10 ways to make the most of 4th quarter

2010/11/11 6:00 AM

We are well into 4^th quarter and I want to get you all cha-chinging away, so let’s go over a short check list to see what else you can be doing to make the most of the rest of this year.

Here are some ideas that I have brainstormed with clients to generate more sales this year.

1. Call a national gym and ask to do a holiday sale. The women there will be excited to get their last minute gifts and work out at the same time. Park once, accomplish twice.

2. Figure out the last day to ship UPS ground and put up a ONE-DAY only 50% off sale.

3. Keep commenting on related blogs to keep traffic coming your way.

4. Try an inexpensive ad on Facebook

5. Affiliate programs. Get one going now!! It’s not too late to offer someone a year-end bonus for promoting you or selling your product.

6. Start a drop ship program. These are great because it’s like making money in your sleep. Someone else sells your product and all you do is ship it. Let them do all the marketing while you do something else to bring in money!

7. Create a twitter storm. Write to your list and ask them to contribute to a blog post you are doing (do this on December 13^th) Tell them you are writing a last minute holiday gift guide for the slackers out there who can’t find the “perfect” thing. Ask them to tell about the best “white elephant” gift they ever got – post all the responses in your blog and call it “The last creative gift on earth”…..or something like that. Email all the contributors and tell them the blog post is up and ask them to tweet it out…..they will because they can tell their friends and followers they are # so in so. NOTE: Be prepared to twitter a bunch of cool relevant things to attract all your new bees to the hive!

9. Create a last minute contest on your blog. Since we are not allowed to post contests and giveaways on Facebook (ggrr)…..blogs and twitter seem like the places to do this now. Get your fans to leave comments on a blog post you wrote and twitter another one to be entered to win something….because…… everyone loves to win! Make them refer to your twitter name so you can see the mention.

10.Last ditch efforts…….

Get your best customers on the phone and offer them a deal. Offer free shipping to one lucky person.
Email your friends a special offer on your website and ask them to send it to 5 friends for you.
Ask friends to repost your deal on their FB pages.
Post about your last minute deals on forums, meet up groups, networking groups and any on-line budget fashionista website you can find.
Find your relevant target market……. mommy groups, lactation centers, large corporate offices, or the YMCA and see if you can go sell your stuff there.

Tagged: Blogging, business, Creativity, Entreprenette®, Marketing, Sales, Social Media, Tips From The Entreprenette Handbook, Website, Wholesale

Written by Sarah Shaw

There are 12 comments

April- Kawartha Beads says:

November 11, 2010 at 10:42 am

Great tips! The season is definately in full swing. Also throw an open house for friends and family your home or better yet have someone host one for you! I tell my guests that if they bring a friend they receive a $5 credit off of their purchases that day. Good luck to everyone and have a safe and happy holiday season!

jane saracino says:

November 11, 2010 at 10:49 am

Great ideas! Thanks! Jane

Love the gym or corporate lobby.

Patricia Barnett says:

November 11, 2010 at 10:56 am

Those are great ideas. I wonder about one thing; what is the difference in an affiliate program or drop shipping if you have a store that sells products?

Michelle Lessing says:

November 11, 2010 at 11:22 am

Great article! Very inspirational. Another great idea (if you have the right product for it) is to participate in a Christmas Festival. There are so many people there looking for great gift ideas!