Want to make more sales?
We all do. Sales of goods and services make up an approximately $20 trillion market, and to capture some of that market share, you as a business owner – and the main seller of your business – must acquire a range of skills over your career, such as learning how to be relatable, knowing how to add value to a business without being a burden, and maintaining your integrity and being honest, especially in the face of a tough sale.
But there’s more than just talent when it comes to sales; in fact, there are many techniques and tricks all salespeople can put into practice to get better at their jobs and close more deals. In this article, we’re going to briefly look at 4 essentials to selling which every business owner should always remember, to help increase your sales in 2022 and beyond.
Connecting Your Product to Specific Benefits
In today’s market, salespeople must bring a fresh take on the products and services they sell, because consumers – whether B2C or B2B – have more information available about the world than ever before. Your buyers may be far more educated about your product than you expect, which is a good thing. Therefore, you’re no longer in the business of simply listing features about your product; rather, you need to connect how what you’re selling will help the person you’re selling to.
In a B2B example, one would do this by using phrases such as, “This will give your company the flexibility to do X,” or “Your company will save Y.” If you’re unsure of what the “X” or “Y” is, then take this opportunity to make sure you understand your product better; you probably shouldn’t be out pitching it right now, anyway. Go back and study the benefits of your product to your consumers, beyond just how the product works or what it does. Then ensure you communicate to the right people how your product—and, by extension, you as a salesperson—will make their life better. This leads us to our second sales essential…
Build Relationships with The Right People
To capture a share of any market, you must not only identify your target audience, but you must discover who in the audience is in charge of the final decision, and connect with that person. There is nothing more aggravating than making a great sales pitch and then hearing, “You should talk to my wife about this.” Or, for example, if you’re working a retail lead, having to speak with the owner of the building rather than the manager. Find that person first, and save yourself the trouble. Sales is a difficult job enough as it is – don’t make your life even harder by wasting time chasing the wrong prospects.
Just keep in mind that when you do find the right person, keep your sales pitch about them, and the benefit your product will have to their lives. At the same time, continue to work on building a great relationship, which is often crucial for business to happen. People do business with people, so always work on your relationships. This leads to our third sales essential…
Add Value as a Great Salesperson
Sometimes, salespeople forget about everything but closing a deal or getting a customer to sign on the dotted line. In other words, they forget to concentrate on adding value, as a salesperson, to their customer’s life. In your pitch, you will not only be demonstrating the features of your service and its benefits, but also showing off the value you, as a person, contribute. Whether this means you are an air quality and restoration expert and can answer difficult or esoteric questions, or you are super-responsive and can provide excellent service at the drop of a hat, remember that you are in many ways selling yourself.
Often, too, customers do not want to hire a company and then have to micro-manage the service as well. Rather, they often rely on the business owner to be the go-to for help or other needs. Maybe your employees will be the ones who ultimately help them with a problem they have, but remember that you, as the business owner, are the first one in the line of contact to your company, and, like a bad logo or dusty shelves in a store, poor customer service can easily kill a deal. Your customers are relying on your to be courteous, prompt, and honest with them. Speaking of which…
Always Maintain Integrity and Be Honest with Your Customers
Lastly, it is absolutely essential that you, as a business owner, always be honest about the risk and reward of purchasing from you. Remember that your buyer has the internet at their disposal, and will see other reviews or your product or service. A good prospect–even if they aren’t necessarily looking for a new supplier at the moment they set up a meeting with you–will have no doubt done their due diligence before hearing your pitch. And if they haven’t you can be sure they’ll be doing some research after you send your follow-up email.
So be frank about everything, even if there are difficult conversations to be had. If you are more expensive than your competitors, explain exactly why this is. Or if you have past results from other customers, highlight what went well and why—but don’t fudge it. It’ll only come back to bite you later in the process. In addition, your integrity will be rewarded, as people prefer to buy from people they know they can trust.
Remember Why You Wanted To Be the Boss
As a final note, remember why you got into this business in the first place. You, as a business owner, add value to the process of purchasing, and this is the one intangible that can’t be had when ordering services online. Let’s be real; sometimes shopping online is better than dealing with a bad salesperson, one who is pushy, or lazy about their job. So don’t let yourself be that way—give your customers a reason to work with you, as a local business owner, and not a corporate entity.
Remember that each area of sales work together: if one area is missing, such as not developing strong relationships, or failing to connect service features to specific benefits, then deals will be lost. Own the process from start to finish, connect with the right prospects and build strong relationships with them, show your value, and always be honest.
This year, strive to be the best at what you do. Don’t slack off. Don’t rest on your laurels. You will thrive.