4 ways to grow your sales (no TikTok dance needed)
More sales? Let's get specific
Ask a business owner what they need most and nine times out of ten the answer is "more sales". Ask what that actually looks like, and there's a pause long enough to boil the jug. Fair enough. "More sales" is a bit like "get fitter": great idea, but what does that look like for me?
So I'm breaking sales growth into the four levers every business can pull:
1. Hanging on to the customers you've got
2. Getting them to spend a bit more each time
3. Getting them to spend more often
4. Finding brand new ones
Over this series, I'm tackling one lever at a time, each with practical tactics you can use this week, not someday when you finally have a marketing team.
Lever one: keep the customers you've got
It's the least glamorous of the four, and the one most business owners skip straight past on their way to Google or social media ads. But your existing customers already know you, like you and trust you, which is more than you can say for a stranger scrolling Facebook at 10pm.
Why it comes first: the leaky bucket
There's no point pouring water into a leaky bucket. Winning a new customer is commonly reckoned to cost around five times more than keeping one you've already got. And it's your loyal regulars who buy again, spend more and tell their mates about you.
So plug the holes before you go chasing new business. Here’s a menu of proven tactics:
#1 Know who your customers are
Many small businesses can't easily list their past customers, let alone see who's lapsed. A basic CRM, or even a well-kept spreadsheet, recording names, contact details, what they bought and when, is the foundation. Without it, retention relies on luck.
#2 Stay in touch in a useful way
A regular e-newsletter is one of the most cost-effective retention tools available, provided it offers genuine value: tips, local news, seasonal reminders, behind-the-scenes stories, rather than a constant sales pitch. Consistency matters more than frequency; fortnightly or monthly done well beats weekly done badly.
#3 Reward loyalty without discounting yourself into trouble
Loyalty programmes work best when the reward feels valuable but costs you little: priority booking, exclusive early access, a complimentary add-on or a thank-you event. Constant discounts train customers to wait for a sale e.g. Briscoes!
#4 Ask for reviews and referrals
Happy customers are usually glad to help but rarely think to. Ask at the moment satisfaction is highest, make it easy with a direct link to your Google review page, and thank everyone who refers someone. And if you're wondering how retention applies to your business because your purchase cycle is years, not days, weeks or months, then this is where it becomes critical. Maintaining a relationship with an 'old' customer can support your word of mouth marketing.
#5 Make the after-sale experience count
The days after a purchase are when customers decide whether they'd come back. A thank-you message, a quick check-in to see how things are going, or a helpful how-to guide all reinforce that they made the right choice. In service businesses, a call a few weeks later often uncovers further work.
#6 Prompt the next purchase
Many customers simply forget to come back. AI automated service reminders, renewal notices, seasonal prompts ("time to book your winter maintenance") and reorder nudges turn one-off buyers into regulars with minimal effort. Think about the natural buying cycle for your product and get in just ahead of it.
#7 Listen and act on feedback
A short survey or a simple "how did we do?" question shows you care and flags problems before they cost you a customer. When someone complains, a quick, generous fix often creates a more loyal customer than if nothing had gone wrong.
#8 Win back lapsed customers
Identify people who haven't bought in a while and reach out personally with a "we've missed you" message, an update on what's new, or a reason to return. It's often the quickest sales win available because these people already know you.
Don’t know where to start?
A good first step for most small businesses is a simple audit: how many customers bought once and never returned, and what contact did they receive after their purchase? The answer (including I don't know) usually reveals exactly where the opportunity lies.
Give it a crack this week, then email me and tell me how you got on. I read all feedback, usually with a cuppa and the cat trying to sit on my keyboard!
Next issue, we're tackling how to get customers to spend a bit more each time, without turning into that pushy "would you like fries with that?" person.
