I was inspired to write this blog this morning because a client messaged me to let me know how she finished the year (2018).  She told me she had doubled her sales on the previous year thanks to my help and support.

This lady is super talented, has a corporate background and has so much to bring to the table, it also shows that we all need support, mentoring, guidance to bring out the best in our skills, up level our knowledge as well as give us the confidence to strive for greatness.

I’m going to breakdown how you can double your sales in 2019 in your retail business.

GIVE YOUR CUSTOMER WHAT THEY WANT / NEED / LOVE

It’s easy to assume you know what your customer wants, quite often there is a disconnect between what products are being offered and what your ideal customer wants.  Small tweaks can make the difference.

It’s important to listen, in fact it’s a skill to really hear what is being said then interpret what your ideal customers are saying into a sellable product range.

Ask yourself do you need to change your product to fit your ideal customer OR do you need to change who you are marketing your product to?

Be objective, don’t be precious, your product range is your business.

It’s important to gain Clarity on whether your product/brand serves a need.. or is it a product that will enhance an experience, so something they want to improve their cooking skills or make them look younger!

Or maybe your product is around a feeling, they love the experience of wearing your product or smelling your candle range because they love how it makes them feel sitting in their home.

Once you understand the why of your product you can then turn it into your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) so that you can share that with your ideal customers to attract them to your brand

POSITION YOUR BRAND

Identifying where your brand sits in the market place is equally important.  If you are in the luxury market this isn’t just about a higher price point, it’s the whole experience.

What does your customer who purchases in the luxury market expect? What would your service, packaging, quality, tone of voice look like?   What is often forgotten is that social media is our shop window so if your posts or images don’t attract a luxury audience because you’re not clear on what interests them you won’t get the engagement needed to double your sales.

Equally if your product is in the mass market or value sector it’s important to present your brand in a way that speaks to your customer. 

GET VISIBLE (join my Visibility Challenge on the 28th Jan)

This is key to doubling your sales.   You could have the most amazing product but if your ideal customers don’t know about it, you’ll hear crickets!

Visibility is an area that we worry about and often as physical product business owners we hide behind our products convincing ourselves that they don’t need to know about you.   This is wrong.. Trust me when I say that visibility and creating a visibility strategy was a huge part of my client/s doubling their sales.

Consistency of showing up on her business page and her personal page had a hugely positive impact. There were times of frustration when she felt it wasn’t working, yet she continued with our plan of action, stayed consistent and the result.. She doubled her sales!!

I’m running a Product Visibility challenge on the 28th January, come and join us if you’re ready to take action, no excuses.  Join here

IMPLEMENT AN EMAIL MARKETING STRATEGY

Email marketing is highly effective. FACT! I hear so many ecommerce business owners worried about bothering people on their list or not liking unsubscribes (they happen!) so they don’t send out emails consistently which means all their hard work of building the list goes to waste and equally they miss out on generating sales.

The key to this is not just 1 welcome email but 4 to 6 automated nurture sequence.  Abandoned cart campaigns, new customer emails.  It’s about leveraging your email marketing system and getting in front of your potential customers with valuable content.  (spoiler alert this means not just buy me emails)

CONVERT YOUR WEBSITE TRAFFIC

Doubling your sales can often mean getting in front of more potential customers. What is often overlooked is looking at how you can create more sales from your current audience.

Are you up-selling at checkout?  Are you nurturing your customers who make a 1st purchase?  It’s proven that it is 7 times more cost effective to get a 2nd sale vs getting that first sale yet customers can often get forgotten about in small businesses.

What can you do to convert more of your website traffic? Can you test a quicker checkout? Or better navigation?  Are your best sellers on your home page clear and obvious?

GET THE SUPPORT YOU NEED

Building a retail brand requires commitment, dedication and consistency.  It’s easy to try and do it all ourselves. It was exactly my approach in the early day’s because I thought coming from a retail background at a high level I should be able to do it all..  Luckily I switched this mindset quickly enough in my business for it not to have a negative impact.

I have my own mentors/coaches because I’ve proven to myself that I am more effective and productive when I have someone to keep me accountable.  I love to brain storm, as a creative I’m full of ideas which can side track me.  Working with the people to support me they help me keep on track.

Look at how you can get experience and support within your business.

I work with my clients on a private one to one basis but I also realised that this wasn’t for everyone at all stages of their business which is why I launched The Product Members Hub.  A monthly membership for women building retail brands to get the support they need, tap into relevant trainings and have access to my 20 years experience at an investment they can afford.

Join The Product Members Hub Waitlist Here.  The doors open again on the 28th January for 1 week. Don’t miss out!