How did you revitalize sales for a product that was underperforming?

Question

Imagine transforming an underperforming product into a sales powerhouse. Insights from a Director & Sales Lead and a Chief Marketing Officer reveal the secrets behind this process. The first piece of advice emphasizes the importance of education and communication, while the final tip highlights the need to increase focus and incentivize sales teams. Discover these four expert insights that have proven to revitalize sales effectively.

Guy Pearce · Answer

At Height Dynamics, we turned around sales for an under-performing confined-space ventilation system by focusing on education and clear communication. Customers didn't fully understand its benefits, so we created straightforward videos and case studies showing how it solved common challenges.
We also trained our sales team to focus on its cost-saving and compliance benefits during conversations. These simple changes helped customers see the value clearly, leading to a significant boost in sales.

Sophie Marasco · Answer

We once had a beautiful bouquet that wasn't selling as expected, despite its unique design and colors. After checking in with customers, I realized that they felt unsure about how to display it. To address this, we created a quick video tutorial on how to arrange the bouquet, pair it with a vase, and care for it to keep it looking fresh.
We also bundled this bouquet with a lovely vase and a small guide on care tips. This added value made the product more appealing and provided customers with the confidence they needed to make the purchase. We shared this update on social media, with photos and stories highlighting the bouquet's charm.
This simple addition resulted in an immediate spike in sales and showed us that sometimes all it takes is a little extra detail to make a product shine. My biggest takeaway was that helping customers see the potential in a product can turn it from overlooked to beloved.

Mahesh Singh · Answer

When we encountered underperforming sales for one of our products, the first step was to analyze both customer feedback and market trends to understand the root cause of the issue. Through customer surveys and user interviews, we found that the product’s messaging wasn’t aligning with the actual pain points of our target audience. The key differentiators of the product were not being clearly communicated in the marketing materials, and the sales team was struggling to convey its value proposition effectively.
To address this, we revised the entire marketing strategy for the product, starting with a repositioning of its key features. We crafted messaging that was more aligned with the specific needs of our ideal customers and highlighted the unique benefits that set our product apart from competitors. In addition, we revamped the sales funnel, incorporating more personalized touchpoints and tailored product demos to guide potential customers through their buying journey. As a result, we saw a marked improvement in sales-conversion rates and customer satisfaction. We also maintained regular communication with the sales and customer-support teams to ensure the new messaging was consistently applied, resulting in a significant revitalization of sales and a stronger market position.

Tom Rastani · Answer

My area of expertise is in business-technology sales and services for Modern Office Methods, a leading provider of digital printing and software-workflow solutions.

We have had underperforming products in the past, and the strategies that have been effective for our sales teams include:

1. Increasing the focus on the specific product or service, beginning with conducting more training on the benefits and how the product solves specific business problems.

2. Highlighting past success stories on how the product was successful in the past and sharing the applications of the product that led to the positive outcome.

3. Assigning a champion that is to take the lead and monitor the sales activity with the sales team and assist with developing the qualified leads and guide these throughout the sales process.

4. Creating an incentive for the sales teams to increase new sales activities, along with a special "spiff" for closing the new business opportunities.

5. Celebrating the success of the team with recognition for the increased sales activity and closed sales.

My mantra for these scenarios has always been "Energy Flows Where Attention Goes," a very simple approach.

I hope this helps.

Tom Rastani

Sales Representative, Modern Office Methods

How Do You Boost Sales for Underperforming Products?

Focus on Education and Communication

Create a Video Tutorial

Revise Marketing Strategy

Increase Focus and Incentivize Sales Teams