Sales is an important part of any business, but are especially vital to startups. Newborn companies are often in need of cash very early in development, and having extra revenue from sales can be a big help. Early sales are also used to judge the popularity of a product or service, which can lead to business decisions that completely change the way you go to market or even run your company.

While boosting sales might seem like a huge challenge in the early stages of your business, it can be easier than you think to get that extra income. Use the ideas below to learn how you can boost sales as fast as possible and set up your company for success.

Sell as early as possible.

Have you ever wondered why companies presell their products? Presales, regardless of the type of product you are selling, help you guarantee some of your income after your initial release. They also help generate hype, which can lead to more publicity with little effort.

Even if your product isn't too exciting, you need to find a way to have a presale and boost your early sales figures. Here are some ideas on how to do this:

• Create a special introductory price or give a bonus for pre-buying your product
• Write blog posts on your website advertising the prerelease
• Share your posts on social media
• Advertise your special presale on other relevant websites

Your presale event doesn't have to be overly complex. If your startup is having trouble gaining presales, try improving your social media presence or investing in guest blog posts. Both methods can be fairly inexpensive and can help you gain the visibility you need to make future sales.

Know when to target people.

Targeting the right people at the right time could easily become its own article. Managing your contacts and knowing when to ask for a sale is critical to your success. One of the top ways to boost sales at your startup is to simply organize your contacts better. Using a tool like a CRM or contact database can help. It's also helpful to organize your contacts based on buyer personas, and study which personas buy from you most often so you can target them more heavily before and during the sales cycle.

Really sell benefits.

When most entrepreneurs list a product or service for sale for the first time, they often want to talk about functionality and what the product or service is. Unfortunately, this won't help you stand out from others in your industry. Anyone can write a product name and bullet points. Not everyone can convince people why they should choose a product over another. This is why you need to talk about the benefits of your product or service.

Try writing a series of blog posts, each one about a specific benefit your product or service provides. This allows you to put each benefit in the spotlight as an answer to the reader's problems, challenges or goals, and gives your readers a very nice reference point.

When writing product descriptions or sales pages on your website, don't just talk about features. Sell the benefits of using your product and get as specific as possible.

Follow up!

Online sales are a lot like real life sales. You need to follow up on your leads if you want to make the sale. When you first start out, you may be overwhelmed by the number of leads that you have to interact with. Investing in an automated service that can help you send initial emails and follow up emails can be a huge time saver.

If you think it's appropriate, you should also make a direct connection with your potential sale. This can be done on social media, through email or by phone. Following up makes your brand more memorable and can lead to a big boost in sales.

Boosting sales can be as easy as creating a presale, managing your contacts, better describing benefits and following up with leads. To learn more ways to boost online sales, contact Milwaukee marketing agency, Accelity Marketing. 

Looking for more ways to drive leads (and sales)? Check out the video below!