Sell more with less

Optimize your product selection

Optimization is about more than simply reducing the number of products. It’s about choosing the best and most effective items for your customers. Many people think that a broader product selection is the way to success, but you’ve probably experienced standing in a shop with seven different face creams that all essentially do the same thing. The “more is more” expression was invented by salespeople who don’t know how to solve problems, but simply want to push products down your throat. I’d run away screaming!

By removing unnecessary products for sale, you make the choice easier for your customers. Choose your top performers and consider removing products that don’t add significant value for your customers or revenue to your business. In other words, try to make every product in your range serve a clear purpose and meet your customers’ needs, without too much overlap in features.

Simplify your sales area

Now that you’ve selected your customers’ favorite products, it’s time to look at how you display them. We recommend sales shelves or wall shelving for displaying individual pieces of each product and, if possible, keeping stock at your reception desk, in cabinets or in a back room.

Save money? Yes!

By following the two points above, you’ll not only save money now, but also in the long term. You save money right away because you don’t need as many shelves. It’s as simple as that. You save money in the long term because you don’t have to keep buying so many different items. Many suppliers will also give you a better price when you buy larger quantities of fewer items, because they can ship them in larger boxes.

Focus on value, not features

When interacting with customers, it’s important to shift the focus from the product’s features to the value it adds to their lives. Don’t just explain that a shampoo contains natural ingredients; explain what that means and how it makes your customer’s life better. Does the customer have a problem? Find the product that solves it.

A good example

A hair wax might say “extreme hold” on the label. That doesn’t mean much to a customer who hasn’t tried it before. Try putting yourself in the customer’s shoes. They may have cycled to you and now need to cycle on to work. Explain that the wax is perfect if they don’t want to fuss with their hair too much, but still want to be able to quickly restyle it after wearing a bicycle helmet. The customer will then see the benefit of buying a wax that lets them quickly fix their hair after cycling.

Notice that the customer here doesn’t care about “extreme hold”. They buy the wax because it makes life easier.

Final words

By simplifying your sales area, optimizing your selection and focusing on value when speaking with customers, you can not only make your products more appealing and increase your sales, but also improve the experience for everyone. Give it a chance - it actually works :)