With less than three weeks to go until Christmas and summer holidays, you’re probably already feeling the effects of the seasonal rush.
If you have prepared well and followed a strategy, you would be enjoying seeing the results you had hoped and planned for. If things are still chaotic, these tips will help you to get yourself organised fast.
- Plan
Yes, even at this late stage, a marketing and sales plan can make a difference to your organisation levels, not least to your stress and sanity!
- Take a look at how your sales and delivery process is working.
- Is your stock level holding up?
- If you have too much stock still on hand, how can you promote it?
- Are you able to pack and ship your products in good time?
- Do you need extra help at this time of year?
- If you have a service based business, could you offer services to help people set up 2015 for success?
- Promote
Whether you have a bricks and mortar store or you are purely online, take some tips from the major retailers as they boost their seasonal sales.
- Have spur of the moment sales.
- Add a countdown clock to your site to increase urgency.
- Up-sell – if a customer buys one item, recommend that they buy a related product.
- Offer last minute specials.
- Add special touches such as gift wrapping.
- Be social
It’s easy to get caught up in the holiday frenzy, but don’t neglect your social media during the holidays. Remind all of your fans and followers why they should shop with you first during the Christmas season and share your specials, sales, recommendations and guides in your posts. Showcase your products and services. Examples of great deals and exceptional customer service during the holidays easily go viral and increase traffic to your business.
- Remember to have fun
Don’t let the stress of the holiday turn you into Scrooge! Remember to take breaks for yourself and your staff each day during the season and have fun both on and off the clock! Fun is contagious and it will spread among your staff and your customers, making your business very attractive to visit.
- Measure Your Results
Don’t neglect your sales metrics and analytics in the rush of the holiday season.
- While you may need to wait until the holiday is actually over to look at the data, take a hard look at what promotions and incentives did and didn’t work to boost your sales and incorporate this into your strategy for next year.
- Pay attention to what happens on your social media page in the lead up to Christmas. What questions are people asking? What are they looking for? What feedback are they giving you? What can you learn about your customers? This is valuable data that you can use as the basis for building a strategy for next Christmas.
- When the rush is over, look back and assess how your planning worked for you. Where were the gaps? What happened that was unexpected and you had not planned for? What opportunities did you miss that you can capitalise on next year? The holiday season is an important sales period for most businesses, so it’s worth investing your time in post-season analysis so you can be better prepared next year.
Christmas sales can make or break most businesses. The increased flow of traffic can stress the patience and resources of any business, but with some careful planning you will cope well this year and find ideas to incorporate into your planning for next year, too.
