Fifty years ago, the sales industry was a completely different medium. Salesman often traveled door-to-door, providing demonstrations of the products they had to offer. If you walked into a store, the name of the game was up-sell because you likely didn’t know the details of what you wanted in the first place. Even television commercials appealed to basic needs and captured your attention easily – you’d suddenly see or hear an advertisement for a product you didn’t know existed and would need it instantly.
Salespeople had control of the sale back then because most customers weren’t fully informed of options – they simply went to the nearest store that carried what they needed. But that is far removed now. 
Today’s sales process consists of a vigorous attempt to be seen among a myriad of competitors within your industry, and within your market. While advertising is still a viable marketing tool, the more effective forms are found through social media – Facebook, YouTube, Twitter – not television commercials and certainly not radio.
And the digital age means that customers are well-informed of their options. They know exactly what they want, the features they must have, and who has the best price. Customer reviews through Google and social media platforms mean that potential customers have already made a decision about your business before ever encountering you.
All of this means that the customers are now in the driver’s seat of the sales process, and you’ve got to seemingly bend over backwards to be seen and heard. Unless, of course, you’re utilizing the right tools to be present right where your customers are. Digital marketing is the way to go, and it has many effective faucets, including:
- Social Media Presence – Not 10 years ago, your business was dead in the water if you didn’t have a website. Now, if you don’t have a social media presence complimenting that website, most customers won’t even acknowledge your business as an option for their purchase. And you have to be active on both.
- Social Media Advertising – Even some boosted posts or small ad campaigns (minimum budget) on Facebook will garner you more attention within your market.
- Website Content – It’s not just about having a website, but having constantly updating content on that website. You should have an active blog that provides value to potential customers. When they do research on a topic related to your products, finding your tips and information will gain their trust.
- Email Marketing Strategies – You need some sort of email capture incentive on both your website and your social media platforms. It needs to be something that says “Fill out this form to sign up for our email list and receive a special discount.”
- Incentivize – Speaking of, people love discounts, coupon codes, free shipping. They expect it these days. It’s the only way you pull them away from the competition.  Best way to utilize this is to get something from them in order to provide the discount, such as a minimum purchase, an email address, or even a positive review.
If you acknowledge that you need to implement these strategies to find more customers, but are overwhelmed by the thought of it, then you’re in luck. The Get Smart Group can help you with every one of them. It’s kind of what we do! Don’t let the sales paradigm shift get you down (both in spirits and in sales!). We’ve got this!
