. Despite the fact that people received this assessment by chance, this characteristic had a serious impact on them. Take advantage of this method: show customers that you think they are advanced, innovative and active. Then they will act according to this label.

How to Increase Sales with Prices and Promotions

  1. Increasing the cost of goods, selling a more expensive analogue of the product.

Even if the buyer says that he wants to save money, this is not a reason to sell him the most budget product. The manager can structure the conversation as follows: “Of course, I can offer you a car for three hundred thousand rubles. But you probably want it to have climate control, power steering and heated seats.” If the buyer answers in the affirmative, it is worth noting: “Why would you spend money on a car that doesn’t suit you?”.

You can sell a more expensive product only if it has additional benefits. Take, for example, two almost identical refrigerators of different brands and with different prices. Most managers will say that there is no difference between them. But is it? Of course not! The task of the department head is to explain to employees how different models differ in terms of technology, manufacturing standards, warranties, etc.

  1. The growth of the average check.

This is the most accessible method. It seems to follow from the method described above, but with some difference. The check can be increased by simply raising prices, increasing the number of service functions, changing payment terms. By the way, a 1% increase in cost increases profit by 3-10%. It is important that the price increase is not too significant and brings with it new opportunities.

  1. Adding shares.

The vast majority of buyers love them very much.

The leader of Ukraine among supermarkets in terms of originality of shares is "Silpo".

Even serious reasonable people react to their promotions: “Price of the week”, “Hot offer”, “Theme days”, “Coupons for increasing points”, etc.

  1. Visibility of commercial offers.

A trade initiative should be of real interest to a potential consumer of goods or services. It must include detailed description product features and benefits. When conducting one-time promotions or providing short-term discounts, the market instruction must be supplemented with information about them. An excellent feature article - 10 tricky tricks for compiling a commercial offer.

  1. Various recommendations for clients (at least three).

When new customers contact the firm, it can be very difficult to predict what price range of goods and services will interest them. Thus, if you offer them products in only one price range, you may miss the mark and not guess their preferences. It is more correct to offer several alternative options at once - for example, “standard”, “business” and “premium” kits.

In this case, the psychology of sales will work well. The buyer will understand that he was offered products with a wide price range, and he has very few reasons for not buying. At the same time, it is necessary to correctly compose sets of products of different prices and clearly explain to the customer the differences between them. Start with the most expensive sets - then he will perceive the cheaper goods positively.

  1. Providing burning discounts.

For example, offer customers a bonus card with a unique code. If the buyer spends a certain amount in the store during the month, the next one he will receive a discount on all products. The size of the concession depends on the number of orders in the previous month. At the same time, the discount burns out if a person has not bought anything for a whole month. The approximate range of discounts can be as follows: from 5% for a purchase of 100 rubles to 30% for spending 20 thousand rubles.

  1. Cost differentiation.

Manufacturers set a single price for certain categories of products. Often this is not entirely justified. If the visitor directly asks about the price, the manager does not have time to identify his needs - he needs to clearly state the amount. If a single cost is not set, the manager can ask a lot of clarifying questions, establish a dialogue and get information that will help influence the buyer. In addition, this way you can slightly increase the number of customers.

  1. Favorable price image.

From a psychological point of view, it is better to write “100 rubles a month” on the price tag than “1200 rubles a year”. Properly setting a price that is not intimidating, you can significantly increase the size of sales.

Tools to increase sales in a retail store

  1. Patency.

How to understand even before the start of the store, how busy is the place where it will operate? Easily! Stand at the door of the future company and for a certain time count all the people who passed by and cast a glance in your direction. This is how you calculate the total number of potential customers. To make a more accurate description, you will have to take into account the gender and age of people passing by. Compare the received data with the theoretical portrait of the buyer and understand the approximate attendance of the retail store by ordinary passers-by.

  1. Signboard.

So, you figured out the number of possible buyers-passers-by. Now they need to be "hooked". First of all, a signboard can help with this. She must be:

  • bright and eye-catching;
  • understandable and giving an idea of ​​what products are sold outside the door;
  • encouraging to buy in this store (with the help of a wide range, affordable prices, High Quality etc.).

Most often, it is possible to find out how effective this or that sign is only by experience.

  1. Cross selling.

Having sold a certain product, you can offer accompanying services. For example, a person who has bought an aquarium can order its proper installation, connection and maintenance - all without leaving the cash register. To do this, the retail store needs to negotiate with the relevant firms, and then attract customers and receive their percentage.

  1. Determination of the purchase threshold.

There is no specific model here - it all depends on the imagination of the store owner. The essence of the method is as follows:

  • making a purchase, the price of which exceeds a certain limit, the client receives a coupon for free shipping, discount or gift;
  • If you buy two items, you can get the third one for free.

The list can be continued endlessly. Every store is trying to come up with own shares to increase sales in stores.

  1. Payment of change of goods.

This method is not very common, but very interesting. When paying for products, the purchaser receives change not in money, but in goods - for example, matches or candies.

  1. Yellow and red price tags.

This method is widely known. Many supermarkets sell products that are past their expiration date at discounted prices. This is what the multi-colored price tags report.

  1. The ability to return the product if you do not like it.

Moreover, there is a law that obliges sellers to accept products back within two weeks after the sale.

  1. Price hints.

On the labels, you can put information that some others usually purchase along with this product. The buyer is likely to take the advice and buy something in addition to the main product.

  1. "Armchair" for the companion of the buyer.

People rarely go shopping alone, and more often than not, your direct customer's companion is someone who is completely uninterested in your services. To prevent him from trying to get your customer out of the store as soon as possible, offer him an activity that will help pass the time: watching TV for men, playing games for children, reading fashion magazines for women.

  1. Unique selling proposition.

Not every store owner has the opportunity to rent a room on a busy street and hang a chic sign. However, anyone can create a unique product or service for which people want to go out of their way. This is the main method of increasing sales.

  1. Upselling.

This is an offer to make an additional purchase to the main one. For example, when buying a smartphone, a SIM card and insurance are offered, and the purchased bouquet of flowers is advised to pack for an additional fee. The main rule is that the price of an additional service should not exceed the price of the main product. This method allows you to increase the level of implementation of the company by 30%.

  1. Working with margin.

Perhaps the most affordable method to increase profits. They say that the low cost of goods is not always perceived by the buyer as the most attractive. Often, a product sold at a high cost is considered by buyers to be of better quality. Ask yourself the question: does it matter if a sausage costs 300 rubles or 310? Most often, this difference seems negligible to buyers. Now calculate the total profit.

Consider the example described in Robert Cialdini's The Psychology of Influence. The owner of the jewelry store could not sell a few pieces of turquoise jewelry. Leaving on vacation, she left her subordinates a written order "* 1/2 the price of all turquoise." Imagine her surprise when, upon arrival, she found out that all the jewelry was sold ... twice as much. The seller simply did not understand her order and increased, not reduced the cost.

  1. Price tags.

Take a critical look at your price stickers. As a rule, they are impersonal and do not catch the eye. A potential buyer has only a few seconds to make a purchase decision in the store he visited. Try to surprise him enough so that he lingers for at least a few minutes and starts asking questions. This can be helped by price tags printed on colored paper and cut out in the form of intricate shapes, with tempting and sometimes shocking offers. For example, on the eve of the New Year holidays, you can print them in the form of snowflakes, Christmas trees, snowmen and other holiday paraphernalia. Or you can place in a conspicuous place a product that is sold at an exorbitant price. Probably no one will buy it, but many will want to look and maybe buy something else. It doesn’t matter what they say about you - as long as the address is correctly indicated.

  1. Smile.

Stores where salespeople smile at their customers increase sales by 20-30% compared to stores with surly staff. Teach your employees to smile regardless of their mood.

  1. « Free cheese" without a mousetrap.

The famous home improvement brand offered free cookies to shoppers. Thus, he attracted parents with children to the number of buyers and won over consumers.

  1. Non-standard warranties.

Provide additional guarantees and you will get new customers. "If we don't deliver the pizza in half an hour, you get it for free." “If the seller is rude to you, you will receive a discount.” “If you find a product cheaper than ours, we will refund 110% of the difference!”. Experience shows that it is very rare to implement these guarantees, but the opportunity itself certainly attracts customers.

  1. Other services.

Let's say you are the owner of a beauty products store in small town. How do you get the whole city to know about it? It's easy: Hire a top-notch stylist and distribute flyers stating that your store will have a master working for a month who will help you choose cosmetics and teach you how to apply makeup correctly for free. In a month, women will only talk about your company - even those who do not need a stylist, and they learned about the promotion from their girlfriends.

you trade plastic windows? Announce a promotion under which each customer will receive a device for free that measures the thermal conductivity of windows and calculates heat loss. Anyone who needs to replace the windows in the apartment will first of all think about you. You can offer the installation of mosquito nets for three hundred rubles. Perhaps at first it will bring you losses, but then you will see how many customers for whom you installed them will come to you to order windows. Moreover, your masters can subtly hint that it is time to change the windows.

How to increase wholesale sales

  1. Establishment of a marketing department.

To increase sales, you need to properly organize the work of the marketing department. Specialists must constantly explore the market, look for new options, optimize production and logistics processes. Hire competent workers and your company will prosper.

  1. Range expansion.

Always think about the possibility of increasing the range of products offered. You can more diversify the models, their size range, the number of related products. By multiplying your offer, you save the client from having to look for other suppliers.

  1. Demand study.

Determine the capabilities of your buyers and set tasks for managers, based not on the experience of past years, but on the share of your deliveries to the customer. For example, your manager sells goods for 100 thousand rubles. The partner's turnover is growing. However, it turns out that the potential of this organization is 10 million rubles, and your company is simply used as a reserve supplier. It's bad if the manager doesn't know about it. It's even worse if the manager doesn't even know.

  1. Competent work with federal and regional networks.

Most wholesalers try to partner with large corporations. To conclude such an agreement, as a rule, is quite simple and almost always profitable.

  1. Transparent pricing policy.

Maintain a clear and understandable pricing policy or make your managers' salaries directly dependent on profits. Either you work according to a strict price list, in which all categories of clients are registered, or you empower the manager to provide any discounts and bonuses, but at the same time make it dependent on revenue. There is no third.

  1. Conclusion of contractual obligations with regular consumers.

Contracts with regular customers are mutually beneficial cooperation in terms of not only cost and profit, but also price and quality. Buy a good product at a good price. This will allow you to provide optimal matching of prices and relevant product features for your customers, which will become your undeniable advantage. Buyers simply will not be able to refuse such an advantageous offer. Treasure the reputation of a conscientious supplier - it will work better than any advertising.

  1. Penetration into the client's business.

The better you understand the entrepreneurial activity of your buyer, the less risk of losing him, the closer you are to the end consumers, the better your consignor's sales are going.

  1. Thorough analysis of customer failures.

Let's say a small customer left you. You do not get upset and think that you will have more time to interact with big firms. In fact, this situation is fraught with serious consequences. The reasons that caused small companies to stop doing business with you can also affect large ones. Modern market is designed in such a way that small organizations are more sensitive to new trends and trends - this helps them survive. Therefore, the factors influencing them will later be reflected in large enterprises. You have to carefully analyze the departure of each buyer and draw the right conclusions.

  1. The focus is on the customer, not your business.

This is the basic principle of operation, and not a way to make a profit. Once you've started wholesale, focus on your customers' trade. Think about how to increase the sales volume of the partner company, what product is in the greatest demand, how to increase the profitability of the enterprise. While the partner is afloat, you are on the crest of the wave.

  1. Compliance with the rules of work with distributors.

It is very important to properly build interaction with dealers - so that it does not interfere with work with ordinary buyers. Decide what is your priority: retail or representative services. Often it is worth closing your own retail and stop giving discounts to intermediaries. In other cases, emphasis should be placed on own implementation– if resources permit.

  1. Creation of interesting proposals.

The pricing policy of the company and its bonus system should work for long-term cooperation, and not for one-time deals.

  1. Monitoring.

Constantly analyze the offers of competitors. Clients who have previously used their services will help you with this.

  1. Working with transport.

Create your own logistics department. This will give you a huge advantage over your competitors - you will be able to ensure uninterrupted delivery of goods. Of course, at the first stage you will have to incur significant losses, but after a short time they will pay off handsomely, helping to increase the level of sales of the enterprise.

  1. Constant search for new clients.

The main goal of a piece-selling store is to make a profit. Most often, such companies are open to offers that promise additional income. Of course, there is a risk that you may lose your permanent customer, who was lured away by competitors. On the other hand, it is likely that you will be able to offer more profitable terms. Therefore, do not stop looking for new consumers, even if the enterprise is already operating at full capacity.

  1. Staff training.

The volume of trade largely depends on the person selling the product or service. It is necessary to focus on the selection of competent staff and their training. However, participation in many master classes, seminars and trainings is by no means an option. You need to understand which of the activities is most effective, and choose it. Teach employees to show the product face, emphasizing its merits and not dwelling on the inevitable shortcomings. The professionalism of the staff is the best way to increase the level of sales.

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