5 Secrets to Timing Your Sale Just Right

When it comes to job interviews, appointments or call-backs, timing is everything. And depending on whether you’re early, late or just on time can make all the difference between getting the job, contract or making the sale.
As a small business owner, when your timing is right, customers purchase your product or service. When your timing is off, you usually get the following response, “Sorry, I just renewed with another company. I wish you would have contacted me sooner.”
Want to know the secret to timing? It involves knowing your customers and what triggers them to seek out your business or service. These triggers can be a milestone, life event, holiday or major purchase. When you coordinate your offer around triggers and provide a relevant, personalized marketing message, oftentimes it heightens the chance that your customers or prospects will find immediate value. Here are five triggers that can boost your marketing efforts and keep you top of mind to your customers/prospects:
1. Check the sky: Area weather related events are a huge trigger that there may be an opportunity for your business or service. And chances are, if one neighbor has roof damage from a hail storm or a downed tree from a heavy snowfall, so do the rest. Also the seasons are a great time of year for routine maintenance checks.
2. Birthdays: This is one time of the year to make your customer/prospect feel special. Why not acknowledge them on their day with a phone call, email, postcard—whatever? Even better, spread it out for the entire month and give them a discount to your business or service.
3. Just listed/just sold sign: That small sign in a neighbor’s front yard gets the other neighbors on the block to think about making a change too. The United States Postal Service says in 2010 alone, they processed 41.5 million changes of address. What’s more, the average new homeowner spends $9,400 for things like new appliances, blinds, landscaping, etc. that’s more money than most people spend in three-five years! This is a great trigger to reach out to the neighbors of these just listed/just sold properties and see if they need your service or product.
4. Life events: The arrival of a new baby, retiring after 30 years on the job, a marriage—these are all major life events and trigger events that usually signify a change in service, coverage, etc.
5) Think Local: A rash of burglaries, new home sales, a business opening or closing, these are local events you should be aware of and ask yourself, “How does this relate to my business or customer?”
Keeping these five triggers will help you you stay top of mind to your customers and may help you stay one step ahead of the competition.