Increasing sales and revenue is a top aim for most businesses. Focusing on your clients and how they react to various sales and marketing methods can help you determine the best way to boost sales and profitability. Your marketing and advertising strategies can attract new clients while retaining existing ones, increasing your profitability. In this post, we will discuss how to grow revenue and sales, as well as how to ensure that money contributes to your long-term goals.
Revenue is the amount of money a company earns, including sales and any additional revenue from bank interest or investments. A corporation can grow revenue by expanding sales, diversifying its income streams, and increasing the amount of money generated by each sale.
Sales refer to the number of items or services sold by a corporation; hence, increased sales indicates that customers are purchasing more products. A corporation can grow sales by reaching out to more customers, persuading customers to buy more frequently, enhancing its marketing approach, giving market-appropriate prices, and maintaining positive customer relationships.
Top 19 Income Growth Strategies
A growth strategy is an action plan for increasing revenue and expanding a business. A corporation can expand in a variety of ways, depending on its competitiveness and financial status. Growth plans are typically focused on acquiring new consumers and expanding market share, but they can also involve upgrading products or overcoming unique problems. Whatever your specific goals are, the overall goal is always to develop the firm.
Growth strategies provide your organization a sense of purpose and help you achieve your long-term objectives. You may keep focused on the future by developing a plan of action for areas of improvement in your firm. Growth plans can assist you improve what is presently performing well while also modifying things that require improvement.
As a marketing or sales professional, here are 19 unique techniques to boost revenue and sales:
1. Set defined goals
Make quantifiable goals for how much you want to increase your sales and revenue. This way, you can decide how to approach your goals and which methods you’d like to use. You can also use these goals to motivate you and your sales team by tracking your progress and accomplishments.
2. Target repeat customers
Cultivate the relationships you have with dedicated brand customers. Increasing communication can remind your customers of your store and control the messages that they receive. Consider reaching out by email or text to promote sales or inform them of new inventory. Many email systems also allow you to review metrics, like the number of recipients who opened your email or clicked on a link, which can help you determine how effective your communication choices are.
3. Target former customers
Bringing back former customers sometimes takes less effort than bringing in new customers. Maintain a marketing plan for former customers so you can target them differently than your current customers. You can appeal to them with specific incentives, like a discount for those who bring in outdated items when they buy a replacement or upgrade. Former customers can also give you referrals or reviews that bring in new customers.
4. Grow your geographic reach
You might expand physically by opening a new location. You can also expand the geographic range of your customers by increasing the distance you can deliver or provide services or adding advertisement initiatives in neighboring areas.
5. Refine your pricing plan
To increase revenue while maintaining the same number of sales, reevaluate your pricing plan. You may sell more items by lowering your prices and taking market share away from your competitors, or you could raise your prices if your brand is strong and customers believe in the value you offer. If you offer a subscription service, you might offer a pricing structure with just a few tiers to appeal to customers through a simpler shopping experience.
6. Add products or services
One way to increase the number of sales per current customer is to offer more products that your customer needs. You can consider adjacent products that a customer would buy to use with your product or service your customers might need. For example, if you have a specialty pen company, you might offer notebooks and stationery too.
7. Bundle products or services
Bundling products can encourage your customers to purchase more because they can save money by purchasing more than one item at once. You can bundle internally by packaging items together and marketing them as a set, or you could offer a discount when customers buy multiple items together.
8. Upsell products and services
Adding a specific plan to sell higher-priced products can help you transform a single sale into a more valuable transaction. Displays and informational materials can help with this by showing a more expensive or upgraded option first and emphasizing its benefits over less-expensive options.
9. Add new payment forms
You may be able to increase sales by offering new payment methods that customers find more convenient. Check which payment forms the leaders in your industry are using, then set up any infrastructure to accept whatever you don’t currently, whether it’s credit cards, a cash exchange app or secure quick pay options.
10. Offer delayed payments
You could see increases in sales by offering a delayed payment plan, like a layaway program or installment plan. Installment payment plans appeal to customers by showing lower monthly payments rather than one large sum. For example, a furniture company could offer an installment payment plan for a $500 couch, where the customer pays 10 installments of $50 each.
11. Change shipping or delivery charges
Some customers may be willing to pay more for a product if the shipping and handling is free. For online sales, you might consider ways to build shipping and handling costs into the overall cost of the item instead of including two line items in the price. If you deliver products locally, you may be able to try the same method.
12. Offer subscriptions
You could generate more sales by offering a subscription service and reminding people to buy a new product regularly. Consider offering a discount if a customer subscribes to regular replacements or refills, which can automate sales for you and help the customer save money.
13. Offer discounts, rebates and coupons
Perhaps the most classic method to generate increased sales, offering discounts, rebates and coupons can help bring in new traffic and generate a feeling of achievement for customers. Discounts and coupons generate customer loyalty and repeat purchases by allowing customers to try new products that they later buy at full price. Rebates have a low rate of fulfillment, so you may not have to take the rebate’s cost off of the revenue from every item sold.
14. Create special incentives
If you have regular communication with your customers, you can use any occasion to build loyalty by offering holiday sales, birthday rewards and discounts or registries for special occasions like weddings or births.
15. Survey customers to understand your market
It’s important to know your customer base well, so consider offering a survey to find out your customer demographics. When a customer makes a purchase, you can ask them to fill out a short survey that can help you define your target audience and refine your marketing strategies. You can also send surveys to potential markets through social media or online ads. To encourage people to fill out your survey, you can offer a discount or the chance of winning a gift card.
16. Keep sales channel current
Regularly update your sales channel, including your online presence and your in-store displays. Even if consistency is a strong appeal of your brand, consider ways you can make each visit or sale new for the customer to generate curiosity about later purchases.
17. Change sales incentive structure
Changing your incentive structure for your salespeople can increase sales numbers by making your sales team more motivated. Finding new metrics or rewarding different kinds of sales numbers can inspire your sales team by giving them a new challenge. You might consider inverting your commission plan to give higher incentives to a certain group or offering bonuses for achieving goals within a certain amount of time.
18. Develop a public reputation for quality and expertise
Consider building your brand’s public reputation for quality or your team’s reputation as experts in the field. External endorsements by magazines and public figures can introduce your product to new customers, and if you are willing to create your own podcast, book or informative articles, you can build up a reputation of providing value to your customers in multiple ways.
19. Develop a reputation in your industry and community
Being active in professional organizations can help you grow your visibility and can be particularly useful for business-to-business sales. As a prominent figure in the industry, you can also build partnerships with other businesses to offer shared promotions or build a common customer base.
Examples of Growth Strategies
Since growth strategies aren’t universal, it’s important to find the ones that work best for your company. By breaking down your vision and considering what needs to be improved, you can develop specific goals and strategies to reach those goals. Here are some tips for implementing growth strategies effectively:
- Start small. Find a specific area where growth could occur, and focus there first.
- Listen to your users. Make sure to listen to your consumers’ feedback to find out what they like and what you could improve.
- Focus on your strengths. Think about your company’s strengths, and find ways to use them to enhance your position in the marketplace.
- Hire employees who share the company’s vision. It’s important to hire employees who are motivated and enthusiastic about your company’s products.
- Determine your North Star Metric. This is a metric that represents the value you bring to your customers with your products, and it’s important to assess whether you’re currently reaching it.
Here are some examples of growth strategies that companies can use to reach a larger portion of the market share:
1. Promotion
With this strategy, you distribute information about the product or service your company offers to prospective buyers in order to create sales and increase brand loyalty.
2. Viral loops
A viral loop, also known as a milestone referral, occurs when someone tries your product and accepts an offer for a valuable incentive in exchange for sharing the product with others. Once the user shares the product with their network, new users sign up and are offered the same incentive. The cycle repeats to create a wider audience of consumers.
3. Pricing
To achieve growth, companies can offer low prices. Offering a cheaper option than your company’s competitors often attracts consumers to your brand.
4. Quality
Businesses that focus on improving the quality of their products and services are often rewarded. Achieving high quality builds trust in customers and increases recommendations, leading to a rise in sales.
5. Word of mouth
Word of mouth, or the natural spreading of information and experiences, encourages positive discussion of a brand. Recommendations from friends or acquaintances are often more influential than a business advertisement because individuals have a higher level of trust with people they know personally.
6. Branding
People often buy what they recognize, so it is important to create a memorable brand to ensure that consumers remember you and choose your products over your competitors when navigating the busy market. The goal of branding is to create a positive company image that your audience remembers.
7. Customer experience
Creating a positive customer experience throughout the buying process shows that you care about your customers and their problems. One way you can do this is by offering a live chat feature to help customers on your website. You can also send personalized emails thanking customers for their business and suggesting additional products based on past purchases. These strategies help increase consumer loyalty, which makes you more likely to gain repeat customers.
8. Targeted emails
Sending emails to a specifically targeted audience based on characteristics like age, shopping behavior and location can help you increase engagement through relevancy. You are more likely to turn a lead into a customer if they believe your products apply to help them.
9. Innovation
Businesses that use their resources to add something new to their industry rather than competing with what already exists create new value that people are often willing to pay for.
10. New locations
Expanding to new locations broadens your brand’s presence to new customers. In addition to more brand exposure, a new location gives you the chance to try new products and target different types of people.
11. Distribution
A distribution strategy makes a product or service available for the customer who needs it. This involves taking different customer preferences into consideration, such as using a catalog to reach those above the age of 60. Expanding the distribution of your product can increase your audience, leading to more sales.
12. In-person outreach
Demonstrating your product’s value in person shows users how it works and why they should purchase it. Some ways to reach prospective clients in person include sponsoring events, hiring brand ambassadors and attending relevant conferences.
13. Buyer empowerment
Companies that use customer input with a personalized approach are more likely to empower their buyers. Focusing on meeting each customer’s needs and solving their problems with your products can lead to more success.
14. North Star Metric
The North Star Metric provides direction for your company’s long-term growth. By reaching your metric goals, like getting a certain number of social media likes or comments, you can provide value to your customers and create positive growth for your company.
15. Onboarding suggestions
Because first impressions are so important, providing onboarding suggestions right away educates new customers about your company and what you have to offer. Give users product or service recommendations based on an initial survey that assesses their interests.
16. “When they zig, we zag” approach
Leveraging what is wrong with the current market options in your area can help you become the preferred company for consumers. When all other companies are doing business one way, try “zagging,” or doing things differently, to attract your target audience in a new way.
17. Market development
Market development allows businesses to identify new opportunities to sell their products in unexplored markets.
18. Multiple marketplaces
To improve your visibility, consider selling your products on multiple marketplaces. For example, you can sell products online as well as in physical stores. You can also offer your products on multiple online marketplaces. Having a wide online presence allows you to reach people beyond your location and offers convenience for existing customers.
19. Simplified review process
By simplifying your product review process, more customers are likely to complete reviews after making purchases, which helps future customers in their decision-making process.
20. Product development
This strategy involves developing new products or modifying existing products to generate new business. By meeting specific demands customers are requesting, you can add value to your products and company.
21. Team arrangement
To help your business grow, it’s essential to have a strong team of employees who are responsible for developing products, solving problems for users and coming up with additional growth strategies.
22. Free trials
Since some users are hesitant to switch tools or products when they are familiar with what they already use, it’s helpful to make the switch as easy as possible. One way to do this is by offering a free trial, where potential customers can try out the product and see if it is right for them, with help available for those who have questions.
What Are The 4 Main Growth Options?
There are many ways to grow a business. Which way you choose to expand largely depends on your ambition, your reasons for growth, and the opportunities and resources available. However, two crucial factors for choosing a growth strategy exist. They are:
- products – what you currently offer, and what you’d like to offer in the future
- markets – where you currently sell, and where you’d like to sell in the future
Based on these factors, strategic tools – such as the Ansoff matrix – suggest four main types of business growth strategies.
What are the four major growth strategies?
Four main strategies for growth, each with its own distinct benefits and risks, are:
- market penetration
- product development
- market development
- diversification
With a market penetration strategy, you try to sell more of the same things to the same market. The risks are usually low as you focus on capturing a bigger share of your current market with the products you already have.
Read Also: 10 Passive Income Ideas for Busy Professionals
With a product development strategy, you are introducing a new product into your existing market. You’re effectively selling something different to the same customer, potentially encountering greater risks.
Another option is a market development strategy, where you try to sell an existing product in a brand new market. For example, you may want to segment your existing market or reposition your product in it, or target an entirely different geographical area.
Finally, with a diversification strategy, you are aiming to sell completely different goods or services to completely different customers. This is typically the riskiest of options – it requires both product and market development.
Other ways to grow your business
Every business is different. You may need to adapt some of the suggested strategies to suit your circumstances. For example, you may want to explore:
- acquisitions
- franchising
- strategic partnerships
- improving efficiency in your business
You may also want to construct your own unique combination of strategies.
The best approach will usually be the one that suits your overall strategic plan. Focus on finding an option that could yield the most results from the least amount of risk and effort.
Keep in mind that, to succeed, your growth strategy has to be deliberate. Success will require a great deal of research and planning
How can I Increase my Revenue?
Revenue generation is critical for every organization looking to outperform its competitors. Increased income may appear to be a daunting task, but businesses can employ a variety of ways to enhance their profits.
We’ll explore some key ways to increase revenue for a business:
Optimize Pricing Strategies
Pricing is a huge deal for businesses, as it directly affects their revenue. Even minor tweaks to prices can make a big difference to their profits. To get the most out of their pricing strategies, business owners should experiment with different models, use discounts and promotions wisely, and find the sweet spot for every product and service.
Expand Your Target Market
Expanding your target market is a great way to boost revenue. Consider targeting different customer groups, selling in new areas, and exploring new products or service areas. Doing this can help you reach a bigger customer base and open new markets, which can in turn lead to more earnings.
Enhance Product or Service Offerings
Businesses need to keep up with customer requirements to drive in more money. This could mean improving existing products or services or introducing something new. To find out what customers want, businesses should:
- Conduct market research
- Get customer feedback
- Review sales data to find new opportunities
Improve Sales and Marketing Techniques
Businesses looking to get richer should explore different marketing avenues, like social media ads, email marketing campaigns, and SEO. Additionally, investing in sales teams skilled in cold outreach, consultative selling and relationship-building could be beneficial. That way, you will be reaching your target audience in the most effective way possible. Using a digital sales room can also help speed up your sales cycle and improve close rates.
Implement Cost-Reduction Measures
By cutting costs, businesses can increase their revenue in an effective way. To do this, they need to identify where they’re spending too much and devise ways to cut back without affecting the quality of their products or customers’ experience. By eliminating unnecessary expenses, businesses can become more profitable and ultimately have more money.
A steady revenue for business means the company will thrive and survive. However, relying on only one source of income can be dangerous, especially with the unpredictable economy these days. To reduce the risks, companies can build multiple revenue streams to diversify their income and generate profitable revenue.
Diversify Product or Service Offerings
A great way to boost revenue is to diversify what you offer. Consider who you can reach out to, what resources you have that you’re not using yet, and what’s popular in the market. That way, you can attract new customers and make your business more profitable.
Explore New Markets or Geographical Locations
Exploring new markets and geographical locations is a great way to increase revenue streams. Expanding locally or internationally can open up a world of new possibilities. Companies can then identify gaps in a new market and customize their products and services to meet the needs of local customers. This means more earnings.
Develop Partnerships and Collaborations
Creating partnerships and working together can be great for businesses as it can help them generate more income. Companies can collaborate with other industry organizations to promote each other’s products and services, reaching more people. Additionally, forming strategic alliances with companies in related industries can help businesses tap into existing customer bases, leading to more revenue generation.
Leverage Digital Platforms and E-commerce
Maximizing digital platforms and e-commerce can be a great way to create revenue. Why not try selling your products or services through online marketplaces like Amazon? A strong online presence could help you get more customers to buy directly from your website or social media pages.
Introduce Subscription or Membership Models
Introducing subscription or membership models is a great way to boost revenue streams. Recurring revenue is better than a one-off purchase, providing a reliable and consistent income. Customers are more likely to stay loyal to your service or product if they’ve subscribed rather than just made a one-time purchase.
Existing customers are an invaluable asset for businesses, accounting for a major chunk of their total sales. Increasing revenue from existing customers is possible with the right strategies, such as:
Upsell and Cross-sell Techniques
Upselling and cross-selling are effective in increasing profits from your existing customers. Upselling means suggesting your customers buy a pricier version of what they’re already using. On the other hand, cross-selling is when you recommend other products or services that go along with what they’ve bought. To do this successfully, you should tailor your recommendations to the customer’s past purchases and determine their needs.
Implement Customer Loyalty Programs
Rewarding customers with loyalty programs is a great way to boost revenue from existing customers. Think of discounts, rewards, and exclusive offers to show appreciation for their ongoing support. It’s a win-win – customers get rewarded for their loyalty, and you get to see your revenue grow!
Offer Personalized and Customized Solutions
Creating tailored solutions can boost revenues from your loyal customers. This means customizing products or services to fit the customer’s exact requirements and preferences. Giving a personal experience to customers keeps them around longer, resulting in more money for the business in the long run.
Provide Exceptional Customer Service
Giving great customer service is essential for increasing sales from your current customers. These are the key components of good customer service:
- Being quick to answer questions
- Resolving customer issues
- Listening to feedback and grievances
Offering great service can make customers happy, which leads to more purchases and repeat purchases.
Seek Referrals and Recommendations
Seeking referrals and recommendations from existing customers allows your business to evolve. After all, happy customers are usually willing to spread the word about the products or services they enjoy. Companies can incentivize customers who bring in new business with discounts or special offers. Word-of-mouth referrals are a great way to grow their customer base and rake in more money!
Which Growth Strategy is Most Commonly Used?
A business growth strategy is a plan that helps a company expand and prosper. It can include specific projects, new products or services, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, diversification into new markets, promotion of the product line or service, or a combination of these methods, even if it’s as simple as implementing KYB verification to ensure the authenticity of business partners.
You can create a business development strategy based on market research or apply a tried-and-true business growth strategy for optimum impact.
Industry professionals classify business strategy into three stages. A great business growth strategy will have an impact on all levels of the business, thus it’s critical to understand each level and its role in implementing a great business growth strategy. There are three levels to business strategy:
- The Corporate Level defines the organization’s main purpose and will therefore direct all other downstream decision-making.
- The Business Unit Level defines the specific tactics and strategies needed for each market the organization is involved in.
- The Functional Level defines the day-to-day company actions required to meet corporate targets and align with business-unit strategies.
Now we’ve discussed what a growth strategy is, let’s take a look at the most common growth strategies and the effect that they have on a business.
1. Market Penetration Strategy
One of the most common types of business growth strategies is market penetration. Market penetration occurs when a company increases its presence in an already existing market. There are two types of market penetration strategies:Â horizontal and vertical.
Horizontal market penetration means that a company will do things such as spread its brand name to other products, increase advertising, or create a better product. Vertical penetration means a company will do things such as increase production, lower prices, or create new products. Examples of companies that have implemented market penetration strategies are Apple, McDonald’s, and Kellogg’s.
2. Market Development Strategy
A market development strategy is a business growth strategy that focuses on developing new markets to ensure that there are continuous opportunities for growth. This can be done by researching potential customers, developing brand awareness and understanding the value of your product or service, building relationships with trade partners, determining customer needs, and developing a strategic plan.
3. Product Development Strategy
This is one of the most effective ways to increase sales and grow your business. By adding and developing new products, you can attract customers who may not know about you yet. Introducing new products or diversifying your product line will help extend the length of time you can stay competitive in your industry. Product differentiation or development is an effective method of market penetration because it allows a company to distinguish itself from other companies in the same industry.
4. Diversification Strategy
Diversification can be another great way to increase sales by expanding your customer base. This strategy includes entering new markets or introducing products in related but new areas of business so you can attract customers who may not necessarily be familiar with your business. Diversification can be very effective for businesses that anticipate a slowdown or downturn in their primary market.
5. Business Partnership Strategy
A partnership is the joining of two or more businesses for a specific purpose or project. Partnerships allow you to complete work that would otherwise be too expensive or take too long to do alone, allowing your business to grow in an efficient way. Sometimes partnerships are formed when one business owner believes they need additional skills to achieve their goals, and they find a business that already possesses the necessary skills to work with.
6. International Market Expansion Strategy
International expansion has many benefits for a business. One of the benefits is that it can help with diversifying your revenue and expand your market share and operations. If done correctly, you could be able to increase profitability while at the same time reducing risk.
Another benefit is expanding your alternative assets/funding opportunities so if one way of funding were to dry up, you have another way of getting the funds needed for your business. You can also expand and develop your company culture while going abroad so it will be more inclusive and embrace diversity. It also allows you to embrace international financial incentives to start a business there. For example, in recent years India slashed its corporation tax from 30% to 22%. As one of the fastest-growing tech markets in the world, this could be extremely useful for businesses to utilise.
7. Alternative Channels Strategy
Alternative channels are a great business growth strategy because they diversify the customer base, giving you more opportunities to grow your consumer network. As well as this, there is less competition for these customers, which means that it is easier for you to stand out from the crowd and really capture their attention.
For example: having an online store and a physical store-front would be considered an alternative channel. Many online businesses are currently going through the rise of being able to have both, so you could achieve this and still have a steady customer base from your traditional brick-and-mortar stores.
Final Words
Growth strategies are approaches for expanding a firm, ranging from focusing on existing client acquisition and retention to entering new markets with different products or services. Depending on your business objectives, you can adopt a variety of growth techniques.
The primary strategies for business growth are to increase client loyalty, improve existing process efficiency, target new customers in a new market, and build on previous accomplishments. These methods can be combined to build an effective strategy to help your company reach its goals.