So much in marketing has changed over the past 10 years. What once worked (push advertising) now is a turnoff, and people can easily fast forward through commercials or ignore your online ad. Now consumers are all about being attracted to a brand based on its value in their lives. They’re in control when it comes to marketing, not you.
How you sell has changed too. Where once you were limited to just what brick-and-mortar stores sold in your area, you now have virtually unlimited options to choose from online. And having to know how to code a website is no longer a barrier to selling products online: sites like Shopify help you not only sell on your website and on social media. You can use a tiny card swiper affixed to your phone rather than wrangle with a giant merchant card processing device. Technology is making it more affordable — not to mention easier — to sell these days. It has become easy to become a Reseller for big brands as well.
So much has changed for the better in terms of how to sell your products, but if you’re still using outdated techniques, you may be struggling to succeed. So let’s look at how you can master becoming a modern day sales nomad.
Have a Command Center for Sales
For years, online sellers struggled with merchant services that were add-ons to regular websites, and they were always a bit difficult to manage. Now that we have tools like Shopify, the ecommerce selling process has gotten so much easier.
Not only can you custom design a website that actually looks professional (with zero design skills), you can also accept credit and debit card payments, look at detailed sales reports, and manage inventory. Everything you need, from managing returns to calculating shipping, is baked into one easy-to-use platform.
Read Your Customers’ Minds
Another way sales have become easier is the amount of data we now have access to regarding our customers. Those sales reports, along with website analytics, and behavior marketing trends, tell you exactly what your customers are doing, which helps you predict their next move.
Let’s say you send promotional emails to customers every week, and you notice a high number of people clicking the link to your newest watch design landing page. This could compel you to mark that watch down to boost sales of it.
Or your website analytics tell you that many people are visiting a particular product’s page, but when they see you’re out of the black option, they leave. Clearly you need to reorder the black option of that product!
Paying attention to what your customers are doing can help you position your products in a way that will boost sales.
Creating Relationships with Customers is Easier than Ever
No longer do you have to jot down notes on your customers so you can pretend to remember their preferences. Customer relationship software — or CRM — lets you record customer data such as contact info, product preferences, and even social media profiles.
It also helps you track leads so nothing falls through the cracks. Some CRM platforms let you assign tasks to your sales team and track milestones so that every lead is maximized.
Another way to build relationships with customers is by interacting with them on social media. Having an active LinkedIn profile (or any other social profile) and connecting with your leads and customers gives you the opportunity to build dialogue with them, as well as support them by sharing their content and commenting on it. You can effectively build a relationship with your target audience without ever meeting them face-to-face.
Mobile: Being There When It Counts
One of the best selling tools for brick-and-mortar businesses these days is mobile marketing, specifically push notifications. If a customer is within half a mile of your shop, for example, you can push a coupon to pop up on her phone, compelling her to stop in and take advantage of it.
Push notifications also serve as regular reminders so that customers don’t forget about you! Coupons, gentle nudges, and reminders about events keep customers engaged and visiting your store on a more regular basis.
Part of being a modern day sales nomad is understanding that the sales environment has changed. Consumers won’t stand for pushy salespeople or selfish agendas. They want brands that care about their needs and that will cater to them. Be willing to adapt to better appeal to today’s customer, and you’ll become an ace at selling in today’s savvy and tech-driven market.
