Overcoming the Slump

Hi Community friends! And welcome back to the Business Discussion board. Do you ever feel there are certain times throughout the year where your business and sales may fall into a bit of a slump? I feel like that time may be now, with the weather cooling off and not as many people being out and about. It also seems par for the course with how the rest of 2020 has been. Today, I want to share a few ways to get out of the rut.

Storefront Face-lift
If you have a brick and mortar store, maybe it's time for a refreshing redo. Since I started working from home, I quickly grew tired of the same old view of my living room area. My husband and I decided that after having the same setup for 4 years, it was time to redecorate! While it isn't a business, the new and improved atmosphere of the space really produced some positive vibes. I'm willing to bet the same would happen for you and your business with some simple updates.

Mystery Bags
This idea came from one of my favorite local boutiques. They needed to move inventory in a safe way during the peak of the Coronavirus outbreak when the doors were forced to be closed. This boutique began offering "mystery bags" that included a clothing item and piece of jewelry. Customers could order their bag online and choose to do front door pickup at the store, or front porch delivery (if they were local). The mystery bags ended up being really popular! I purchased one myself, solely because I always had a hard time deciding what to buy. I'd end up putting off my purchase just because of my indecision. With the bag, I trusted the shop workers to style my new outfit, which I ended up loving, and was able to pick it up with zero contact.

Events, Coupons, and Giveaways
While my last point mainly applies to retail business, there's still room for creativity for service based industries. If you find your business is facing a slump, maybe it's time for a customer appreciation event, or an open house. I love visiting local businesses who are having an open house because there's usually a showcase of new products or services, discounts, and snacks! You could advertise something like the first 25 customers get to draw from a basket or spin a wheel to receive a percentage off their purchase. You get the idea; customers love these kinds of incentives and excuses to shop!

These are just a few thoughts to help you get through a sales rut and help business pick back up again. These may also be good tactics to use right before the holidays to encourage even more buyers to come visit! How do you get through a sales slump? Your comments and advice would be greatly appreciated!