Sometimes one of the most exciting things in life is buying something that has meaning and value to you. You hear about something on television that sparks your interest, or you see an ad on the Internet that puts you into that mode where you just have to buy it. But then you buy it and that’s it – nothing more to it. You simply have the product now…
That’s the way many customers feel when they buy something. That’s also the original way we were taught to sell. A majority of sellers do not make it fun or exciting to buy. They just pitch a product to get a sale, give it to the customer, and hope they buy again. Well this is where we need to step outside the box and let our creative juices flow.
How about start a contest? What will this contest be? What will the prize be? Most of the time, you hear about sales contests, but what about doing it with your customers? Everything is up to you, the seller. Since you are reading this article, I will give you some tips and ideas on how to start a contest.
One contest can be to give a gift to the 100th buyer. This has actually been something in practice for years. One of the best things about this contest is you don’t have to let your customers know in advance. As you may have seen on television, when someone is the 100th customer, balloons, confetti, streamers, and such start falling from the ceiling all of a sudden. Then an announcement is made over the loudspeaker that they are the 100th customer!
Surprise contests will leave people smiling for a long time. They began with the brick and mortar stores. As you are using the Internet mostly for your business, you will more than likely have an email list of buyers. When one of those customers is your 100th buyer, you can reward them as well by making an email blast about it.
Keep in mind too; you should never entice your customers to buy from you in an unethical or illegal way. Be careful of what type of contest you run. There are some dos and don’ts for this. For instance, you do not want to shame another company. You also do not want to bash anyone or say anything hateful. This is for your email list, website, and article directory, whatever you use.
If you are using social media, make sure to check out the platform’s terms of service. Please be sure you understand what you are allowed and not allowed to do. If you violate their terms, they can and most likely will deactivate your account and put an end to your strategy.
Do however, offer special bonuses. When someone buys from you and they win your contest, you can give them a bonus, and also offer unadvertised bonuses. People like the unexpected if it is something that will benefit them in any way.
People get excited about the bonuses especially when it is something they can use. Make sure the bonuses are useful and related to your niche. They should add to the use of a product either by giving the product more uses or make it an extension of what they bought.
These are some ways in which people think it is fun to buy something. Whatever you decide to do in order to make buying from you fun; remember to keep certain rules in mind. You can surprise them or make an announcement. As long as it adds value and people enjoy the product, then you will win over your customer’s hearts.
