00:00:01 Salena Knight

Hey there and welcome to the bringing business to retail podcast. If you're looking to get more sales, more customers, master your marketing and ultimately take control of your retail or ecommerce business.

00:00:16 Salena Knight

Then you're in.

00:00:17 Salena Knight

Right place.

00:00:17

I.

00:00:18 Salena Knight

I'm Selena Knight, a retail growth strategist and multi award-winning store owner whose superpower is uncovering exactly what your business requires to move to the next.

00:00:30 Salena Knight

Level I'll provide you with the strategies, the tools and the insight you need to scale your store.

00:00:38 Salena Knight

All you need to do is take action.

00:00:41 Salena Knight

Ready to get started?

00:00:47 Salena Knight

Hey there, Can you believe?

00:00:49 Salena Knight

We are in the final stretch before Christmas, just a few days for shoppers to grab their last minute gifts and I know that personally I am on that list of people I have not done my shopping. Every year I try and be prepared.

00:01:05 Salena Knight

Every year.

00:01:06 Salena Knight

I ask my family what they might like, and the answer is crickets queue a last minute scramble for me to try and find something I love giving gifts, and I put a lot of effort into it. But cue that last minute rush to try and find something that.

00:01:24 Salena Knight

Be shipped fast enough? Because I do not like going to the mall at Christmas time and B is thoughtful.

00:01:30 Salena Knight

So if you are feeling the crunch and trust me, your customers are probably feeling it even more if they are anything like me.

00:01:38 Salena Knight

Yeah, and that means for you that this is the perfect time to step up and serve them well.

00:01:46 Salena Knight

The board is for you.

00:01:47 Salena Knight

Is it means you maximise your holiday revenue?

00:01:50 Salena Knight

Today I'm sharing 5 quick last minute strategies that you can implement right now.

00:01:56 Salena Knight

To make the most of those final shopping days.

00:01:58 Salena Knight

So let's make sure that you end this season on.

00:02:02 Salena Knight

High note.

00:02:03 Salena Knight

OK, you got your pen and paper.

00:02:04

Alright.

00:02:05 Salena Knight

Let's dive in.

00:02:06 Salena Knight

#1 leverage urgency.

00:02:09 Salena Knight

With last chance messaging.

00:02:12 Salena Knight

So here's the thing, people procrastinate.

00:02:15 Salena Knight

It is human nature, but what always loses interaction is the fear of missing out a deadline and the fear of missing out. And you can tap into that fear in a really nice way without being.

00:02:32 Salena Knight

You know, too dramatic, but you can tap into that with very clear time sensitive messaging.

00:02:38 Salena Knight

Think about using phrases like only two days left for guaranteed Christmas delivery.

00:02:43 Salena Knight

Trust me when I say if I see an e-mail that says that, or if I see a banner on a website that says that I am getting my credit card out and making.

00:02:55 Salena Knight

A decision.

00:02:56 Salena Knight

So we are using that fear of missing out something along the lines of only X days left for guaranteed delivery or order by a spec.

00:03:06 Salena Knight

For local pickup in time for the holidays.

00:03:10 Salena Knight

I like that one for bricks and mortar store because it it's saying try and be a little bit prepared and you know we might not have everything if you leave it to the last minute. Probably my all time favorite though is.

00:03:22 Salena Knight

Stock is running low.

00:03:23 Salena Knight

Grab yours before it's gone.

00:03:25 Salena Knight

So think about those messages and how you can convey that fear of missing out to your customers and put those messages front and center on your website.

00:03:36 Salena Knight

Post.

00:03:39 Salena Knight

In e-mail subject line everywhere that you can think about it, even in your store windows, the key is to make them feel like they have to act right now because they do. If they want their gifts, they have to act right now.

00:03:53 Salena Knight

All right, my second way to leverage this time is to offer flash sales that create excitement.

00:04:00 Salena Knight

So here's a little secret. Everyone loves a good deal, especially during the holidays, and you might feel coming out of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and then that lead up to Christmas that you have been promoed out, but you don't have to discount your entire.

00:04:15 Salena Knight

Store or you go and put everything on sale instead.

00:04:19 Salena Knight

Just choose a few key items to promote with a short term flash sale, and when I say flash I mean flash. For example 24 hour sale.

00:04:29 Salena Knight

20% off I guess.

00:04:32 Salena Knight

Or even Sandy won't believe these prices, but therefore today only.

00:04:37 Salena Knight

The shorter.

00:04:38 Salena Knight

Window and I don't even care if you bring these down to hourly like I have seen great results when you do only for the next 60 minutes.

00:04:47 Salena Knight

But the shorter the window, and to be fair, if you've got to do something like that, you probably need to be using something like SMS marketing to make sure that they're timely.

00:04:54 Salena Knight

But the shorter the window.

00:04:57 Salena Knight

The more urgency you create, in fact.

00:05:00 Salena Knight

One of my friends.

00:05:01 Salena Knight

Is also an artist. The amazing Fiona Chandler does this every let's.

00:05:07 Salena Knight

Every.

00:05:08 Salena Knight

I feel like it might be every month it.

00:05:09 Salena Knight

Be every week but.

00:05:11 Salena Knight

On Thursday, at a specific time.

00:05:15 Salena Knight

The first person to comment sold.

00:05:17 Salena Knight

Gets a painting of hers. And let's be honest, her paintings go for.

00:05:23 Salena Knight

Thousands of dollars.

00:05:24 Salena Knight

But you can grab one of her paintings for I think she charges $275, and that includes the frame and postage.

00:05:32 Salena Knight

She does it as a list building exercise and she really wants to give back to people to make sure that they can everyone can afford.

00:05:40 Salena Knight

Art. But that time frame of like it's going to go live and she sends out an e-mail the night before that says at 9:00 AM tomorrow or at 10:00 AM tomorrow, the 1st person. And you can bet your bottom dollar that she is flooded with people who want.

00:05:55 Salena Knight

That.

00:05:55 Salena Knight

So make the window short and.

00:05:58 Salena Knight

Leverage those flash sales.

00:06:00 Salena Knight

Alright, #3, please, please, please promote digital gift cards or even physical gift cards as the perfect gift. Because let us face it, we have all been there scrambling for that last minute gift.

00:06:16 Salena Knight

Whether it's your son's girlfriend or aunty Sarah brings along her new bow. There's.

00:06:24 Salena Knight

A time.

00:06:24 Salena Knight

Place for last minute gift cards.

00:06:28 Salena Knight

And this is where they become your secret weapon.

00:06:32 Salena Knight

You could end up with people like.

00:06:33 Salena Knight

Who can't find what they want to buy, and so I just buy the gift card, and sometimes I'll even put with the gift card an idea of what I might like to get them.

00:06:41 Salena Knight

I might print it out, but if I'm not 100%.

00:06:45 Salena Knight

A gift card is always the safe bet.

00:06:47 Salena Knight

So highlight gift cards as the.

00:06:50 Salena Knight

For shoppers who?

00:06:52 Salena Knight

Out of time and out of ID's and you can do that by using messaging like still shopping.

00:06:58 Salena Knight

The gift of choice with digital gift cards.

00:07:01 Salena Knight

They're delivered instantly.

00:07:04 Salena Knight

Make it very easy for your customers to find them on your website.

00:07:08 Salena Knight

Have them at your.

00:07:09 Salena Knight

Of sale. Make sure that you.

00:07:12 Salena Knight

Are selling gift cards as much as you possibly can.

00:07:16 Salena Knight

Mean literally right up until Christmas morning.

00:07:19 Salena Knight

And so.

00:07:20 Salena Knight

Easy for people to find them and emphasise that they are hassle free. No weight solutions. Everybody loves them all right.

00:07:27 Salena Knight

We've done 3 so far #4 make.

00:07:31 Salena Knight

This one for the bricks and.

00:07:32 Salena Knight

Store make pickup.

00:07:35 Salena Knight

Or delivery.

00:07:37 Salena Knight

And actual selling.

00:07:38 Salena Knight

So if you have a brick and mortar location, or if you can deliver.

00:07:43 Salena Knight

Locally, and if you have an ecommerce business.

00:07:46 Salena Knight

One of those.

00:07:47 Salena Knight

Secrets that I'm going to tell you is that if you are in a position to be able to do this, you should be implementing things like door Dash and Uber because now is the time to tell.

00:07:58 Salena Knight

From the rooftops that you.

00:07:59 Salena Knight

There to get.

00:08:01 Salena Knight

Their gifts to them so you could use phrases like shop online and pick up in store.

00:08:09 Salena Knight

Or local delivery available if you order by put your date in here or if you've partnered with someone like Uber or DoorDash to get those items to customers in a flash, you could literally say.

00:08:23 Salena Knight

Delivery within 60 minutes. If you have that capacity that is going to set you apart.

00:08:29 Salena Knight

Note.

00:08:30 Salena Knight

I've just used.

00:08:31 Salena Knight

I've always been an Uber person, but I got a DoorDash subscription with my Amazon Prime, and I used DoorDash.

00:08:38 Salena Knight

For the.

00:08:38 Salena Knight

Time last night and I have to say, the idea of getting things delivered when I had been working from 6:00 AM in the morning right through.

00:08:49 Salena Knight

7:00 PM.

00:08:50 Salena Knight

Having somebody bring me something even though.

00:08:53 Salena Knight

I knew.

00:08:53 Salena Knight

The one item I got delivered, which was some.

00:08:57 Salena Knight

Street food.

00:08:58 Salena Knight

With $7.00 more not including delivery fees, the actual price of the item was $7.00 more than if I had hopped.

00:09:06 Salena Knight

My car to go get it.

00:09:07 Salena Knight

But the cost to me in energy and time and getting the car out of the garage and all that kind of stuff, I was prepared to pay the $7.00 and the delivery fee.

00:09:17 Salena Knight

Do not.

00:09:18 Salena Knight

Put any hang ups that you might have about spending for delivery or paying extra to get things in a hurry because customers are willing to pay more, especially at this time of year. And we love the conventions.

00:09:32 Salena Knight

If there are anything like me of not having to navigate the mall, I mean, even I'm a parking ninja, I always get a park.

00:09:39 Salena Knight

The concept of trying to find a park in a mall at Christmas just.

00:09:43 Salena Knight

Me running the other way.

00:09:44 Salena Knight

So pro tip, if you can add a personal touch like gift wrapping that is going to be an even bigger win. So.

00:09:52 Salena Knight

Think about how you can utilize ways to get your product to your customer. Quick, smart and promote the.

00:09:59 Salena Knight

Out of that.

00:10:01 Salena Knight

All right, so done for so far.

00:10:02 Salena Knight

#5 if you are out of ideas or you've already implemented some of the things I've just mentioned, what I would love for you to do.

00:10:11 Salena Knight

This.

00:10:11 Salena Knight

Is to tease your post holiday.

00:10:14 Salena Knight

And I'm going to tell you right now, you are going to feel like you have done nothing but promote from the middle of November all the way through to January.

00:10:22 Salena Knight

That's OK, because this is the time when you make your money so people are actively opening emails.

00:10:27

Yeah.

00:10:30 Salena Knight

Are coming to your website, people are subscribing.

00:10:33 Salena Knight

Are coming into your store.

00:10:34 Salena Knight

Use this holiday momentum.

00:10:37 Salena Knight

To build excitement for what is coming.

00:10:40 Salena Knight

Next, tease those new year promotions and encourage shoppers to subscribe to your e-mail list to make sure that they get first dibs on deals or make sure that they're signed up to your SMS list to make sure that they get notified ahead of everybody else and you can.

00:10:56 Salena Knight

Messaging like don't miss out on our biggest sale of the year.

00:10:59 Salena Knight

Starting December 26 here in Australia, we have Boxing Day sale.

00:11:03 Salena Knight

And if you have worked on promotions with your suppliers that you haven't promoted up until now, this is what you wanna be promoting. New Year new savings. Sign up now.

00:11:13 Salena Knight

Be the first to shop.

00:11:14 Salena Knight

Really just keep it simple.

00:11:15 Salena Knight

Just tell it like it is.

00:11:18 Salena Knight

By giving people an idea of what is coming up, it's going to keep them engaged even after the holidays. And if they got a gift card to your store, they now have a reason to come and use it.

00:11:29 Salena Knight

Let's quickly recap those five ways that you can maximize sales.

00:11:33 Salena Knight

First off, we had leverage urgency with last chance messaging. The second one was offering flash sales that create excitement.

00:11:41 Salena Knight

And #3 promote those digital gift cards for people like me who are always looking at the last minute.

00:11:48 Salena Knight

Four make local pickup or delivery a selling point, and if you haven't already partnered with Postmates, door Dash, Uber, whoever it is in your local area, that can get things to people fast. I highly encourage you to do that now and and don't be worried, just back on.

00:12:04 Salena Knight

Don't be worried if you have to increase your prices to do so, because people are prepared to pay.

00:12:09 Salena Knight

And #5 tease those post holiday sales.

00:12:13 Salena Knight

Out as soon as your current promotions end.

00:12:17 Salena Knight

So here's the bottom line.

00:12:19 Salena Knight

The final shopping days for this holiday season are your chance to.

00:12:23 Salena Knight

They are the chance for you to maximize the money that goes into your account.

00:12:29 Salena Knight

And by creating urgency, offering really quick solutions and making things as easy as possible for your customers, not only will you maximize sales, but you will build loyalty that lasts far beyond December.

00:12:43 Salena Knight

Guys, thank you so much for listening to this week's podcast.

00:12:47 Salena Knight

I wish you and your family an amazing Christmas, a happy.

00:12:51 Salena Knight

And I will see you back here.

00:12:53 Salena Knight

Just after Christmas with some great tips on how you can recover from the holiday season.

00:13:02 Salena Knight

Alrighty, thank you so much for listening.

00:13:04 Salena Knight

I deeply appreciate it and I will.

00:13:07 Salena Knight

You after the holidays.

00:13:09 Salena Knight

So that's a wrap. I'd love to hear what insight you've gotten from this episode and how you're going to put it.

00:13:17 Salena Knight

If you're.

00:13:18 Salena Knight

Social kind of person. Follow me at the Selena night and make sure to leave a comment and let me know.

00:13:25 Salena Knight

And if this episode made you think a little bit differently or gave you some inspiration, or perhaps gave you the kick that you needed to take action, then please take a couple of minutes to leave me a review.

00:13:38 Salena Knight

On your platform of choice, because the more reviews the show gets, the more independent retail and ecommerce stores just like yours.

00:13:46 Salena Knight

That we can help to scale and when that happens, it's a win for you. A win for your community and a win for your customers.

00:13:55 Salena Knight

I'll see you on the next episode.