When times are hard and sales are dipping, it may be time to try a new strategy and make some tweaks to your current system. You do not necessarily have to change your entire sales department and the systems that you use, but a refresh may be the best way to generate more money for your company. By applying a new attitude, you could really make a dramatic change to your business and the profit that you are making.
Invest a Relative Amount
Have a look into your sales figures and take off how much you are paying your sales team to generate the figures. There may only be a small difference and the majority of the money could be coming from only a small amount of top sellers. This should set off alarm bells and should be addressed immediately. If people are not performing as well as you would like them to then bring that to their attention.
However, do not simply order them to try harder or make it seem as though if they do not they do not perform they will be without a job. This could make people highly nervous and you could end up losing a team that has great potential. Show that you have an interest in helping them to develop and that they will be rewarded for their efforts. Therefore they will have an incentive to make changes to their sales techniques and take on board the advice and training on offer.
Target the Right People
This may sound like a ridiculous statement, but have a serious look at your pipeline and analyse whether you are tackling the right people. The best way to improve your pipeline is by carrying out research on your current database.
By employing a company who can collate an improved prospect database of clients, you may find that the results you get are astounding. An external company will have their own contacts throughout various industries and be able to provide ideas that you may never even have thought of. They will also be able to source the decision makers instead of you simply approaching a middle man who can never give a solid decision.
Increase Exposure
If your business is slowing down and you notice that you have not made an effort to advertise or increase your presence across the industry then this may be the ideal time to do so. Advertising can create a frenzy of activity surrounding your name and can increase sales by a huge percentage.
Social media is an ever growing way to create a buzz around your company and get people involved. It is also a highly useful tool to get honest feedback on the services that you provide and therefore further changes that you can implement. There are a variety of different social media platforms that you can use, so make sure you research which one is best for you. Use the form that your target market are most present on and try to make you presence specific to their needs.