Consumers are being offered more deals and specials than every before. Everyone is targeting consumers at all different angles. Therefore it is that much more important for you to stand out from the crowd. When creating your sales plan for the year to come, think about what needs your consumers will have at certain points in the year. Cater your message to their needs and that specific time of year, so that it sticks out and is relevant. Below are 6 more essentials you may want to consider in order to have a successful sales season:
- Pick wisely - There will be opportunities to offer specials all the time, be selective about the ones you decide to offer. Also, be selective with the customers you send the specials out to. Look at your data and figure out what your customers’ buying patterns are. Find our when they are most likely to shop and what specials they respond to the most.
- Mix In Some Value – Do not make the mistake of just selling all the time. Show your customers that you appreciate them by sending out a thank you email or offering them a free Whitepaper or ebook. Letting them know you appreciate their business will help build stronger relationships.
Get Specific - Highly targeted messages are your chance to stand out in the crowd. This takes a long-term strategy, so make sure to prepare in advance by collecting and reviewing purchasing data ahead of time.- Make it Shareable - Social-share icons can increase email click-through rates tremendously. If you put a creative, clever, strong message out there, then it’s definitely going to cause some buzz. People love sharing stuff like this! Encourage your customers to pass the message/offer along to their peers.
- Plan ahead - Manage the timing and frequency of your messages carefully. You don’t want to overwhelm your customers with too many messages or else they won’t ready any of them. Plan offers far enough in advance, so your customers can receive delivery within standard shipping dates. And if you have some on-going emails that get sent out, you may want to put a hold on them while you are having this big promotion going on.
- Constantly Test – Test how you email opens in various browsers and mobile phones. Change the headlines to see what creates the most action. Play with your offerings by seeing if your target audience reacts more to dollar amounts or percentages off. See if adding videos helps increase the click through rate. Each email has a lesson to be learned, so take advantage of it and make time to find out what the lesson is.
What other tips would you add to the list above?
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Filed under: Marketing Tagged: | consumers, customers, email marketing, marketing strategies, sales cycles, sales strategy, sales team, successful sales season
