Why is a sales strategy important and why is it paramount to tailor it specifically for 2021?

A sales strategy is important in any business. It gives you a plan of action over a defined period, with set milestones, goals and triggers. In a normal year, we can often be too busy with the immediate needs of the business to step back and really assess the situation in depth. This can lead to missing out on potential opportunities or making sporadic decisions that seem great but really hold no commercial benefit. This year, we have all been forced to strategically look at our business, cutting out unnecessary overheads, streamlining processes and tasks, and maximising customer engagement. The silver lining is that most businesses will start 2021 with a much healthier business model than ever before. That makes it the perfect opportunity to really take the time to put in place a practical, realistic, strategic plan for the next 12 months that will boost your business success. 2021 is sure to bring with it an increased number of new brides. As vaccines start to get rolled out, we can expect a surge in confidence with increased brides looking for appointments, so you may need to re-consider longer opening hours, or opening on days you are typically closed to make the most of it. All the more reason to start the new year with a new outlook and a new strategy!

What should you consider when planning your sales strategy for the new year?

There are a number of key things to consider when planning your sales strategy, and it helps to break them into 4 key sections: Customer, Product, Goals, Team

Customer: really try to get into what you expect the customer of 2021 to look like, and try to understand their needs, wants and wishes. Think about what you are seeing post lockdown in terms of your typical customer. What are you seeing in terms of typical style, venue, budget and timelines? Is your messaging and marketing really targeting the right customer, and if not, how can you alter it to make it more effective? If budgets are now more considered, how can you work with your customer to propose solutions that still lets her say yes to the dress with confidence.

Product: by understanding your customer and their evolved needs and styles, you can make smart choices. Do you have the right dresses in store in terms of price point, delivery time, stylisation? Knowing that brides are choosing to visit less boutiques and are going to be coming into your shop with a much more committed buying mindset, do you have the right secondary products or services on offer to really provide an all-inclusive offering to your customer? Are there product lines or items that you are missing that could help you increase your profitability per bride next season? Or do you have products on the rails that are not selling that you can move on?

Goals: What do you want to achieve in 2021? If you do not set goals and targets for the year, it’s nearly impossible to create a sales strategy that will have any impact. Every business will have their own unique goals specific to their business. The most typically top-line goals to consider can be; Annual Volume Target, Improved Conversion Rates and Increased Referrals.

Team: A strong team can be the foundation of a company’s success. As part of your 2021 strategy consider what you can do to re-invigorate, re-energise and re-cement their confidence for the season ahead. Make sure your messaging is clearly communicated with them to ensure that not only are they performing confidently at the top of their game, but that it is in line with achieving your company goals and targets. What training might they need in terms of the Customer, the Product or the Goals. Do you have the right skillsets within your team to drive success in the season ahead, or are there any gaps that need to be addressed? Do certain team members have skillsets that could be harnessed and utilised to advance other areas the business such as social media or store merchandising etc.