If your company’s sales results were a dance floor, how would it look?  Are the numbers jumping off the page, dazzling you with their lively performances?  Or are they slow, sluggish – perhaps even disappearing entirely?  To keep the party moving, every business needs to regularly remix its line of products or services.

There are many potential causes of a sales slowdown.  But these troubles aren’t all bad – they can help you shape the sound of your revised offerings.  Start with the obvious:  Are your customer drifting away?  Conduct market research to find out whether they still like what you’re selling or if their needs have changed.  Evolution is normal, so be ready to adjust your menu to keep pace.

Also, look into how long you’ve been offering the same products or services, and whether you’ve saturated the market.  Some things have enduring value, but demand for others can wane as new products take the spotlight.  Regular evaluations can help you decide whether you should:

  • Test a product or service in a different market or geographic area,
  • “Reinvent” a product or service (for instance, by repackaging or renaming it), or
  • Discontinue it.

Finally, don’t ignore the economy – both national and local.  Market conditions can influence the sales of even the strongest products or services.  Try to bolster the strongest ones, but also consider discontinuing the weak ones or adding new ones that reflect the strength of the local economy.  An effective remix of your products or services can turn a sad song into a happy tune.