Most people are thinking about giving during the holiday season and wondering two things:<\/p>\n
* What would make a great gift for my son or daughter,
\n* What would make a great gift for my spouse,
\n* What would make a great gift for my father or mother in-law.<\/p>\n
\u2026 and they\u2019re wondering<\/p>\n
* What should I put on my own holiday list (as I was this weekend),
\n* What gift should I give myself this year, yes, a lot of people, while out buying gifts for others, buy gifts for themselves too!<\/p>\n
You get the idea. Don\u2019t assume people know what they want to buy. I\u2019m often at a total loss myself as to what to buy for my 23 year-old son. So whether you sell to businesses or direct to consumers, help them out with your sales copy by targeting the questions that are on your customers\u2019 minds.<\/p>\n
Strategy #2: \u201cCreate Urgency To Buy\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n When people head out to shop after Thanksgiving, they\u2019re taking advantage of short term sales, feeling the pressure of the limited shopping days until Christmas, and they know that the stores may run out of the items they want if they don\u2019t act right away.<\/p>\n Creating urgency<\/a> is one of the most effective ways to increase sales, no matter what or when you market. Even if you\u2019re selling HVAC maintenance contracts or snowplowing services, marketing limited availability or limited-time offers is a big motivator.<\/p>\n The end of the year is fast approaching and everyone likes a deal. The problem is we all tend to procrastinate. What\u2019s the solution?<\/p>\n You have the products and services prospects want. Now all you need to do is motivate them to buy. Typically, you may associate Christmas sales with toys, TVs and personal items. You\u2019re right, that\u2019s where much of the spending is. But there are no rules that say you can\u2019t have a holiday sale on your products or services, whether you provide computer systems or accounting services.<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s a discount on price or a special bonus, when you give your prospects something extra it increases their perception of the value of your offer.<\/p>\n Combine special offers with limited time availability. If you have a website you can put a countdown timer on your offer sales page to increase the sense of urgency. <\/strong><\/p>\n Strategy #3: \u201cUse the End of The Year To Up-Sell & Cross-Sell Clients\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n December 31st marks the end of 2009 and while it\u2019s just a day on the calendar, it has a strong emotional effect on your prospect\u2019s and clients. People see it as a clear ending and January 1st as a new beginning.<\/p>\n At the end of December people tend to reflect a little bit on their past performance and on their aspirations for the coming year. This is the perfect time to tap into their psyche and get clients to review their needs, what worked and didn\u2019t work, and what they\u2019d like to do better next year.<\/p>\n Whether you sell consulting services, or flat screen TVs, the end of the year is an ideal time to cross-sell and up-sell your products and services.<\/p>\n Strategy #4: \u201cStrengthen Your Relationships with Prospects and Clients\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Your primary small business competitive advantage<\/a> is the number and strength of your relationships with prospects and clients. Use this time to show your appreciation to them. How?<\/p>\n * Tell them. Thank them for their business and loyalty. Gifts are nice but ultimately it\u2019s the thought that counts. Make sure to let them know you value their business and enjoy working with them.<\/p>\n Unless you\u2019re the only source for a product or service clients can always find someone else to buy from. The best way to prevent this is to maintain a strong relationship and this starts with saying thank you.<\/p>\n * Send your most valued clients a gift, but not just any gift. For years I had an investment advisor who each Christmas sent me something from Tiffany\u2019s that cost hundreds of dollars.\u00a0 As you may know by now, I\u2019m not a Tiffany\u2019s kind of guy and ended up returning almost every one of these to the store.<\/p>\n The key is to give something that your client would appreciate. It\u2019s hard to lose with food. In my case I would have been much more impressed if my investment advisor had sent me something that was less expensive but more thoughtful, like a lift ticket or a ski lesson at Sugarbush where I ski most of the time.<\/p>\n Strategy #5: \u201cStick To Your Marketing Plan\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Just because it\u2019s the holidays, don\u2019t abandon the proven marketing strategies<\/a> you\u2019ve been using the rest of the year. It\u2019s more important than ever to maintain shelf space in your prospects minds in December because if they don\u2019t buy this month, come January they may be ready.<\/p>\n Continue to send out your weekly emails, update your site and follow-up with prospects.<\/p>\n That\u2019s it!<\/strong><\/p>\n Five easy, no-cost ways to increase your end-of-the-year sales and beat, or at least get closer, to your goals for the year.<\/p>\n And don\u2019t forget the countdown clock is ticking for YOU too. If you\u2019re at all interested in making every month your best, you can get into the Insiders\u2019 Club Member Program<\/a> for 20% off the first month\u2026 if you take action today!<\/p>\n Go ahead and \u201cplay Santa\u201d and buy yourself access to this wealth-building program, but act fast if you want in. There are<\/span> were only 15 holiday specials left last time I looked. And whether these sell out or not, this offer ends on December 25th.<\/p>\n Grab it before it\u2019s gone >><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n – Charlie<\/em><\/p>\n P.S.<\/strong> With the right marketing strategies, December can be your best month ever. And if it hasn\u2019t occurred to you yet, you can use these same strategies to generate a holiday rush of sales, all year long.<\/p>\n Ready to bring a flood of sales all year long? Use this link to find out how >><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n
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