50 Easy Business Hacks to Increase Your Sales Today

Michael Rust

• Publisher: Books to Read
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9781527234024
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Digital Marketing
• Index: Business

It often only a tweak or a very small amendment which will make the greatest of changes to your business. This change can then make all the difference between your business just ticking along or have a large increase in your online sales activity.

So this is a collection of 50 top marketing and business tips and hacks from top marketing experts from around the world which are tried and tested with a view to improving your business sales. I have tried to make both easy to implement and very easy to read and understand with examples and in most cases why the tip works.

You may not wish to implement all the tips in this book and that’s fine because by just trying a few which you feel are appropriate to you can make all the difference. So take action by buying this ebook today and introduce these ideas to your business and you may be amazed by the results!

1. Increase Your Price Point  

 

Most people tend to undercharge for their services. Try increasing your prices, as a test, and see what happens. Funnily enough, most people perceive something that is higher priced as being of higher quality, which can encourage people to buy your product or service. As you increase your prices, you’re also receiving more per sale, increasing your profit margin. Take this strategy a step further and target higher value clients.

 

For example, if you run a business coaching company, and you currently charge $200 an hour for your time, increase your rates to $1000. With the perceived higher quality and value in your coaching, target businesses that make a lot of money vs. those that are barely getting by. In this example, one client would be worth 5 of your clients in the past. Not only have you raised your hourly rate but you’ve decreased the amount of work you need to do to earn the same amount of money.

 

Takeaway: Increase your prices and target customers who have more money to spend on your product/service.

 

2.  Make Your Offer A Premium Or “Done-For-You” Offer And Charge A Premium Price

 

See what you can add to your offer, or bundle it with, to make it a more premium offer. Or, look at how you can make your offer more “done-for-you.” Now price your offer respectively. The kicker is that more people like to buy a premium offer than a basic offer, as it's more appealing and more "done-for-you" than just an item that they'd have to do all the rest of the work on themselves.  And less people offer premium services/offers, so you're competing against less.

 

For example, instead of charging $5 to write an article, charge $497 to $997+ to write five articles, create a blog, post the articles up, optimize it for their keywords, and have a custom graphic or two. If you were to outsource a $5 article for $3, the first example only gives you a $2 profit, or if you were to write it yourself, you'd be trading $5 for 30 minutes, at best, of your time ($10 an hour on the higher end if you’re super fast).  However, if you were to offer the second, more premium example, you could outsource the articles for $15, allocate $10 for some custom graphics on Fiverr.com, and put in $25 to $50 to outsource the custom blog with SEO (blogger.com blogs, for instance, can be made in a matter of minutes).  That's a raw cost of $50 to $100 for a $400 to $950 profit. Or, if you were to do the work mostly yourself, you'd be talking about maybe 3 to 5 hours of work, easily putting you in the range of earning $100 to $200+ per hour compared to $10 per hour just selling a $5 article.

 

Takeaway: Look at how you can make your offer a premium or “done-for-you” offer by adding more things to your service or bundling your products together to give more value. This then allows you to increase your prices substantially, your premium pricing reflecting your premium product.

 

3.  End Your Prices With A 7, .97, 5, or .95

 

Instead of charging $10, for instance, consider charging $9.97. Even though it’s only a few cents less, people seem to think that it sounds cheaper. Even on high priced items the same tricks can work. For instance, you’ve probably never seen a car advertised for $30,000. Instead, you’ll see it advertised for something like $29,995.

 

Amazingly enough, on that last example, some people will walk away thinking that the car is $29,000 in their head (even though they’re smart enough to know that it’s obviously $30,000).

 

In the past many marketers have used 9 or .99 to end the numbers in, but it seems that there’s been a growing trend lately that 7, .97, 5, or .95 seem to stand out even more and appear even less expensive. Crazy stuff, but it can definitely work. And it’s doubtful that you’ll miss those few cents after increasing your conversions.

 

Takeaway: Consider adjusting your price points to end in 7, .97, 5, or .95 to make your prices seem cheaper and help increase conversions.

 

4.  Offer Limited Time Deals

 

Offer limited time deals, especially ones that don't last more than a few days tops.  And if you have an e-mail list, mail them a lot more on the final day with reminders to the deadline.  You'll often get most of your sales on the final day! Countdown timers can be another great way to emphasize this.  The idea is similar to furniture stores that seem to always have sales that end on the weekend... even though we all know they'll probably have another sale in a week or two, we're more likely to buy now if we think there's a sale on it now vs. later.  People like to procrastinate, so limited time deals can get them off their butt to take action.

 

For example, if you run a gym, you may run a sale on gym membership, where if they sign up over the next 3 days they receive a discount on the total price, or X amount of personal training sessions as a bonus. The time limit creates a sense of urgency, encouraging people to buy that may have sat on the fence or procrastinated otherwise.

 

Takeaway: Create a time sensitive deal where people only have a limited time to take you up on it. The sense of urgency encourages people to buy. If you have an email list, constantly remind people of the deadline, as often the most sales will happen in the last day near the end.

 

5.  Use The Word "Only" Before A Price

 

How items are described and the words we use to frame situations can have a big impact on how we then think about a scenario. Just as saying, “I cut my finger, but there’s only a little blood” versus, “I cut my finger and there’s blood everywhere,” paint two very different pictures, the words you use to describe your pricing can make a difference to your sales. Something as small as just putting the word “only” before your pricing can increase your sales.

 

For example, if your price point is $97, instead write "Only $97." Psychologically, by putting “only” in front of the price, you are making little of the price, implying that it isn’t that big, and is a good deal.

 

Takeaway: Use the word “only” before your price (e.g. “Only $97” vs. “$97”) as psychologically it implies the value you are getting is greater than the small amount you are paying.

 

6.  Mention A Savings Next To A Price Point

 

It is important to point out when you are giving people a discount or savings. This lets them know you’re giving them a great deal and lots of value. A discount also has a psychological effect - we feel we are getting a better deal and are more likely to buy. Seeing that an item is discounted not only is an incentive to buy it now, it can also encourage new users to buy that might otherwise have not considered it.

 

For example, when listing your price, you might write: "$97 --- 50% Off Today!" This makes people feel they are getting a great deal, helps them justify the purchase to themselves and is more likely to push them over the line.

 

Takeaway: Put a savings amount next to a price point (e.g., “$97 --- 50% Off Today!) as it makes customers feel they are getting a great deal and can encourage customers to buy that may not have bought before.

 

7.  Mention The "Normal" Price Next To Your Sales Price

 

When people see the difference, between your normal price and your sales price, it influences their decision to purchase. By having a “normal” price listed it creates the impression that the deal they are getting is awesome. They’re getting all this value at a price that is way less than “normal”. People love to believe they are getting a bargain and by listing both your normal and sale price side by side, it highlights the value they’re getting for their money.

 

For example, when you list your pricing, write it as, "Normally $197 -- Only $97 Today!"

 

Takeaway: People love a bargain. Create the perception of a great deal by listing your “normal” price next to your sales price (e.g. "Normally $197 -- Only $97 Today!").

 

8.  Offer A Range Of Differently Priced Upsells

 

Upselling is offering a complimentary or upgraded version of a product/service that a customer is currently purchasing. One of the most well known upsells can be heard when you head into your local fast food joint, “Would you like fries with that?” Even not so great upsells can add a quick 33% or more to your revenue stream.  Some really good upsells or funnels can even double your initial sales or more! An upsell is a great way to increase the total value of a sale.

 

For example, if you run a dance school, and each class is $15, you could provide a number of upsells. You could offer 3 different upsells, of varying amounts:

Upsell 1 - 4 week course for $50

Upsell 2 - Gold Membership where for $120 a month you can attend as many classes as you like.

Upsell 3 - Pro dance package for $200 a month, which allows you to attend unlimited classes and receive 2 private classes a month.

 

Takeaway: Offer a range of differently priced upsells to customers to increase the total of each sale. Upsells are complimentary or better options on an offer a customer is already purchasing.

 

 

9. Partner With Other Businesses

Look to partner with others where both of you could make a lot of money off of each other, but whom you don't directly compete with.

For example, if you sell homemade candles, reach out to boutiques to see if they'd be willing to sell your candles (even without them buying them first - just sharing in the sales). Or if you sell a social media management or SEO service, reach out to web design firms that might not offer your services to their clients, but offer them a good chunk of the sales PLUS offer to do all the work, support, etc. for their c...

Table of contents

• Introduction
• 1. Increase Your Price Point
• 2.  Make Your Offer A Premium Or “Done-For-You” Offer And Charge A Premium Price
• 3.  End Your Prices With A 7, .97, 5, or .95
• 4.  Offer Limited Time Deals
• 5.  Use The Word "Only" Before A Price
• 6.  Mention A Savings Next To A Price Point
• 7.  Mention The "Normal" Price Next To Your Sales Price
• 8.  Offer A Range Of Differently Priced Upsells
• 9.  Partner With Other Businesses
• 10. Identify What Your Competitors Are Doing Well And See How You Can Replicate It
• 11.  Instead Of Waiting For Leads To Come To You, Go To Them!
• 12.  Join Relevant Facebook Groups In Your Niche And See What People Are Complaining About
• 13.  Use Case Studies In Your Marketing To Sell People Without Selling Them
• 14.  Give Something Away Of Value (And Monetize The Backend)
• 15. Bundle Your Services To Create A “Package Deal”
• 16. Approach Your Current Customers With A Complimentary Offer
• 17. Ask For Referrals From Your Customers
• 18. Have A Loyalty Program
• 19.  Use Future-Use Coupons
• 20. Membership Program
• 21. Offer A Free Gift With Purchase
• 22. Offer A Guarantee
• 23. Focus On The Benefits Of Your Product/Service
• 24. Ask For Feedback From Your Customers
• 25. Offer Free Trials/Demonstration Of Products
• 26. Reduce/Offer Free Shipping Within A Certain Time Frame
• 27. Offer A Themed Promotion (Seasonal, Holiday, Etc.)
• 28. Send A “We Haven’t Seen You In A While” With A Thank You And An Incentive
• 29. Start An Affiliate Program
• 30. Offer Free Review Copies to Influencers Like Bloggers, Big Pinterest Users, Etc.
• 31. Go For The Big Fish Deals
• 32. Ask Your Prospects And Clients Questions On What They Want/Need
• 33. Look To Outsource Other Offers/Services That You Can Sell Yourself
• 34. Offer Premium Support Services (White Glove, Warranties, Free Upgrades, Etc.)
• 35. Offer Free Plus Shipping & Handling Products
• 36. Consider Adding Physical Products As A Bonus, Especially For Your Digital Offers or Services
• 37. Offer Different Packages/Buying Options To Increase The Perceived Value And Sales
• 38. Always Be Split Testing
• 41. Create A Spiderweb of Content And Videos Across The Web Asking And Answering All The Common Questions Your Prospects Might Have
• 42. Take Advantage Of E-mail Marketing (More Than You Are Now)
• 44. Use Your Consumers’ Language
• 45. Be Big And Bold In Your Ads And Sales Copy
• 46. Know Your Numbers And Data
• 47. The Number A Customer Sees First Can Change The Entire Likelihood Of Whether They’ll Buy Or Not
• 48. People Act Like How You Label Them, So Label Them How You Want Them To Act
• 49. Try Selling Higher Priced Offers On Webinars
• Conclusion
• About the Author