[:en]How has COVID affected your sales? It’s amazing how certain market segments have either greatly benefited or have been completely devastated.
Let’s assume that you’ve come out of COVID at least with the ability to still operate. Maybe everything in your business is hanging by a string. Maybe your coffers are loaded with cash.
In either case, you’ll want to know what you can do to increase your sales. Let’s take a look at what some of the leading authorities have to say:
1. Creativing Selling Strategies
Deloitte had quite a bit to share on this subject. Basically, they said to repurpose your store as a showroom, sell to your customers digitally (even in-store), create emotional loyalty with your customers, and find new ways to sell different products.
You could probably write an entire encyclopedia on each of those.
For now, keep things simple and try to sell a service to go along with your products. Or, find more ways you can get customers to subscribe to making certain purchases.
2. Use BOPIS and Grocery Delivery
BOPIS (buy online pick up in-store) and grocery delivery are here to stay. You really have to offer these options for the foreseeable future, according to McKinsey.
Per their research, 56% of consumers will continue to use BOPIS and 45% will continue to use grocery delivery.
So the question is: how can you optimize those experiences and perhaps find ways to upsell more products and services to your customers?
3. Control Customer Traffic
Though consumers will be somewhat hesitant to return to their pre-covid shopping habits, current research estimates in-store shopping will increase by nearly 50% as society reopens.
So you will likely see quite an increase in in-store shopping.
To make your customers feel safe and like they can take their time as they browse your store, let them come in just one at a time.
Yes. It might reduce speed and convenience a little. But customers will enjoy the added safety and security this offers.
By the way, do the same as customers exit your store too. Enforcing social distancing like this will be a nice win for your store.
4. Master as Many Digital Sales Channels as You Can
There’s no way around it. If you haven’t traditionally used the web to sell, now you’re going to have to master it.
The McKinsey report earlier recommended “doubling down” on the time and money invested in selling online.
And if you read on practically any other major retail authority’s website, you’ll hear the same.
Different market segments hang out on various social networks. So, research where your audience hangs out, and build your presence there.
Then, simply add one channel at a time.
COVID-19 has forced everyone to make dramatic changes. But, you don’t have to get left in the dust as they happen.
Now you know what to focus on. And it’s just a matter of having the courage to act.[:]
