小企业应对假日销售的六种方式

杰姬·达夫

Its easy for small businesses owners to feel overshadowed during the holidays by the extreme deals and flashy1 adverts offered by big box stores， but a wave of interest in shopping local and supporting homegrown enterprises is helping small businesses thrive.

In fact， 94 percent of consumers value the contributions small businesses make to their communities and 83 percent plan to do at least a portion of their holiday shopping at small， independently owned retailers or restaurants， according to a recent survey. Small businesses that find ways to capitalize on this goodwill will secure their fair share of the $720 billion in retail sales expected this holiday season.

Though there is no one-size-fits-all approach to preparing a retail oper-ation—whether ecommerce or brick-and-mortar2—for an influx of business during the holidays， a blend of time-tested， common-sense steps and innovative approaches can help small businesses take on the holiday sales rush.

Here are 6 key steps that business experts and experienced owners agree can help small businesses get the most out of the holiday season.

1. Plan and set seasonal goals

Planning is ongoing for every business， but preparation for the busiest shopping time of the year should include a detailed review of last years holiday sales performance. This information can be used to determine inventory， tailor deals， create promotional offers and set revenue goals for the season.

“Make sure that the goals you set for yourself are reasonable and attainable，” said Stefan Lewinger， founder and CEO of Sock Fancy.

He also reminds fellow business owners that they dont have to define their goals solely on revenue： “Other metrics3， like customer engagement and social media following， are ... great tools to measure your success.”

Also， spend some time researching the holiday sales strategies of your top competitors and determining the marketing approaches you will use to reach your target customer. Lewinger suggests getting your products included in holiday gift guides or “best of” lists.

2. Secure sufficient working capital

During the holidays， it may be necessary to have more funds readily available to increase inventory， hire seasonal staff or set up holiday displays.

“If pre-holiday business has been slow or you otherwise dont have sufficient cash on hand to give the season your very best shot， talk to your banker or local community lender about securing a line of credit or short-term loan，” said Paola Garcia， a small business advisor at Excelsior Growth Fund.

According to Garcia， many lenders have reasonable interest rates and repayment terms， and quick turnarounds4 from approval to funding. However， business owners should shop around and be vigilant of predatory lenders.

“Be sure that you know what youre signing up for before you agree to any loans or lines of credit，” advises Garcia.

3. Review and upgrade technology

You need to make sure your technology is ready and able to handle the onslaught5 of holiday shoppers. You dont want to lose potential customers because your website is down or you cant process credit card orders. This means taking the time earlier in the year to upgrade security software， test checkout and payment processes， check the usability of search functions， and make sure your website is user-friendly and able to handle an increase in traffic.

“Small businesses need to ensure that all channels—whether in-store， online or mobile—are all up to date and running smoothly，” said Chris Francis， vice president of market development at Worldpay. “They must run the necessary tests and evaluations to ensure their technology is working properly， and to avoid any bugs or malfunctions from losing sales.”

4. Embrace omnichannel customer experiences

One of the most prominent trends impacting holiday sales is omnichannel retailing6， which is defined as an integrated sales approach that creates a seamless shopping experience for customers regardless of whether they are shopping from a desktop， mobile device or store. For example， these customers may buy online but pick up the item in the store， or they may use a smartphone app to compare prices and then make a purchase through a companys website.

“By embracing all available sales channels， small businesses can enjoy increased sales during the holiday season，” said Francis.

One way businesses can be responsive to omnichannel shoppers is by honoring online coupons and in-store deals interchangeably.

“Make sure that all of your holiday deals are scannable for your in-store sales，” said Mike Catania， CTO and founder of PromotionCode.org.

5. Stock up on holiday inventory

There is nothing worse than running out of the must-have gift and having to turn away customers.

Therefore， make sure you are fully stocked and have plenty of your best sellers readily available.

“Stock up on your most popular items， the latest trends in your industry and specially branded or crafted gifts that make your merchandise stand out，” said Garcia. “Talk to vendors and see if you can get discounts for buying in larger quantities or extended payment terms.”

6. Market to loyal customers

Acquiring new customers always requires more time and money than getting repeat customers to come back， and this is especially true during the holiday season. You can encourage existing customers to make holiday purchases by engaging them with exclusive online offers， in-store events and personalized discounts and promotions.

“Based on their past buying history， you already know exactly what will appeal to them most and can create personalized campaigns that will convert them [into repeat customers]，” said Jurgen Nebelung， vice president of e-commerce and digital at Tea Forte. “Loyal customers spend on average 67 percent more than new customers.”

假日期間，小企业主很容易在大型商场的超值优惠和炫目广告面前感到自惭形秽，但购买本地产品和支持本土企业的热潮正在帮助小企业蓬勃发展。

实际上，最近的一项调查显示，有94%的消费者重视小企业对社区的贡献，而83%的消费者计划至少在小型个体零售店或餐馆进行部分假日消费。能充分利用这一意愿的小企业将在本次假日季预计的7200亿美元零售额中分得一杯羹。

尽管没有一种万能的方法能使零售业（无论是电子商务还是实体店）为应对节日期间的生意激增做好准备，但是将一些经过时间检验、常识性的做法与创新方法相融合，可以帮助小企业应对假期销售高峰。

商业专家和经验丰富的企业主们一致认为，以下六个关键步骤可以帮助小企业充分利用假日季。

1. 计划并设定季节性目标

每家企业都会进行业务规划，但是为一年中最繁忙的购物季做准备还应该包括对去年假日销售业绩的详细回顾。此信息可用于确定库存、定制折扣、制定促销优惠并设定本季收入目标。

Sock Fancy创始人兼首席执行官斯蒂芬·莱温格表示：“要确保您为自己设定的目标是合理且可实现的。”

他还提醒其他企业主，不必将目标仅限于收入：“客户参与度和社交媒体关注度等其他指标是……衡量成功与否的绝佳手段。”

另外，花一些时间研究主要竞争对手的假日销售策略，并确定吸引目标客户的营销方法。莱温格建议将您的产品列入假日礼品指南或“最佳”榜单。

2.确保充足运营资金

在假日期间，可能需要更多可随时调用的资金来增加库存、雇用季节性员工或布置假日展示橱窗。

“如果假日前生意不景气，或者手头没有足够现金来为本季放手一搏，请与您的银行或当地社区贷款人协商获得信贷额度或短期贷款。”Excelsior 成长基金的小企业顾问葆拉·加西亚说。

根据加西亚的说法，许多贷款机构利率合理，还款期限宽松，并且从批准到放贷周期较短。但是，企业主应货比三家，警惕掠夺性贷款机构。

加西亚建议：“在同意接受任何贷款或信贷额度之前，要了解该贷款的附加条件。”

3.审查和升级技术

您需要确保技术设备已经准备就绪并且能够应对假日购物者的激增。您不想因为网站崩溃或不支持信用卡付款受阻而失去潜在客户。这意味着在当年提早花时间升级安全软件，测试结账和付款流程，检查搜索功能是否好用，确保您的网站方便访问并能够应对流量的增加。

环付通市场开发副总裁克里斯·弗朗西斯表示：“小企业需要确保所有渠道（无论是店面、网店还是移动端）都已更新并运行平稳。他们必须进行必要的测试和评估，以确保其技术正常运行，避免任何故障引起的销售损失。”

4.接纳全渠道客户体验

影响假日销售的一个最显著趋势是全渠道零售。全渠道零售是一种整合销售方式，可为客户提供无缝衔接式购物体验，无论客户是从台式机、移动设备下单还是实体店购物。例如，这些客户可以在网上购买但在实体店取货，或者使用智能手机应用程序比较价格，再通过公司网站进行购买。

弗朗西斯说：“通过接纳所有可用的销售渠道，小企业可在假日季增加销量。”

企业积极响应全渠道购物者的一种方式是线上有优惠券，实体店也提供折扣优惠。

“请确保店内销售能扫描到所有假日优惠。”Promotion-Code.org首席技术官兼创始人迈克·卡坦尼亚说道。

5.储备假日库存

最糟糕的事莫过于必备礼物售罄而不得不谢绝顾客。

因此，请确保库存充足，并有大量畅销商品可供选择。

“大量储备最热门的产品、所在行业的最新款式以及能使商品脱颖而出的特色品牌或工艺礼品。”加西亚说，“与供应商协调，看是否能够因大批量购买而获得折扣或延长付款期限。”

6.吸引忠实客户

与吸引老顾客回购相比，吸引新顾客通常需要耗费更多的时间和金钱，假日季尤其如此。您可以向现有顾客提供专属线上优惠、店内活动以及个性化折扣和促销活动，激励其假日购物。

“根据客户的购买历史，您已经确切地知道最吸引他们的是什么，并据此创建个性化营销活动以将其转化为回头客。” Tea Forte公司电子商务和数字化副总裁于尔根·内贝隆说，“忠实客户的花费平均比新客户高67%。”            □

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖选手;单位：南京师范大学中北学院）