Part of running a business is sales. It’s probably the biggest part of all – despite the fact that barely anyone wants to do it. Most people start a business for the love of THAT THING they do, not because they love selling.
Consequently, a lot of small businesses are pretty shit at it.
Me included, most of the time. But we can change that!
Let me tell you a story…
How to make it easy for people to buy from you
I’m a homebody. But I love seeing the world. So how do you combine those those things?
By avoiding hotels!
At least that’s what works for me…
A couple of weeks ago I went to Edinburgh. I booked a cute Airbnb just outside the centre of Edinburgh. It was an actual flat, not just a place that was created to be rented through Airbnb on the regular. And you could tell. There was so much personality and character. It was lovely.
But I’m not telling you a story about a flat. I’m trying to tell a story about a small business selling their items.
Since I’m nosy, I looked at all the pictures and inspected the decorations on the shelves. I found a candle.
Now, I’ve got a thing with candles. I can’t stop buying them.
It’s a problem!
Anyway, I smelled the candle and instantly wanted one like this.
So I messaged my host to ask where they got it from. Turns out there’s a little shop literally 5minutes from the appartment where the brand sells them. It’s a local business.
I tried finding them online but their webiste wasn’t working.
So I went on Instagram and found the same link that wasn’t live. And the shop info said that they’re only open on Staurdays for a few hours.
This was on Monday and we were going to leave on Friday.
I can be very persistent!
I messaged the account.
And guess what, I got a lovely reply. Almost instantly. Turns out, the website was offline due to an issue for a just a couple hours. It was back and she told me I could order and pick the candles up from the shop while I was still in town.
I felt like I just won the lottery! I bought 2 candles and sent Lee to pick them up – sadly I was busy with my work-thing and didn’t get to see the shop at all. I did get my candles though.
So, what’s the lesson from this?
- If you run a business, have a website. Make sure it works and gives your customers and clients all the info they need. Make it easy for people to find what they are looking for.
- Have a way for people to contact you – on different channels: via email, via social media, via your website.
- If you sell products, have shopping links on your Instagram posts.
- Make sure you show pictures and videos of what it is you offer so people get a sense of what they can get from you.
- And most importantly, respond to any inquiry. As fast as you can, within 24 hours or faster if you can. Even if the inquiry doens’t sound like it’s a great fit. You never know what may come from it.
It’s nothing ground-breaking, is it?
I didn’t go to Edinburgh thinking I would spend over £40 on candles. But I did and I love them! All because while something didn’t work, communication with this shop was easy and quick.
While I leave you with this story, I’m going to check all my channels, making sure that if someone needs to reach me, I will receive their message! I’ll do that while smelling the scent of one of my lovely new candles.
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