By Sanket Shah
While the majority of corporate organizations have shifted to remote working during the Coronavirus outbreak, many small business owners don’t have many options left except shutting down their operations. Be it a restaurant, a travel agency or a retail store, the sales figures have hit rock bottom.
The Coronavirus crisis has affected everyone. It has changed consumers’ behavior as well as the way businesses work. But the show must go on.
In today’s article, I am listing five tips for small businesses to manage sales amid the coronavirus outbreak.
You can’t send a sales pitch to your prospects, but you have a few other ways to take care of your business.
Update your customers about your current situation and the next steps you’ll take. They should know if you’re opting for home deliveries or shutting down temporarily. Also, update your opening hours on Google My Business page.
Think about how your products would help them in addressing coronavirus concerns. Focus on helping your prospects and existing customers.
Connect and engage with them on social media. Offer telephone consultation if you can. Make them feel secure as they cope with this new normal. Showing your customers that you care goes a long way in increasing sales.
2. Find New Sales Channels
Amidst the social distancing protocols and lockdown, you cannot reach out to your customers physically. So, find alternative sales channels to serve them.
Instead of in-person meetings, meet people through video conferencing apps. Rethink your social media strategy, create more YouTube videos, and join online events.
Through online networking and webinars, you can be in touch with many more prospects who can be interested in your products or services. Get creative, explore different channels and be in touch with your customers. Provide as much value as possible.
3. Adopt Paid Ads
People are spending more time online. So, while you set up online sales channels and social media profiles, consider the impact of paid ads, too.
Paid ads will help you reach out to qualified leads and generate sales quickly in tough times. Also, as many advertisers have backed out, the paid ads are getting cheaper, and you can get a much better ROI on them.
So, invest in paid ads, create attractive visuals, and find more prospective customers.
4. Don’t Panic, Don’t Surrender
Your business might have come to a standstill, but the sky isn’t falling. So, panicking should be the last item on your to-do list.
Everyone knows things won’t return to normal soon. But you can, at least, boost the morale of your customers and team workers. Spread hope, wish for their well-being, and take steps to ensure their safety and comfort.
Keep your leads engaged and check with them regularly. And you’ll have enough to cover your losses once the crisis is nearing its end.
By joining the fight against the virus, you can have your presence felt and make an impact on your customers. Come up with initiatives, which won’t cost you a fortune or affect your resources much. Make virtual learning easy for those who are at home. Donate a day’s revenue (or week’s) to Coronavirus funds.
Also, you can work with local NGOs or support groups to deliver food and supplies to aged people. By participating in the fight, you make a place in everyone’s heart and in the process, improve your sales. But refrain from doing anything that would appear as if you’re trying to benefit from the crisis.
Conclusion
While you’re going through challenges amid this outbreak, your customers are struggling too. So, before gearing up for sales, focus on what’s in it for them.
Reach out to people online, offer help to get past through this pandemic and join the fight against this highly contagious virus. You have got plenty of time in hand to think about mutually beneficial strategies. The more you care for your prospects and customers amid the COVID-19 crisis, the more sales you will get.
What about you? Do you want to share any other tips to grow sales amid this difficult time? Please leave it in the comment section. I’d love to know about it.
