The Secrets to Selling More

We recently carried out a survey and got some real insights into how people are coping with the current business climate. Many thanks if you’re one of the business owners who've completed it.

What you told us is that business growth is a challenge and over 79% of you were looking for more customers. Getting new customers is one key piece of the puzzle that makes up your sales - but it might not be the most important piece.

The way to think about your sales or turnover is to break it down to its different elements. These are:
- Customers
- Price
- How often your customers buy from you
- How much they buy at one time
- Defection rate ( ie how many of your customers return time after time?)

If you’re always chasing new customers then you might just be pissing off your loyal customer base. Have you ever been annoyed by the great deals new customers get from, say, your telephone provider? Or bank? Or insurance company?  You might just be doing the same thing to your valuable customers because you don’t give them enough attention and you don’t do enough to develop customer loyalty.

Why do your customers leave?
The reason they leave and go to your competitor is down to the perception they have of how you treat them. And - that is you don’t care enough about them - 68% of the time that’s why your customers leave.

So just maybe you’re looking at the wrong thing! Do you have a loyalty scheme or offer them something that new customers don’t get? Do you thank them for being customers? Do you even like them? I hope you do and let them know.

It may be costing you a lot of money if you’re losing customers – and you might not even know you’re losing them. Do you measure this?

If you kept 95% of the customers you have and turn some of them into raving fans how much easier would it be to attract more sales?

What ideas could you come up with that would keep your customers loyal and help them spread the word to their friends, family and contacts? Take some time out and come out with some ideas. Let your imagination run riot!

Next blog I'll take you through how to price your product or service and how this can make a huge impact on your profit- in no time at all.