{"id":91214,"date":"2020-01-14T09:15:52","date_gmt":"2020-01-14T17:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theavtimes.com\/?p=91214"},"modified":"2021-10-06T08:12:41","modified_gmt":"2021-10-06T15:12:41","slug":"8-ways-to-grow-your-small-business-fast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/2020\/01\/14\/8-ways-to-grow-your-small-business-fast\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Ways to Grow Your Small Business Fast"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Patrick B.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Starting a business is simple \u2013 growing it to levels you expect is where the challenge really exists. When you have a great business idea or offer a service that provides value to customers, how do you take advantage of your skills or product and reach more customers faster? This is what we\u2019ll discuss today.<\/p>\n

Here are 8 ways to grow your small business fast. Each of the tips listed below will also help you develop a network of contacts and tools to continue building that business for continued growth and success. To protect your small business, you should consider purchasing business insurance<\/a>.<\/p>\n

First \u2013 Build a Sales Funnel<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not completely aware of this term; don\u2019t worry, you\u2019re not alone. A sales funnel is a system of lead collection techniques that allows you to locate leads, qualify them, and then lead them to the sales process that best fits their needs, budget, scope, and other important sales attributes. There are several exceptional software solutions that allow you to create an organized sales funnel, so make sure to research your industry online to determine what tools are best used to help with your lead collection and allocation steps.<\/p>\n

Second \u2013 Use a Customer Management System<\/strong><\/p>\n

A customer management system is also called a CRM, and it\u2019s a crucial tool that is used to help keep customer data and information stored in a single, cloud-based (typically) platform that is easily accessible, from multiple locations. A CRM allows you to set up a customer profile (once you receive a lead), assign their contact details, make notes on their demographic details, areas of interest and more.<\/p>\n

Plus, a good CRM also has robust sales tools that allow you to document every phone call, email, or previous interaction. It\u2019s a great tool for those in sales or who have multiple leads and can use some better organization.<\/p>\n

Third \u2013 Seek Referrals from Multiple Contacts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Word of mouth advertising is quite effective at building and growing a business; especially when you\u2019re good at what you do. Anytime you work with a current customer or previous customer, don\u2019t be afraid to ask for referrals. While this can be quite difficult for many people that may be shy, it\u2019s a proven business development method.<\/p>\n

The key is knowing how to ask. Here is a quick and very effective tool. At the end of your transaction or project, ask the client or customer for feedback. If they are happy with the service, ask them if they\u2019d be willing to share their experience online (either on a public forum or your Facebook page for example) \u2013 and share with their network.<\/p>\n

Fourth \u2013 Create a Customer Loyalty Program<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s a free cup of coffee for every few products or services purchased, discounts on future business, or even a pair of movie tickets for every 10 orders, rewarding your frequent customers with perks is a proven method of growing a start-up. The key is to create something of value that allows your customers to opt for your company over competitors.<\/p>\n

Fifth \u2013 Build an Email List<\/strong><\/p>\n

This tip goes in hand with the one(s) listed above. Anytime you bring in a new customer, ask them for their contact information. Most people are hesitant about providing phone numbers if they don\u2019t need to, but more than willing to offer up their email. Second, when you create a customer reward program, make their email a required contact form entry. Third, anytime you\u2019re networking with people, ask for their email contact, then use that CRM mentioned above to create a customer profile with that stored email. It will help you launch an email marketing program rather easily.<\/p>\n

Sixth \u2013 Create Webinars<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a service provider or consultant, a webinar or video educational workshop is a great way of establishing yourself as an authority figure. For example, if you\u2019re an SEO expert, consider making a series of 3 to 5-minute promo videos that you can post on YouTube.com, and share on your social media pages for starters.<\/p>\n

Make sure they are filled with relative information but don\u2019t give away all your trade secrets. The best webinars are those that address customer pain points, explain how your service resolves them, and how they can grow their business by using services like yours.<\/p>\n

Seven \u2013 Use Social Media<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is a misconception that social media is used to target new consumers only. That\u2019s not entirely accurate. Social media is best used as an engagement tool with previous customers first. When you provide great customer service, having a strong social media page filled with additional resources to help provide additional value to your existing customers is a great start.<\/p>\n

This information can easily be shared by your previous customers on their pages, and now you\u2019ve got a new sales lead opportunity. The key to social media activity is engagement. If people have questions, be quick to provide factual and honest answers. If issues pop up, resolve them quickly and privately.<\/p>\n

Finally \u2013 Look for and Reward Efficiencies within Your Team<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s often said that the best sales tool are the people that work for a business \u2013 especially when they are happy. One way to create a positive company culture is to look for and reward employees or team members who excel at their jobs, provide exceptional customer service or go above in beyond in their duties. Provide incentives for efficient work, such as offering movie tickets, gift cards, and other perks. By doing so, you\u2019ll create a positive environment and build a network of outbound sales associates simply by being a good boss.<\/p>\n

These 8 tips for growing a business are quite effective \u2013 regardless of the industry. However, arguably the most important sales technique is the oldest; the power of please and thank you. Anytime you engage with a customer or employee, go out of your way to be kind. Always welcome them into your store or thank them for their patronage. This is a simple and increasingly lost art \u2013 that will separate you from the competition.<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Patrick B. Starting a business is simple \u2013 growing it to levels you expect is where the challenge really exists. When you have a great business idea or offer a service that provides value to customers, how do you take advantage of your skills or product and reach more customers faster? This is what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":91215,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1506],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91214"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/93"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91214\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theavtimes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}