Sales Strategies for Any Industry

Posted by Staff Writer on Monday, July 27, 2009 at 3:09pm.

Some strategies that are very commonly used in retail, are also extremely effective in other industries.

Promote Referrals

Figure out who can refer new clients to your business. Hotel staff members are often in a position to recommend guides, restaurants, shops and attractions to tourists with extra dollars or euros to spend. A hair stylist is in a position to refer her clients to a manicurist or cosmetics shop. Customers who buy a new car will soon need a petrol station.

Once you have identified potential referral sources, cultivate that relationship. That may mean offering a small gratuity for each referral, or offering a free manicure or tank of gasoline to the staff member.

Encourage Upgrades

Sometimes the easiest way to increase revenue is to turn each 100 rand sale into a 200 rand sale - by selling the current customer an upgraded product. Current customers are already predisposed to buy, and are clearly pleased with your product or service. Many salespeople assume that the customer wants the lowest priced product or service, and fail to offer any other alternatives.

It may be fairly easy to sell a pedicure along with the manicure, a hair color along with a cut, or soup and dessert with the entrée to a hungry restaurant customer. Doing so easily doubles or triples revenue, without any additional advertising.

Collect Contact Information

Many smaller businesses fail to even collect contact information on their customers or potential clients. There are a variety of ways to market to the customer, but they all require getting in touch with that potential customer.

Encourage Lingering

Usually a customer who spends more time in your shop will spend more money. That is because the longer the customer remains, the more likely they are to find something that appeals to their eye, or to discover new products. The same principle applies in many businesses. A successful restaurant owner realizes that the longer customers linger, the more likely they are to purchase an after-dinner drink, a cocktail or dessert.

Visibility

Customers cannot buy products from you, if they cannot find you. A variety of tactics make it easier for customers to locate the business, including prominent, bright signage. Advertising is another form of “visibility”. While the type of advertising varies from one business to the next, it is always appropriate to keep the business in the forefront of customers’ minds.

Any business owner can use retail sales strategies to make their business more successful.