Managing uncertainty in business is something most, if not all, business owners will have to navigate during their careers. Even if you are experiencing massive growth in your business, the next downturn is never far away. Businesses inevitably go through cycles of uptrends and downtrends. Planning for these periods can make all the difference in determining the fate of your business.
The leadership at rvResortScout has dealt with several downturns in the economy and has used the tactics in this article to survive each one. Even this last year, our leadership was forced to maneuver around a global pandemic that shook even well-established companies. We will show you how to build and nurture your audience, maintain good relationships, create offers, focus on what matters, and cutting back when times get tough. If you’re currently struggling, know good times are ahead, so keep pushing forward.
Managing Uncertainty: Build and Nurture your audience
Building an email list and using it when times get tough is a tried and true tactic that experienced business owners use to generate revenue when the well has almost run dry. If you don’t already have one, you should seriously consider setting yourself up an email list. Email campaigns are some of the best tactics to ensure your customers remember you, stay up to date with your latest offerings, and are an instant form of communication with your customer base.
Collecting emails is not an easy task, but with some planning and a bit of effort, your business can do it. Luckily, as an RV campground owner, collecting emails has never been easier. You have the ability to collect emails when your clients make a booking and when they sign up for giveaways. Once you begin to collect these emails, sending them out regularly is the important part. Having pre-written emails is essential for any successful email campaign.
Examples
Let’s touch upon the types of emails you could be sending out when managing uncertainty in your business. The beauty is these emails don’t always need to be when you are struggling; these offers can be given even when times are great. But it should be sweetened just a bit when times get tougher. Customize these categories to your campground and profit margin. These are the most successful email categories and subject lines we have used but tailored to your business.
- Major Discount Emails: Hey {Customer Name}, we are running a limited time 50% off bookings
- Incentive Emails: Get two nights on us when you book a 14 day or longer trip
- Stay In The Loop Emails: {Customer Name}, I Just wanted to keep you updated on all our amazing deals.
- Honesty Email: Times are tough, {Customer Name} you’ve been a valuable customer. We need your help.
In each of these emails, you would go onto list the benefits of staying at your campground. In particular, the honesty email must be worded so that it does not come off as begging for a booking. Instead, be honest and tell your customer that their business is much appreciated. In this email, you can include a major discount or other promotional items.
Maintain Good Relationships: Especially When Managing Uncertainty
Loyal customers are the bread and butter of any successful business. Just think about your own shopping habits. Once you are comfortable with a business you are much more likely to continue giving that business your business. Managing uncertainty in business comes with knowing how to take care of your customers. Customer acquisition costs are high. Making an already acquired customer feel valuable saves time and money and gives you a steady revenue stream.
This begs the question: How do we make our already acquired customers happy? There are a few easy methods of doing this. The first directly coincides with the first tactic in this article. Maintaining a well-built email list that is reaching out to customers consistently. The beauty here is you define consistency. Most professionals agree that the minimum is once a week, which will help you keep your clients in the loop. But honestly, it is up to you. If you only have the time once a month, then that will suffice.
Besides, a consistent email schedule asking for feedback is a way to make customers feel important. This can also be done through email sequences (after the customer has completed their stay) or in-person while they’re at your campground. A survey box or in-person questions with customers can provide valuable information on your campground and make your customers feel like their opinions matter.
Create a Special Offer: Make Your Customer Base Feel Special
Going hand in hand with the tactic above, making your customers feel special is extremely important. Your customers are your lifeline to business success, and without them, you might as well count yourself out. When times get tough and managing uncertainty is at an all-time high, a special offer could be what is needed to get you back on track. You might even have that big offer prepared. If that’s the case sending it out to your clients should be easy.
Some special offers you could craft up include:
- Massive Discounts 50% or more
- Free Nights
- Free Amenities
- Discounts on attractions you may have within your campground
- Waiving any fees that you would normally charge at your campground
Regardless of the special offer you chose, be sure it is something your most valuable customers would love. This offer should entice people into your campground and provide an exceptional customer experience. Feel free to add to the comments section some of the amazing offers you provide your customers with.
Don’t Lose Focus on The Small Things: Details Matter
When managing uncertainty in business, owners are sometimes lured into focusing only on high-ticket sales and general tasks and fall into a widespread mistake: not taking care of small details, which is vital for any business.
Any customer, given the right service, can be turned into a repeated buyer. Taking care of small sales just as much as we take care of big sales is imperative. A repeated $200 sale from a reliable customer, for instance, can be equal to or more valuable than a one-time $1000 sale. Especially when facing business uncertainty, it is our reliable customers who will keep the situation steady,
Taking care of the small details can mean many things, depending on what you are trying to show to your customers. Some customers enjoy complimentary water bottles, 24/7 assistance, or even handcrafted notes that thank them for visiting your campground. Think of what you can do to make your customer’s experience unforgettable.
Reliable customers not only give you repeated and constant sales, but they can also help spread the word about how great your business is, how much importance you give to customer service, and just how much of a great time they have every time they stay at your campground. One reliable customer can have a massive effect on your business.
Reduce Spending In Times of Uncertainty
Cutting back is hard. Doing without things that you thought were necessary for your success can be a real morale drainer and hamper your overall business. Not to mention when you may be forced to let employees go or reduce your own salary to stay afloat. No one likes to think about it but planning for these times allows a business to push through the downturns.
If you’re not marketing, how are your customers going to find you?
The mistake many business owners make is making the cuts in the wrong places. Marketing expenses are generally one of the first expenses that get thrown out. Let me tell you why that’s the wrong idea. If you’re not marketing, how are your customers going to find you? With no new customers finding out about you, it only makes times get tougher. Instead, these are a few areas where we typically suggest businesses cut back:
- Hourly Wageworkers (for the time being)
- Your Own Salary (for the time being)
- Upgrades to your campground that may or may not drive new traffic
- Supplies that are unnecessary to your campgrounds success
- Cut back on paper products and go digital where you can
- Read more: 22 Cost-Cutting Ideas for Your Small Business to Reduce Expenses
As you can see, cutting expenses is hard, but with careful thought, you can already have a plan in place for when the inevitable downturn comes. During this time, you should be modernizing and enhancing your marketing efforts and cutting back in underperforming areas that are no longer needed.
Managing Uncertainty In Business: Sum it Up
It’s never pleasant to think about times when your business might be facing a rough patch. But planning for them now (during the good times) makes it much easier when the bad times come. And trust me, after going through a few downturns of my own and struggling through a pandemic, if it had not been for careful planning, this business might not be here today.
Keep in contact with your customers, have a powerful and well-managed email list that you can rely on, focus on wowing your customers at every step of the way, and cut back only when needed and only where you should be cutting back. If you’re currently struggling, know better times are around the corner. Use these tips and tricks to help ensure your business never goes under.
And if you are on the brink of closing shop, we beg that you reach out to us and get some help. We have been there, and we have the know-how to turn around a struggling business and help you thrive. Please take a minute to schedule a call with the team, so we can draw up a plan and help you get back on track. If you’re wondering how we do it check out this quick write-up where we go over some of the ways we help our clients.
