There comes a point for every business when it feels like you just need more money in the bank. That’s what I am addressing in this three-part series. One of the best lessons that I learned early on in my career was that sales fix everything. It can save your job, save your business and even save you from sleepless nights. When attacking the beast that is sales, you have to go at it with the mindset that each day and shift may look different. Most business owners make the mistake of thinking they can put a sales system in place and set it and forget it. When it comes to growing sales, that could not be further from the truth.

Did you miss Sales Fix Everything, Part 1? Read it now.

You must develop a war chest of tools for building sales and divide that war chest into three categories.

Nick Bogacz, founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh

The category we will talk about today is getting more frequent sales. There are the obvious methods for increasing the frequency of sales, like providing good service, having a great product and maintaining a welcoming, clean environment. The main category I’m focusing on today is marketing strategies. Repeat customers can be some of your best customers, and in my business, I’m always searching for new ways to keep them coming back and turn them into our biggest fans.

A VIP program is a great place to start for building a loyal customer base. Many of you probably have some form of this that is integrated with your POS, but you’ve probably treated it with the “set it and forget it” mindset. I suggest you have a call with your company’s marketing arm and have them outline all the marketing services they provide, and how to best leverage them for success. Some services may be free, some you may already be paying for and some may be add-ons. I am a big fan of using QR codes on everything, from boxes to tables, tents and magnets. Having QR codes directing customers to a VIP rewards program where they earn free pizzas is a valuable tactic in our war chest.

Another item I keep in my company’s war chest for growing customers and sales is a database of customers to send our weekly newsletter to. If you do not have a weekly newsletter, you need one … like, next Monday. You can send e-blasts right from your POS database or use a distribution service like Mail Chimp. Newsletters help to build loyalty and retention and keep you top of mind. Consistency is key here — every Monday, like clockwork, at 3:00 p.m., we send out our newsletter. It highlights what we are doing in stores, new products, what’s coming up and what you may want to order that week. Once you get a core group of customers plugged into your messaging, they will support and visit you more often.

In the next installment, we will talk about how to get your customer base to spend more.   

Nick Bogacz is the founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh.  Instagram: @caliente_pizza