Sales in Challenging Times: Online Sales Strategies

Sales strategies are fundamental to the growth and profitability of a company. In a changing environment where digital transformation constantly redefines how businesses interact with their customers, it is important to adapt to what the competition demands and evolve. In this article, I will explain what customer-focused sales strategies are, ways in which you can improve your sales strategies, recommendations, and examples, so you can see the importance of going beyond the ordinary means.

What is a sales strategy?

Sales strategies are techniques, actions, and tools that help create a strategic plan focused on improving and increasing a company's sales.

This definition, although very concise, is quite clear and indicates well the meaning of what sales strategies are. However, a sales strategy is much more than simple planning; in fact, it should involve all components of the company beyond the sales department to achieve greater effectiveness.

The involvement of your company's teams, regardless of their area, is crucial; the more involvement there is from everyone, the greater effectiveness will be achieved. 

Sales in the Digital Medium

Digital sales represent the ability that businesses develop to build relationships with users and consumers by leveraging digital channels, social media, online platforms, and internet strategies.

In traditional marketing, the focus is on the product, there is no personalized communication, and promotion strategies are intrusive.

On the contrary, in a constantly evolving digital environment, businesses have found new opportunities to connect with users with very different expectations. In digital marketing, communication must be personalized; the focus is on the customer. The days of static techniques are gone; today, attraction, nurturing, and retention are vital. Understanding how to navigate challenging times is what truly sets leaders apart from the crowd.

Sales Strategies

You may be wondering which strategy may work best for your type of business. It depends a lot on your business objectives, but regardless of your business model, these sales strategies can help you maximize customer lifetime value in sales and marketing:

1. Inbound

The inbound sales methodology emphasizes that modern consumers want to make informed decisions and are more receptive to companies that offer value and solutions to their specific needs. Instead of using traditional direct sales tactics, inbound sales strategies focus on creating long-term relationships and building trust with potential customers. Why does this strategy work? Because it provides a customer-centered experience and addresses their needs.

Inbound is not just a way of selling but a complete methodology that can be applied to any type of business, whether traditional or disruptive.

It consists of three stages:

1. Attract: This involves making your ideal audience aware of your company through content that aligns with their interests. Additionally, it creates easy communication channels to engage them from the very beginning.

2. Interact: This is your opportunity to understand and focus on the needs of each interested person, offering relevant and personalized solutions.

3. Delight: Once you provide a specific solution, you can turn a satisfied customer into a loyal ambassador for your brand.

2. Cross-selling

This strategy, also known as "cross-selling," involves promoting the sale of a complementary product by associating it with a main product. Its name comes from offering a product or service as a complement to the one being acquired.

In this context, a CRM becomes crucial as it allows you to record user preferences. Imagine creating a bundle of products specifically tailored for a group of users based on similar preferences. This strategy fosters a sense of belonging among people, all aimed at enhancing the customer experience.

By identifying a significant overlap between your offerings and your customers, you can present your catalog in more creative ways, without it being perceived as forced or insistent.

3. Additional Sales or Up-selling

This strategy involves offering the customer, at the time of purchase, a product or service of higher value than what they initially intended to acquire, tailored to their needs and with superior features.

In this approach, products or services of a higher range than the initial option are presented, offering additional functions and enhancing the buyer's expectations. Although not necessarily a discount, it becomes a purchase that is hard to resist.

The goal is to show the customer that they have more options and that, although they will have to pay more, they will receive a higher-quality product. Even though these items are intended for the same purpose, they have different features.

4. Loyalty Programs

This is one of the best sales strategies when aiming to retain recurring customers while strengthening loyalty and attracting the attention of potential new customers. The objective is to provide a sense of belonging to an exclusive group, in addition to offering benefits such as special offers or promotions.

We can observe this strategy in various types of businesses. For example, gyms located in highly competitive areas may implement loyalty programs. When customers show long-term preference for their service, they receive discounts or free amenities. This is a highly effective strategy that can be applied to almost any business to maintain customer preference and even attract new ones.

5. Email Marketing

Email marketing involves communicating through emails to a database of contacts, such as potential customers or leads. It is a great option for follow-ups, sales, and offering additional solutions to customers already in your contact list. Many companies use it as a complement to their strategies, but for some, it is a fundamental part of their sales scheme because it has proven to be effective.

• Direct contact with customers (messages directly to the inbox)
• Enables the construction of a highly engaged subscriber community
• Adaptable to all types of businesses: e-commerce, physical stores, etc.
• Easily integrates with marketing automation (e.g., you can schedule campaigns)
• Direct channel to your target audience
• Generates traffic on other channels, such as social media
  
  

7. Corporate Blog

Assuming that if you have a business, you also have a website, you should consider having a corporate blog on that website. Writing a corporate blog has numerous benefits, and in the medium term, companies with a blog often achieve more sales.

Some of the benefits of a corporate blog include:

• Showcasing your skills and expertise.
• Increasing visits to your website.
• Helping to improve your brand image.
• Sharing testimonials and success stories.
• Collaborating with other businesses.