Want to increase sales within your company? It’s not as hard to do as some might have you believe. Though we as a nation are in the midst of an economic downturn these past two years, your company does not have to be. What follows are three simple steps to increase sales, no matter the economic conditions.

1. Simplify your advertising

Consumers today are inundated daily with advertising campaigns and solicitations. Frankly, most of these advertising campaigns are not worth the money spent on them. Why? Because they continue to use the same methods as their competitors (direct-mail, billboards, internet advertising, television advertising, and radio advertising) and in the same manner. What has resulted is a society immune to “pitches”, “angles”, and “tricks” that get them to become consumers of your products. Some tips to simplifying your advertising:

-Avoid cliches. Most are overused anyway.

-Be better, not best. Most products are pitched as “the best” of their kind. Consumers don’t always need the best, however. They just need products that are better than most.

-Less is more. Don’t allow your message to become lost in the tidal wave of stimuli thrown at consumers. Shorter, succinct messages work well.

2. Target the few

Once you have begun to simply your advertising, focus your message on those few people who begin trends rather than follow them. Perhaps you have friends like this-they revel in finding new products to love. They enjoy having the “newest” product, the “coolest” ideas, the “different” gadgets. These types of consumers become walking billboards, and should be the focus of your advertising. They actually do most of the advertising work for you. Some tips: