Last time, I addressed “how to survive a setback” and I got tons of feedback! My take-away is that we are all in this crazy entrepreneurship game together, so we may as well help each other out whenever and however we can! Thanks to those of you who reached out to me with all kinds of ideas, big, small, crazy, wise…. I love them all!
I promised to give you the bookend – how to increase your revenue. Here are just some of the tips I’ve gathered and used myself over the years. As always, I welcome your feedback and your own wise (and crazy) ideas. For purposes of this article, products and services are synonymous.
Strategy #1 Tweak the 3 Basic Revenue Factors
Without changing anything else in your business, you can enjoy overall better results by slightly increasing the numbers in each of these 3 factors: price, customers, transactions.
The first is the most obvious but often overlooked – increase the price of what you offer today. Not by double or triple but even a small percentage will often give you a boost. Yesterday’s $300 product is easily tomorrow’s $325 product.
And if you can work your way from 4 customers to 6, that’s not an insurmountable goal. Further, if you can upsell one customer on a little add-on, that helps.
Yesterday: 4 customers, $300 product, 1 product sold = $1200 revenue
Tomorrow: 6 customers, $325 product, add on product of $50 = $2250 revenue.
How to make that happen? Increase and laser focus your marketing and sales efforts. Now’s not the time to sit home and sit back – get out there in every sense of the word. Focus on ‘helping’ not ‘selling’. Be more consistent with your messaging.
Strategy #2 Add New Products
What else can you offer that’s already in line with products you’re already known for? What’s a way to extend what you already do? Consider DIY or remote versions of in-person services. Think about a luxury car dealership that starts offering weekly rentals of their oh-so desirable but expensive cars.
Strategy #3 Bundling
Instead of selling individual products, see what makes sense to bundle together for a more comprehensive and irresistible package. You’ll likely lower the individual prices of things so that the bundle makes economic sense to the customer, but because it’s more attractive, you’ll sell more.
Thing A: $200 + Thing B: $300 + Thing C: 400 = purchased separately, $900 price tag.
Bundle A, B, and C for $750 (or whatever you decide). 3 things off the shelf is better than 3 dusty lonely things sitting on the shelf.
Strategy #4 Make It Easy to Buy
Sometimes it’s not the price or the service or the customer – make things “east to buy” by changing your process. I know of some business owners who STILL won’t accept anything but cash or check. (Note to my landscaper – have you glanced at the calendar lately? It’s no longer 1967!) With all the payment processing tools available today that are easy and inexpensive to use, you’ll see an increase in sales if you make it known that your process is easier.
When you boil it down, there are tons of ways to increase your revenue. And it’s typically difficult to see it all yourself. You need to work with someone outside of your organization that can peek at your model and think another way. When you do work with someone, I’m going to implore you to open your mind to their ideas and consider doing a few things differently.
I’m taking my own advice and offering something new. As a Certified Pumpkin Plan Business Growth Strategist, you can now work with me on a One Month Deep Dive. I’m offering 4 weekly sessions for one price. Choose from a Prosperity Plan Deep Dive or a Sweet Spot Deep Dive. One-to-One strategic coaching. One month. One price.
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