When it comes to running a furniture store, there can be a wide range of challenges that you may face. These can include trying to get more people in your store, finding a way to get people to spend more on higher-ticket items, dealing with fierce competition, and much more.
For this blog, I want to provide some insight on three key pain points furniture clients, past and present, have shared with us, and how you can use travel incentives to address these challenges. If any of these three are common challenges for you, then be sure to read on. Even if you’re not involved in the furniture industry, this advice could be helpful.
1) Attracting more customers with a promotion that works;
2) Closing more sales; and
3) Being able to more easily upsell
1) Attract Customers and Stand Out with a Unique Promotion
First, let’s discuss how travel incentives are a great way to run a unique promotion. They keyword here is ‘unique,’ and it has the power to capture attention unlike other commonplace promos that tend to do the rounds (think cashback offers, 0% interest, etc.).
If every furniture store is offering the same old incentive, and therefore not differentiating themselves, then you have the perfect opportunity on hand to be that furniture store that is different – not just in the products you sell, but the rewards you offer.
One such client, Creative Home Furnishing, utilized our incentives for this exact reason of standing out. The industry was in a slump in their area, and every single competitor was running some kind of sale with run-of-the-mill promos. Their solution, with the help of Odenza, was to promote unique travel incentives that would actually get people through the door.
And it worked! They maintained a steady flow of sales during a tough time for their market by running a promotion that was different from the rest.
You can check out their testimonial below:
2) Close More Sales
Incentives help drive more customers to buy. Say, for example, you’re offering them on a case-by-case basis to close the deal – the travel certificates are only given to customers who are on the verge of making larger purchases.
You might have a customer interested in buying an outdoor furniture set, but they’re struggling to pull the trigger because it will cost them $2,000. This is exactly where an incentive can come into play.
You might say something along the lines of: “I’m not sure if you saw this on our website, but we have an offer going for customers who spend $2,000 or more at our store. If you buy this furniture set, then we’ll give you a promotional travel certificate for a trip to Vegas or a cruise – it’s your choice.”
Consider utilizing be-back cards, as well. These can be given to prospective customers who come in and check out your furniture gallery and don’t buy anything at the time, but are considering returning in the near-future. The be-back card details the kind of travel certificate/reward they would receive should they decide to come back and make a purchase with you.
It’s a great way to further promote the value of your incentive and give customers a reason to choose you over the other competitors.
3) Upsell
This feeds a little into the point I made in the above section, but it’s important to place some extra focus on upselling – especially when you’re offering customers something valuable. I touched on the topic of upselling in my last blog about marketing for jewelry stores, as well, and the same principles apply here.
Upselling is not exactly the same as using an incentive to close a higher-priced sale on the spot. Instead, upselling is something you map out from the get-go; and it’s a strategy that can be tiered, as well.
As discussed in the below Travel Incentives 101 video, the incentive you’re offering to customers will have a perceived value on their end. But which ones have the greater sense of value? Suffice to say, customers will likely see a 5-day cruise as having more overall value than a 2-night stay for two in Las Vegas.
This why a tiered system is worth taking into consideration, and it could work with every $1,000 incremental increase. Those incentives with a higher perceived value can be placed against the higher purchase requirements:
• They spend $1,000, they receive two tickets to an event of their choice throughout North America – sporting event, concert, Broadway show, etc.
• They spend $2,000, they receive a flight for two for 2 nights in Las Vegas
• They spend $3,000, they receive a 5-day cruise for two
Get Started
The above three steps are a great way to get started in your efforts for boosting sales with travel incentives. Remember that in order for an incentive campaign to work, each part of that campaign must be working as an effective, harmonious whole: the promotion, the marketing, the sales – all of it.
If you’re interested in learning more about how travel incentives can be used for your furniture store, be sure to reach out to us. You can call us at 1-866-883-2968 or simply fill out the form below.
