Hey Lykkers! Let’s talk about your customers. You probably have a hunch about what they like. Maybe you think Product A is your star, or that your weekend promotion was a huge hit.

But what if I told you there’s a truth-teller hiding in plain sight, one that’s more reliable than any gut feeling? It’s not a marketing guru—it’s your sales data.

Those daily transactions, online orders, and receipts aren’t just for accounting. They’re a goldmine of insights, quietly spelling out exactly what your customers want more of, and what they’re ignoring. Today, we’ll learn to listen to that data.

Your Sales Report is a Crowd-Sourced Wish List

Think of every sale as a vote. When a customer buys something, they’re casting a ballot for what they value. By counting these votes, you move from guessing to knowing.

Start with the simplest report: your Best-Selling Items. This isn’t just about what makes the most money. Look for patterns.

- Is a specific color or size always sold out?

- Do sales of a particular item spike every Friday?

- When customers buy Product X, what else is often in their cart?

This isn’t just list-making; it’s pattern recognition. As Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen famously highlighted, "When we buy a product, we essentially ‘hire’ something to get a job done." Your best-seller list shows you which "employee" (your product) is getting hired most often and for what "job."

The "When" and "How" Are Just as Important as the "What"

Data tells a story beyond what sold. The context is key.

1. Time Analysis: Pull your sales by hour, day, or season. You might discover that 40% of your coffee sales happen before 9 AM on weekdays, telling you to focus your morning marketing and staffing. This simple time analysis can be transformative.

2. Customer Grouping: If your system tracks it, segment sales by new vs. returning customers. What do first-time buyers typically purchase? What do your loyal, repeat customers buy on their third or fourth visit? This tells you your "welcome mat" product and your "deep loyalty" product.

From Insight to Action: Your 3-Step Data Check-Up

You don’t need complex software to start. Here’s your action plan for this week:

1. Export & Sort: Get your sales data from the last 90 days. Sort it by:

- Quantity Sold (Top 10)

- Total Revenue (Top 10)

- Time of Day (Highest sales volume)

2. Ask "Why?" for the Top and Bottom: For your top 3 best-sellers, ask why they’re winning. For your 3 worst-sellers, ask why they’re failing. Is it price? Placement? Description?

3. Run a Micro-Test: Use one insight. If your data shows a powerful product pairing (like chips and salsa), feature them together in a small promo or email next week. Measure if the pairing increases the average order value.

The Bottom Line: Let Your Customers Lead

Trying to read customers' minds is exhausting and often wrong. Reading their behavior through data is clear and reliable.

Your sales data is the most honest focus group you’ll ever have. It’s the record of what people actually did with their hard-earned money, not what they say they might do. By learning its language, you stop guessing and start building what your customers have already told you they will buy.

So, Lykkers, open that sales report. Your roadmap to growth isn’t in a flashy trend forecast; it’s in the receipts you’re already collecting. Start looking and let your customers tell you what comes next.