5 Ways to Increase Sales in 2023
un·cer·tain·ty– noun; a state of doubt and hesitancy; unpredictability.
To say the last three years have brought about difficult uncertainties is an understatement. This period can also be seen as a barometer of what is expected in 2023. Will there be a recession? Will consumer confidence bounce back? Will inflation continue to decelerate? Will 2023 see a bull market?
Compounding this uncertainty is that, according to Reuters, the U.S. economy lost momentum in the last quarter of 2022 and retail sales fell 1.1% in December. Holiday sales fell short of expectations and that does not bode well for sales trends and predictions for the current, nascent year.
However, it is not all doom and gloom. If there’s one thing that defines American businesses is resiliency. As a Value-Added Reseller of speech-to-text technology products designed to make life easier for your clients, you can rest assured you have a full team behind you that has revolutionized the reseller program industry.At eDist, you are not a client, you are a partner, and we are here to see you succeed.
Read on to see how Value-Added Resellers can confidently (and successfully) increase sales in 2023.
…according to Reuters, the U.S. economy lost momentum in the last quarter of 2022 and retail sales fell 1.1% in December.
The Value-Added Reseller as a Money Saver
Forrester, a leading customer growth firm, predicts that in 2023, B2B companies are gearing up for economic upheaval. Inflation, interest rates, the continued shortages in the supply chain, and a possible recession, they say, have forced B2B leaders to rethink their growth strategies. Lastly, their recommendation is that organizations that align their strategies and operations around their customer base will minimize risk and succeed.
That is good news for you, the Value-Added Reseller. The products you sell help your clients reduce costs, save time, streamline operations, and make their workflows more efficient. If economic uncertainty is in the air, then saving money should be at the top of every company’s list. And what are you, if not a money-saver?
- Make yourself visible — Is your SEO house in order? If you’re not landing on a search engine’s Page 1, then you are invisible. According to Google, 96% of online users do not go past their Page 1. SEO is what makes people find you (i.e., drive traffic to your website). There are 3 easy ways to bolster your SEO: Conducting a site audit will show where the flaws are and what needs fixing, improving your keywords is crucial for your site to pop up in search queries, and perhaps adding paid search (pay-per-click).
- Optimize your site for mobile users — The name of the game is no longer e-commerce, but m-commerce as in mobile commerce. According to communications platform Talkroute, 66% of online shopping is now done on smartphones, and only about half of websites are optimized for mobile users. If a prospect on a smartphone lands on your website and the site is not fully optimized, that client is gone. There are online tools that can help you with this.
- Be more proactive — Demonstrate your thought leadership and expertise by creating content—lots of it. Craft a story (neither too short nor too long) about how your company can solve a problem, offer a solution and save time and money (your forte). Use social media, webinars, videos, blogs, podcasts, and infographic formats to craft your message. And, above all, look at what topics your competitors are covering.
- Sales velocity means faster close rates — Sales velocity is defined as how quickly prospects move through your sales funnel. But, beware, this doesn’t mean you have to rush the sale. The key here is optimization, not speed. Identify the areas where there is friction and streamline the process. Don’t rush through conversations; anticipate what clients might ask and address it in your pitch. Sales velocity is quite useful in predicting customer behavior, forecasting future revenue, and highlighting areas where your sales team needs to improve.
- No transparency — This is not to say that you would hide something or not be forthright, but many salespeople are uncomfortable with the more difficult aspects of the sales process. For example, saying “I don’t know.” You cannot be expected to have every answer. If you do not know, say so and look for the answer. Customers will thank you for your honesty and for your hard work to get them the answer they seek. It is equally as important to find the answer quickly. Customers left hanging will not close on a deal. The one thing that must be avoided at all costs is to over-explain why you don’t have the answer. This is a critical error and it could be seen by the prospect as a deceitful tactic or a vague excuse. The mark of a good salesperson is how they act when facing a stumble (and how quickly they react). Don’t overpromise and be transparent about how you will deliver a solution to the customer.
How eDist Can Help
As premier Value-Added Distributors, our goal is to provide our partners with the support, tools, and guidance toward their success. We strive to give you the best experience possible in cloud-based, speech-recognition software solutions for your medical, legal, law enforcement, business, educator, social worker, professional, government representative, or educator client (or whichever vertical they practice).
Here’s a short list ofwhat you can expect from eDist:
- A skilled and specialized technical support team
- Cloud-based services
- Access to a high-level marketing portal
- On-demand training
- Customer base increase
- Access to a knowledgeable and helpful sales team
- Proven recurring revenue model
- Excellent customer service.