Whilst the worst of Black Friday and Cyber Monday tends to be reserved for the UK and US, there's no denying that those fervour-causing sales tactics are gradually becoming more prominent in New Zealand and beyond.
According to statistics from retail insights firm Nextopia, Black Friday sales were worth nearly US$2 billion in America alone last year.
However - as the long queues and rowdy crowds attest to - these new sales trends are hardly conducive to a better experience for anyone involved. So what can your small business do to subvert this one-day sale mentality and really connect with potential customers over the Christmas period?
The old ways are the best
No matter what you offer, if your small business is outward facing then you'll live and die by how well you engage with consumers. A simple and effective way to stand out from the crowd across the holidays is to offer a tailored personal experience.
Of course, this can be tough if your small business is particularly high volume for its size, but doing the simple things such as a brief follow-up call or remembering a repeat customer's name can really set you apart from any competition who merely treat consumers as profits rather than real people.
Embrace communication
Embracing communication and steadily reinforcing your brand with a well timed newsletter or social media post can put you ahead of the competition. Any potential customers will also likely remember your company if you're easy to do business with and have your processes streamlined. Using CashManager from Accomplish can make invoicing easy for both you and your customers, increasing your chances of any repeat business.
Ultimately, if your small businesses sales tactics over the Christmas period can be more personal than the big business mentality of 'stack them high and sell them cheap,' you will likely notice that any customers will find you to be a refreshing change from your competition.