Many businesses rely on the holiday season to reach their viability and growth goals. However, with 2020 being such a unique year, not every company is well-positioned to achieve its goals during the winter season.
If you have a business that relies on the holidays or winter season for a sales boost, you likely have considered pivoting to meet customer needs in this unique year. As we tackle the last quarter of 2020, we wanted to help you expand your ideas to meet customer needs and gain the boost you need to reach your quarterly goals.
Five Strategies for Pivoting to Meet Customer Needs
Any company must meet customers where they are at and fill a need. Whether your niche is selling snowboards or providing convention services, this holiday season will likely be different this year. Instead of “just seeing what happens,” and hoping orders will flood in as usual, it’s time to take a proactive stance and meet customers where they are in this singular year.
Here are five strategies for pivoting to meet customer needs:
1. First and foremost, talk with your clients and find out what niche you can fill.
There are so many niches that are still unfulfilled and demands that need to be met. No matter what your business is, you can find a way to deliver your product or service to your clients.
Let’s take an example of one business that may be struggling to find buyers during this time of year: a company that sets up holiday wonderlands for stores.
No one is likely to wait in a long line to have their child sit on Santa’s lap for a photo opportunity. That is simply unlikely to happen.
However, it is possible that larger stores will still want to create experiences and displays to entertain children and bring joy into the hearts of parents during this time of year. This company could shift to providing static displays, nativity scenes, even walk-through experiences with live actors appropriately distanced and masked.
There is only one way to discover if this is a need that requires fulfillment: by talking with past customers and clients and finding out what they need.
2. Provide more online offerings.
Every company around the world has worked hard to create online offerings. Many businesses have gotten very creative in this regard.
To take our holiday wonderland example, Zoom calls with Santa, Mrs. Claus, and elves may become a necessity this holiday season. Parents who would like to provide their children with this treasured, seasonal experience would likely pay for this as long as it is set up appropriately and advertised in advance.
This brings us to our next point.
3. Prepare for the holidays well ahead of the rush.
One of our team members just saw Christmas trees and menorahs on sale at the grocery store last week. Halloween hasn’t even come and gone, yet this store is thinking about the holiday season – and so should you!
Get your marketing in place, sales scheduled, and clients lined up now – well before the holiday season. All of this preparatory work will pay off by keeping your company ahead of competitors.
4. Don’t fall into the “2020 is canceled” mindset.
You may have heard the phrase “2020 is canceled.” That is simply untrue.
We are seeing companies across the U.S. come up with creative ways to keep their businesses going in 2020. From conventions shifting online to Zoom calls with Disney princesses, there is always a creative way to provide products and services to those who need them.
5. Think about what you CAN offer.
We recently came across an online “retreat” for moms. The idea is that the mom goes and stays in a place where they are comfortable – or sends the family out of the house – while she talks with fellow moms, mentors, and more. This takes the idea of a “retreat” and flips it on its head.
Just like the mom blog that offered this “retreat,” your company can offer some product or service during this holiday season that will keep you filling your niche in your own, unique way.
Are you ready to grow your seasonal business? Contact the strategy execution experts at Business Success Consulting Group. We are here to help you find the solutions to grow your business.
