Uncategorized | Jun 10, 2020
Creative selling – How people won sales during the lockdown
The last few months of lockdown have obviously posed some very serious problems for many businesses. Through no fault of their own, countless businesses have had their access to customers denied and even basic working practices limited. In many cases, this has led to an enormous drop-off in sales.
However, there are positives to be drawn from any sales situation. Many businesses have been able to adapt their sales practices to achieve significant wins during the lockdown period.
In some instances, such as supermarkets, this has been the result of good fortune. People need food and consumable goods at any time, and the desire to make sure people had enough has seen sales soar. But there are other smaller businesses across a range of sectors that have also seen their profits increase.
So, just how have they done this? Below we will take a closer look at a few businesses that have been able to succeed in these recent tough times. We’ll also look at what they have done to boost their sales and performance.
Laithwate’s Wine
There’s an easy joke to be made here. During the lockdown, with so little else to do and so much free time on their hands, people have been turning to drink. And that is why the wine trade has been booming. But there’s much more to the success of this wine delivery business.
It’s a family-run organisation, which is something they have always made a point of promoting. In these difficult times, this has resonated with customers who have perhaps tried harder to support these kinds of businesses.
Laithwate’s has also been quick to capitalise on the need for people to have fun and be convivial during the lockdown period. They have seen sales of Prosecco soar, for example, but have noticed that the smaller or half-sized bottles are proving to be more popular. That’s because people are drinking these alone in person but with friends over video chat.
The combined facts that people are avoiding going out and that Laithwate’s deliver has also seen them grown by 300% year on year from last March. They are experiencing Christmas level ordering across the board.
So, by identifying a need and making delivery their priority, Laithwate’s have really won sales over the last few months.
Netflix
Ok, so you could argue that Netflix has been winning at sales for some time now. They originally set up the business back in the 90s, seeing that streaming movies and TV was the way to go.
The demise of the home rental market and the improved technology that allowed people to stream TV and film saw their share of the market explode. But in the last six months, they have really moved to a new level. The lockdown has given people a lot more free time and the demand for new media has been huge.
Shows like Tiger King have become the most talked-about media events of the year, and with 16 million new accounts in the first three months of the year, this has really been a boom time for Netflix.
It’s all about providing the right product. Yes, there is an increased demand for media but they have timed the release of some of their biggest shows perfectly for maximum impact.
They also offer exclusive access to their shows, meaning you can’t see them anywhere else. So, if you want to join in those virtual water cooler moments when your friends ask ‘Have you seen…’, then you have to sign up to Netflix.
Shows like Tiger King have become the most talked-about media events of the year, and with 16 million new accounts in the first three months of the year, this has really been a boom time for Netflix.
It’s all about providing the right product. Yes, there is an increased demand for media but they have timed the release of some of their biggest shows perfectly for maximum impact.
They also offer exclusive access to their shows, meaning you can’t see them anywhere else. So, if you want to join in those virtual water cooler moments when your friends ask ‘Have you seen…’, then you have to sign up to Netflix.
Boohoo
You might not think that a fashion label or clothes provider would be able to boost sales at this time. After all, with nowhere to go and no one to impress, there just doesn’t seem to be the market.
In addition, global supply chains that dominate the fashion industry have understandably collapsed in recent months. But online fashion house Boohoo has been bucking this trend.
The key to their success is to adapt their range. They know that people still want to buy clothes, but the types of things they might buy have definitely changed. Rather than an emphasis on holiday outfits and swimwear (which they might ordinarily be pushing at this time of year) they worked out that people want comfortable clothes.
“People aren’t really buying going-out items, but they are buying homewear – hoodies, joggers, tracksuit bottoms,” a Boohoo spokesperson told the BBC.
They also realised that Zoom calls offered a limited view of people, meaning that their top half was on display more so than the bottom half. They have subsequently seen their sales of tops skyrocket. This has seen them achieve a rise in sales over last year, at a time when many of their rivals have been really struggling.
These are just three examples of businesses that have been really flourishing in the last few months. Other areas where people have been able to adapt to boost sales include personal trainers and fitness experts, which have been offering their services online.
Businesses that are aimed at hobbies and crafts which you can do at home have also seen a big increase. You might argue that a lot of this has been to do with luck, with some sectors more able to adapt to the new normal than others. But it is the ability to see these changes coming and make the right changes at the right time that have made the difference between success and failure.
The above examples were able to identify the areas of their business that provided opportunity. Whether this was in terms of product range, improved delivery, tapping into new markets or simply relying on their branding.
If you would like some help in finding out what areas of your business you could capitalise on during the COVID-19 pandemic, then get in touch with mike@thesalesacademy.com for more information. This could be exactly what you need to achieve a sales win in the next few months.
In addition, global supply chains that dominate the fashion industry have understandably collapsed in recent months. But online fashion house Boohoo has been bucking this trend.
The key to their success is to adapt their range. They know that people still want to buy clothes, but the types of things they might buy have definitely changed. Rather than an emphasis on holiday outfits and swimwear (which they might ordinarily be pushing at this time of year) they worked out that people want comfortable clothes.
“People aren’t really buying going-out items, but they are buying homewear – hoodies, joggers, tracksuit bottoms,” a Boohoo spokesperson told the BBC.
They also realised that Zoom calls offered a limited view of people, meaning that their top half was on display more so than the bottom half. They have subsequently seen their sales of tops skyrocket. This has seen them achieve a rise in sales over last year, at a time when many of their rivals have been really struggling.
These are just three examples of businesses that have been really flourishing in the last few months. Other areas where people have been able to adapt to boost sales include personal trainers and fitness experts, which have been offering their services online.
Businesses that are aimed at hobbies and crafts which you can do at home have also seen a big increase. You might argue that a lot of this has been to do with luck, with some sectors more able to adapt to the new normal than others. But it is the ability to see these changes coming and make the right changes at the right time that have made the difference between success and failure.
The above examples were able to identify the areas of their business that provided opportunity. Whether this was in terms of product range, improved delivery, tapping into new markets or simply relying on their branding.
If you would like some help in finding out what areas of your business you could capitalise on during the COVID-19 pandemic, then get in touch with mike@thesalesacademy.com for more information. This could be exactly what you need to achieve a sales win in the next few months.
