Discourage Your Customers From Cherry Picking!
When I was a kid my mom made fruit salad from a can with ONE
banana sliced into it. She could feed 4 people from one little
can. Bring back any memories? The problem was that in each can
there were only 4 little cherry halves and my Dad made sure he
picked them out and ate them first! It drove me crazy!
In business we tend to unknowingly encourage our customers to
"cherry pick" our services. How do we do this? We list and price
several individual products. Typically the customer will choose
the cheapest one and not bother giving the others a "taste". We
end up frustrated that our sales are down or stagnant and keep
running frantically looking for new business.
Know Your Three P's: PACKAGE, PLAN OR PROGRAM
Here's a Diva Secret...Do you want to increase your sales in
April? Create a PACKAGE or a PLAN or a PROGRAM. By combining
services into plans, packages and programs you can increase the
volume amount that a customer purchases from you. They also get
the opportunity to sample other services that they may never
have tried. Make sure you create a special incentive for your
customer. They should receive a discounted rate or something of
added value. You can also custom design the PLAN, PROGRAM or
PACKAGE to suit the needs of your buyer. It is a WIN/WIN
situation - you increase the average sale without increasing
your workload - and your customer receives a SPECIAL PRICE that
is LESS than purchasing several products or services
individually. McDonald's has been doing this for years with
their "Meal Deals." So consider McPACKAGING your company's
services without the calories!
So How Did The 10-Year Old Diva Outwit Her Dear Old Dad?
Two ways! First - I decided that I was going to "Dole" (pardon
the pun) the fruit salad out to everyone - and volunteered for
the job. I made sure we all got a cherry. Actually - it was half
a cherry - can you believe it. My second solution? I hid the can
in a carton of Corn Flakes and ate the whole thing by myself
later.
A Sales Diva Challenge For You...
Take a look at all your product and service lines. Which ones
are a natural fit with each other? I want you to create at least
ONE combination using one of the three Ps and send me an e-mail.
I will brag about you in next month's article!
A Quote To Think About...
If your sales are flat - you have to be proactive and creative
with how you run your business. As Jenny Holzer, avant-garde
artist said "You are a victim of the rules you live by."
I Think It Is Time To Change The Rules!
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