Guest Author - Deborah Crawford
No matter what your business, there’s a way to capitalize on summertime for sales promotions. It’s hot and the heat slows us down, makes us a little cranky and puts us in vacation mode whether we’re actually on vacation or not—we want to be! Many businesses see sales slow down as the temperature rises. Of course, some seasonal businesses are busy now!
But if you have noticed revenues slipping, now is the time to put some sizzle into your sales efforts. Here are a few strategies you can adapt to your particular business:
1—Think COLD. Ice-cold lemonade sells better than lemonade. Use frosty adjectives in your promotions. Invite people to come in out of the heat! Give away “Free ice-cold water”! Use cool colors like blue and green for flyers.
2—Use the Heat: “Specials hotter than the 4th of July”. Support a kid’s summer sports team. Put their pictures on the wall. Run a fun charity event. Buy some summer-themed paper and invite your customers to complete the statement “As hot as. . . “and make a donation to your favorite charity. Post their answers. Write up a summary of the best ones in a press release, and have a party for the charity at the end of the campaign.
3—If you use promotional materials, switch to cooler items—sun visors, sunglasses, sun block, bottled water, Frisbees, etc. If you usually offer coffee, switch to lemonade or soft drinks. Instead of cookies, switch to ice cream sandwiches or popsicles.
4—Write a small article or tip sheet about your business in the summer. For example, if you offer a dog-walking service or sell gourmet pet treats, or operate a veterinary clinic, you could write up “Ten Ways to Keep your Dog Cool and Safe this Summer”. It could be a press release, a promotional flyer to distribute, and a freebie you give to all your current clients.
5—If you provide a service, contact local businesses who do similar work and offer to help them out if they need coverage for vacations. For example, a bookkeeper or accountant can call almost any business and find some need there! If you meet with a regular networking group, let them know you’re taking on extra assignments during the summer.
6—Pre-sell. Take advance orders for your next busy time. Offer discounts for early payment. For instance, if you sell gift baskets, make up samples for Back to School, Halloween, even Christmas, and promote them now. You could offer 10% off for all orders paid or booked before July 31.
7—Consider how your product or service can help people now. Can you sell to people planning a vacation or a large backyard barbecue, or a wedding? Or remodeling their house or landscaping their backyard? Sometimes just re-thinking a product or service can open up profitable doors of opportunity. Lowe’s and Home Depot did not invent hardware and home improvement supplies, they just restructured the marketing.
