Five simple business tips to succeed

Here are some quick and easy business tips for everyone to learn how to gain the competitive advantage over their rivals. See our courses on the same topic to learn even more essential skills to help insulate yourself from new entrants in the market and to stay at the top of your game. 

 

  • Focus on leads, not sales 

 

At the beginning of a business it is more sustainable to build a loyal database of loyal customers than it is to generate as many sales as possible in the first few months. Loyal customers will come back and will help you to keep your business booming for years to come. 

 

  • Optimise your pricing

 

Make sure that you find the right price point for your customer. Dropping prices will not necessarily mean more sales, and if you are offering a premium product and have positioned yourself as a luxury brand, doing this could even tarnish your image. Get creative and instead offer customers exclusive deals that they can not get with your rivals to keep them coming back. 

 

  • Hire friendly staff

 

This may seem obvious, but customers are much more likely to buy a product if the sales assistant is friendly and likeable. Your staff should be able to make your customers feel at ease and that they are the priority at all times. Make sure you only hire people who you believe will be able to do this. 

 

  • Be easy to contact 

 

Even in the digital age of social media, a lot of customers still like to speak to another friendly person at the end of the phone as opposed to an automated chat bot on a website. Make sure your phone number is clearly advertised on all of your merchandise and website, and make sure that there is always someone on the other end to answer it! 

 

  • Be clever with social media 

 

When used correctly, social media can be one of the most effective channels to connect with and maintain a loyal customer base. But you must do it properly. Endless corporate sounding tweets and downbeat Instagram posts won’t do the trick. Create an online personality that is in line with your brand and use the channels wisely for maximum effect.