4 Ways to Boost Sales During Covid-19 Pandemic
We do not have to explain to you more to point out the dropping sales during the pandemic times. But we can surely inform you that sales patterns can be uplifted if you know the smart approaches and methods. Whether it is the pandemic or normal life going on, you have to evaluate customer requirements and tweak your sales plan accordingly to meet their issues.
A concrete plan, a few tweaks in the existing steps, a new sales experience, and digital technology – all these elements can help you emerge as a successful business entrepreneur in this severe situation.
Three significant values to draft a sales plan or strategy
You could be wanting to increase your sales during or after the pandemic situation; you need to adopt these three basic yet important values while formulating a sales plan.
Patience –
More than a smart strategy, patience is the key at all times. Whether you have a new business or have started out, or the global restrictions have affected your sales, you need to build patience with the customers to get acquainted with your business. If you expect that sales should soar up within the first month of operation, this is certainly an unrealistic goal.
Empathy –
Practice empathy while drafting a sales plan. Do not try to manipulate customers’ minds. You do not have to entice them and trick them into buying your products and services. Instead, your aim should be to understand the customer behavior pattern and convince them to buy your essential products and services. The more you try to trick their minds, the more aloof they will be about your brand.
Creativity –
There is no such thing as a non-innovation sales plan. You ought to be creative as much as possible. You can build relationships with the customers, inform them about your upcoming products, or explain to them about your after-sales services. If creativity is absent in these steps, you will never reach where you had expected.
4 tips to increase sales during pandemic
Following are a few helpful tips you can implement during the formulation and implementation of a sales plan:
1. You need to value every interaction with the customer
Remember that customers won’t be physically present, and they can’t observe your body language and traits as you sell them a product. Hence, when it comes to digital communication, you should add substantial value to each message, audio or visual, or both. You also need to acknowledge that the current situation has affected their minds. They are taking time to adjust to the new normal. They might not act as expected in a brick-and-mortar store, hence evaluating their digital reactions would immensely help.
The best way is to plan out your messages, calls, emails and be prepared for any unpredictable events. Just keep in mind that your time with your customer is significant, and you can even call it a golden moment. Planning for that golden moment will help you a lot and clarify what you wish to convey in a short span.
As you add weightage to your interaction, the customers will be delighted that you are well-prepared and conscious of what they want and not just focusing on sales to soar up.
2. Do not forget – Content is the king
While preparing sales strategy, businesses pay more attention to the facts and figures and ignore what will drive the customers. It could be the social media image, FAQ section, or a whitepaper; it needs to be properly worded and carefully written. In short, content is the ruler when it comes to selling products and services to digital consumers.
Readers will not have time to dig deep into the content, so everything must be short and crisp. Your content should deliver the desired brand message in the least possible time. When it is a short promotional message, make it attractive and choose the right graphics. When it comes to a document, do not make it look lengthy and boring. Add bullet points, summarise wherever possible and provide a glossary at the end.
Customers should easily find what they are looking for; it could be product specifications or the product return guarantee.
3. Use video tools extensively.
Research has shown that customers love to watch videos about products or product reviews rather than reading long content. Also, if it is a conversation with a remote customer, you ought to leverage video conferencing tools accordingly (this applies to B2B businesses).
No doubt the video creation tools are in increasing demand. Probably, you need to pick one of them wisely and leverage it whenever possible.
4. Focus on sales and not on the situation
It is obvious to look at the statistics more often in these hard times. But do you forget to notice the silver lining or the hidden opportunities? Or do you ignore the sales part completely and focus on coping with the situation instead? Do not ignore the sales function. Instead, spend quality time analyzing your client profile, why clients will choose your business or other competitors. You can even emphasize on the matters that affect client purchase decisions at large.
The pandemic will not allow us to do more business. But we can surely take this time and opportunity to reflect on our products and services, and the means of selling the same. As sales impact profits and market share, it is unavoidable why you should ignore the sales function.
During this evaluation, you might develop new product ideas that will have huge customer demand. Every situation gives way to new customer requirements, and hence, we believe it is your chance to explore these unique customer behavior traits.
Conclusively, the new virus situation has compelled us to face and fight setbacks all the time. But instead of accepting the victim mentality, we can rediscover our hidden potential, find new opportunities, and self-evaluate our sales strategies. This will give rise to a new sales process and help us target new and existing customers.
FAQs
Businesses should focus on providing excellent customer service, taking advantage of new technologies, maximizing digital marketing efforts, focusing on local customers, and creating enticing promotions.
Excellent customer service is essential during the pandemic, as customers will remember and appreciate it. Good customer service builds trust and loyalty between businesses and customers, leading to increased sales.
Yes, many businesses are using virtual meetings, contactless payment systems, automated chat bots, and other digital solutions to increase customer engagement and boost sales.
Businesses should focus on increasing their presence on social media, creating more engaging content to attract customers, using targeted advertising campaigns, and measuring digital performance with analytics.
Yes, many businesses are focusing on local customers, as they often have more familiar customers who are more willing to spend money. Local networking and grassroots campaigns are also a great way to get the word out about businesses.
Yes, businesses can create promotional offers to try and capture new customers and stimulate sales. Promotions such as free shipping or discounts on certain products can be effective, as long as they are structured in a way that still preserves the health and safety of customers and employees.
Businesses should focus on creating engaging content, connecting with customers on social media, offering personalized experiences, and keeping customers up-to-date on new developments.
Yes, businesses should ensure that they are adhering to local regulations and guidelines, providing a safe and sanitized environment, and promoting social distancing.
Businesses should take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their customers, such as providing a safe and sanitized environment, encouraging the use of contactless payments, and introducing safety procedures for employees.
Businesses can maintain customer loyalty by providing excellent customer service and engaging customers through social media and other digital platforms. Companies should also stay up-to-date on the needs of their customers and take the time to thank them for their patronage.