Even in the Summer Your Prospective Customers Still Need What You Sell
Many businesses experience a slump between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Summer can be a slow time, and some may not see a sales rebound until Black Friday. In many cases, there are explanations: customers are on vacation, parents are busy with their kids’ activities, and so on. Sometimes that’s just the nature of your industry.
This doesn’t mean you should lock your doors for the summer. You may just need to rethink how and what you are communicating to your customers. The following steps can help you change your approach during rough times.
Knowledge is power. Set up Google alerts to stay on top of any subject matter. This could include the latest product trends, announcements from prospects' companies, local news, and even the competition's tactics.
“Summer-ize” your messaging. Creating seasonal emails is always a good idea. Think of ways in which your service or product can help your customers “beat the heat,” “experience paradise,” or whatever it is you want them to do. You want them thinking of you, so share summer-related content on your social media and blogs.
Provide free shipping. Consider your customer's perspective: what if he or she wants your product but can get it free from someone else in one day? During warm weather, people go on vacation, camps, cookouts, do home projects, work on their yards, and many other activities. If your product will be used during the summer, you may want to consider enhancing your delivery strategy.
Give your happy customers a call. Making cold calls is hard, but calling satisfied customers? That's easy! These are the clients who will recommend you to new clients and give you favorable reviews. These are the people who may be interested in your upcoming products and services. These are the calls you want to make!
Be cautious when it comes to slashing prices. Consider increasing the value of the product instead of offering discounts. “Buy 2 X’s and get a free Y” or “free gift with purchase of $25” can sound like a much better deal than “20% off.”
Set mini-goals. If the summer has you feeling the heat as well, break your goals down into smaller ones. Instead of “80 phone calls/month,” try 4 calls per day. Yes, it might result in the same amount at the end of the month, but it feels so much more manageable!
Your sales can soar with the rising temperatures. Conduct your business a bit differently during those hot, sunny months and bask in the results.