Wouldn't it be great if you could foolproof your selling techniques? Yeah, no more customers walking out with empty hands... no more profits disappearing into thin air! Here are 4 secrets that will help you put money in your pocket, and lengthen your current customer list.
1. Make It Easy
There's an old adage that says variety is the spice of life, but hey, too many choices can lead to indecision and procrastination. We all know what happens when customers procrastinate... yeah, you lose a sale.
When a customer walks into your business ready to purchase, and suddenly sees several options he didn't know were there, he'll stop then decide... which one? If he's uncertain... well, you lose a sale that was already in your pocket.
Make it easy for your customers to decide... yes, I'll buy it... no I won't buy it. Yes and no decisions are a lot easier to make, and are more likely to put cash in the drawer.
2. Offer Several Ways To Buy
Too many choices can overwhelm customers and cost you sales, but options of how to buy open up avenues for customers to purchase the product they've decided they need. They say there are different strokes for different folks... your customers don't all use the same methods to buy. It just makes sense that if the method they prefer is available, they'll be more likely to take advantage of it.
Convenience it the key to attracting buyers in today's fast paced society. What will be the fastest and easiest for them... credit card, phone, fax, Internet, or cold hard cash?
3. Keep it Simple
You remember the frustration of spending 10 minutes pushing buttons on the phone just to get through a pain-in-the-neck automated ordering service. Heck, you just wanted to buy one item! Maybe it was the time you had to click your finger raw, just to jump through the hoops of an online shopping cart. Yeah, the temptation to just forget it is right there!
Don't frustrate your customers with intricate ordering processes. Most likely, they just want to place the order in a few minutes and be done. Let them get frustrated, and they'll go elsewhere, or just abandon the idea altogether.
4. Follow Up
One of my favorite catalog companies always closes out the sale with a special buy that is available only at the time of purchase. I'm not an impulsive shopper by any stretch of the imagination, but it stops me in my tracks every time. I know it's a one-time shot, and I really consider whether I want or need it before I hang up the phone.
How many items would your customers buy if you were to follow up every sale with a special offer? Internet marketers have a world of options at their fingertips. The products you offer don't even have to be yours... and you can still make a profit!
Affiliate marketing is sweeping the Web. Think about it... would your customers benefit from an ebook that deals with the product they are purchasing? You can offer it to them, and let the owner handle ordering process while you collect the commission. It's as easy as 1, 2, and 3 and profitable too!
Boosting your sales numbers and profit dollars isn't as tough as it sounds. Implement these 4 simple selling techniques, and watch your sales steadily climb... and just think... they didn't cost you a penny!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Who is Allyn Cutts, and why should you care?
Allyn has spent over 24 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales to current customers. Allyn is a marketing and sales fanatic, providing measurable marketing solutions that drive huge results for small-to mid-size business clients. Allyn works personally with clients to design and deliver off-line and on-line direct marketing strategies that focus on metrics and measurable results. You can learn more about Allyn Cutts at www.AllynCutts.com and you can call 610.437.4106 between 10 AM and 4 PM Eastern Time Tuesdays and Thursdays.
