Do you sometimes feel like luck has closed its doors on you and your once flourishing business is slowly shriveling? And finding out what the trouble is, is also proving to be an arduous task? At most times, it is usually you who is not playing your cards right. The following are some ideas that as a businessperson, you should put into consideration.
Learn new business gimmicks
New tricks will ensure that customers will flock your business premises. Tricks such as; treating your customers better, and appreciating them if you have not been doing so in the past. Start paying attention to those clients; they are the reason for the existence of your business. Also make sure that your business is usually open early enough, and closes late evening, to meet the needs of those customers who go to work early and come back late.
Reputable customer care services
You can provide the customer care services yourself, especially if your business is still growing; or rather, you can employ adept customer care personnel. Ensure you have a toll-free line that is reachable 24 hours a day, for your clients to give their compliments and complains, if any occur. Also take customers’ criticisms positively and appreciate the criticizers; it makes them feel valued. Make sure that complains are dealt with, within the shortest time possible. However, you should let your customers know that complains should be launched within a stipulated period of time, after which, there will be no compensation. This is so, to protect your business.
Learn your rival’s weakness and capitalize on it
In an ideal business world, you will never lack rivals. Knowing how those contenders run their businesses, will give you an opportunity to identify the gaps that exist, in running that kind of business. Work on those gaps and make them your strongest points. For example, if they do not have a cashless system of payment of goods, you can introduce that service at your store, and you will be sure to pull your rival’s clients your way.
Always have enough and variety of stock
This is one of the things that will make your customers love shopping at you store. Always order for new stock before your current one is depleted. If you run a general merchandise store, make sure that you have most items that your customers are likely to buy. This way, they will have everything they need under one roof. This is to avoid disappointing the buyers when they cannot find just one item out of the many on their lists.
Discounts for loyal customers
Although this should not be frequent, you should try to appreciate your loyal customers through random and surprise discounts. They will always come to your store expecting that someday soon, you are going to throw that discount again.
Redeemable card points
If you do not have this already, consider starting it; giving redeemable points to your customers when they shop. Later, when they have sufficient points on their card, and depending on how much a point values, they can use the points to shop. In any case, who would not love to be rewarded just for spending some cash on shopping?
Good advertising
Invest in good advertisement strategies for your products. You can use those magazines that sell like a hot cake, or embrace the use of technology and internet traffic. Use of face book, twitter and a website blog will ensure you reach many potential clients.
Delivery services
Provide free delivery services to the customers around your area, and those that are far, you can charge a small fee. Customers will always come shopping at your outlet in bulk, because they will not have to worry about how their items will reach home. You can also include a dial-an-item service whereby, clients make a call to your store, make orders for the items they need, and you deliver the orders to their addresses. They pay up on delivery.
When one starts a business, they do so with the hope that it will soon pick up and run smoothly. They have high expectations. But without the correct strategies put in place, the business will be bound to fail at some point. However, with tactics such as those mentioned above, one can start and run a business successfully, or salvage an otherwise declining business.