How to improve sales with marketing

Every business goes through ups and downs with their sales figures. During the down time many business owners are frustrated over trying to find the right solutions to re-energize their sales figures.Many times business owners make the mistake of thinking that they can't afford to market when sales are down. This is always a mistake. Keep in mind that if your customers don't know what you have to offer them or where to find you, how will they know to buy from you? Through the use of effective marketing techniques you can let your customers know what you have to offer and bring your sales figures back up. Keep in mind that often just making some simple changes to your marketing plan can bring sales back up and get your business moving forward. Here is what you need to know about how to improve sales with marketing-

- Ask for referrals-One of the easiest ways to improve your sales is by enlisting the help of your existing customers. Keep in mind that for each customer that you already have there is probably at least one other person that they know of who could become a customer of your business. Train your staff to be asking for customer referrals each and every time they make a sale. This is important since the happiest customers will be the ones that have just made a purchase from your business. You may even want to offer your existing customers an incentive for every customer that they bring in that makes a purchase. This marketing technique alone can give your sales force a large number of leads to work with.
- Get customer feedback-There is never a time when you shouldn't be getting customer feedback however, when sales are down there is no more important time to be doing it. You need to have a relationship with your customers that allows you to find out what you can be doing better in order to boost your sales. Your customers can give you valuable insight into what is and isn't working within your business. You can do this in a number of different ways such as: sending out customer surveys, calling customers, using social media, or even interviewing customers face to face.
- Get an online presence-If you don't have an online presence then today is the day to get one. Many business owners assume that because they don't sell online they don't need a website. However, it is important to keep in mind that today's tech savvy consumers turn to the internet to research before they make a final purchasing decision. This means that if you are not online you may not even be considered by the very people you are hoping to attract to your business. The first step is to set up a website that will allow your potential customers to see what you have to offer and most importantly where to find you.
- Re-invent your marketing-Sometimes when sales are down that indicates that it is time to re-invent your marketing strategy. Keep in mind though that this doesn't necessarily mean that you scrap the old one and start again. You may only need to tweak your existing marketing plan in order to get big results.Sometimes just making a few changes such as layout, color, or even location of your marketing materials is enough to get your sales up and your business running on the road to success. You may also want to consider trying a new method of marketing. Many times these small changes can bring about a big payoff in increased sales.