Summer is great for many things, like long days at the pool or beach, boisterous backyard barbecues, and catching up on all the sunshine you've missed during the winter months. What summer isn't so great for, unfortunately, is sales .
The reasons for the decline in sales in the summer vary, but they seem to boil down to the fact that people are more busy enjoying the weather than engaging with businesses. Similarly, your sales team may be just as eager to get out in the sunshine, and in turn, a little less invested in their day-to-day tasks.
Maybe you've noticed the summer slump yourself. Or maybe you're facing a drop in sales at a different time of year and for different reasons. In any case, if your sales are down, you need to take specific steps to remedy the situation. There are also things you should do to avoid the decline altogether and keep your sales up regardless of what's going on around you.
Here are eight actions you can take to prevent sales declines and ensure you're doing everything you can to meet or exceed your goals.
1. Understand why sales declines occur
We've mentioned one type of sales decline, but summer trends aren't the only thing that may be at play when you start to see a drop in sales.
There are many reasons for declining sales, and to remedy them, you need benin telegram lead be able to identify them. Possible explanations, aside from seasonal trends, include low team morale or a lack of talent or incentives. You may also not be targeting the right customer base , or your sales and marketing goals may be too narrow – or too broad.
Whatever the reason, it's imperative that you put on your detective hat and get to work identifying them. The sooner you understand the roots of the problem of declining sales, the sooner you can take steps to fix it.
2. Create a happier team
Happy employees not only contribute to a more positive work culture, but they also help increase sales.
A happy, engaged workforce could be the biggest advantage your business can gain in today's economy. A study by Yale University found that happy salespeople make more sales, sell more often, and have more satisfied customers.
So how do you create a happier workforce? Start by making sure your team members feel valued, which includes everything from offering attractive compensation and benefits packages to promoting a better work-life balance. The more you can improve sales team satisfaction, the more benefits you should see in daily productivity and overall sales.
3. Set clear and achievable goals
Every company wants to sell as much as possible, but that's not a very clear directive to give to your team. Instead of telling everyone to shoot for the stars, make sure you set very clear and realistic goals for your sales reps to aim for.
What these goals look like will be unique to your company. Based on past performance and actual data, keep in mind that if the majority of your team can't meet your expectations, it's almost certainly the goals, not the people, that's to blame.
4. Set incentives
Just as important as setting achievable goals is recognizing and rewarding team members when they achieve them.
One way to do this is to offer a tiered commission structure where the more a rep exceeds their goal, the more their commission rate will increase. Bonuses and benefits for exceptional performance can also go a long way, as can recognition for sales reps and teams who go above and beyond.
Incentives do more than just give your employees something to chase after. By recognising and celebrating hard work, you show that you value your team members and everything they do for you. This helps to create that happier workforce we mentioned earlier and also goes a long way to ensuring your staff feel valued.
5. Invest in training
You can't expect poorly trained sales staff to be as effective as possible. The responsibility for organizing and promoting proper training protocols falls on management. If you don't, you'll have a workforce that is likely not in tune with what you want to achieve and how to achieve it.