As a business owner, you may think you are doing everything right, yet your actual sales don’t match up with the goals you have for your business. When you take a long hard look at your current practices, are you guilty of any of these five mistakes that will prevent you from getting the sales you deserve?
1. You Lack a Viable Online Presence.
Think about the last time a friend mentioned a new restaurant to you. Did you reach for your phone or tablet and quickly search for it to gain more information? Most people do. Small companies that lack a viable online presence are missing out on sales. Even if you don’t actually sell a product online, customers want to know what your hours are, what your history is, what services or goods you provide, and your location before they ever step foot in your storefront. With the rapid advances in mobile technology, it’s not enough to simply have a website; that website must also be mobile friendly. What happens when potential customers conduct an Internet search for your business? Your online presence is just as important as your physical location. A great website can also lure customers to participate in your marketing campaigns with attractive opt ins to receive advance notice of sales or special deals via email.
2. Your Competitor Does It Better, Faster, Stronger.
Remember Kodak? The film company was the king in the land of film photography for 120 years. How about now? You probably use your phone to take most of your pictures and that phone isn’t made by Kodak. According to Forbes Magazine, every company serves three functions: social, managerial, and entrepreneurial. While all three are equally important, it is very easy for established companies to become complacent and forget that they have an entrepreneurial function as well. If your competitors are more innovative than you and do it more quickly, you are going to lose out on important sales. In the case of Eastman Kodak, they excelled in the social and managerial areas and failed as entrepreneurs in the digital age.
3. You Offer Too Many Choices From the Beginning.
When overwhelmed with too many choices, potential customers can suffer from analysis paralysis. If you promise the moon and the stars too, not only do they become overwhelmed but you may unwittingly be portraying yourself as a “jack of all trades; master of none.” While you do not need to pair back your offerings, concentrate on those you consider to be your specialty. For example, a construction company may portray themselves as an expert on exterior remodeling without individually promoting that they do windows, doors, soffits, gutters, siding, trim, downspouts, etc. Know your strengths, stick with them, and build your brand.
4. Treating Your Customers as One Size Fits All Components of Your Game Plan.
Customers are individuals. Unless you have an offer of universal appeal, try not to treat all of your customers exactly the same. Divide your clients into subgroups based on the data you have and send targeted emails. The more targeted and personally valuable the email is, the better chance you have of converting your efforts into a sale. What is compelling to one, may not be to another. If you miss the mark too many times, you will find that your emails go unread or worse yet, the customer will unsubscribe from future communication.
5. Your Carefully Planned Email Campaign Ends Up in the Junk Folder.
Your written advertisements are only effective if they are actually read the by the intended audience. If your carefully constructed emails are ending up in your customer’s junk folder, you have a problem. Practicing an opt-in strategy, clearly identifying yourself, and developing a catchy title for your valuable emails are all practices that can help keep you in the inbox crowd.
