Entrepreneurs are sales people. There are many business owners that I speak with who will tell me what they do, what they sell and the services they provide. What they fail to say that they do is “sales.” Think about it, though, every entrepreneur is a sales person — he or she has to be or how would the money come in? When you think about making sales in your business, remember sales is about relationship-building. Who would you rather buy from… someone you “know, like and trust” or someone who comes knocking on your door and says, “hey, buy my stuff?” I’ll bet it’s the entrepreneur with whom you’ve built a relationship, right.
If you look at the law of averages, you have likely figured out if you make enough cold calls, someone will buy. If you connect with enough people on social media, someone will make a purchase from you. However, if you look at the time it takes you to reach out “blindly” as compared to how much time it would take to nurture a warm lead you will easily see that relationship building will lead to deeper, longer lasting business connections.
Going to a networking event shouldn’t be looked at as a contest to see who can collect and who can hand out, the most business cards. If you attend a networking event and you connect with a handful of people enough so that you can set up a meeting outside of the event, you are much further ahead than the person who isn’t taking the time to build a relationship.
Once you have sold yourself and your services to a client, keep in touch and keep building that relationship.
What are your best sales relationship building tips?
“We go above and beyond.” “Our customer service is second to none.” Who says that? Which of your competitors utters those phrases to their prospects? Do you utter those phrases? What do they mean… really? Every business tries to set itself apart but to really do that, you need to be consistent, memorable and unique. How can you do that? Here are my top ways:
Always be professional. It may be easy to think of saying how you’re “better” than the competition, but bad mouthing a competitor will leave a bad taste in a prospect’s mouth.
Connect and stay engaged with your customers. Whether you send out enewsletters, pick up the phone or pay personal visits, you want to stay front of mind with your clients. Don’t take them, or their continued patronage, for granted.
Set the tone for your staff. If you are in a good mood and are positive when you come to work, that will trickle down to your staff.
Make it a habit to check in with your customers on a regular basis. Set aside a day a week to pick up the phone and reach out. Even if you don’t connect with them every time, leave a message to let your clients know you appreciate them and are there if they have any questions or concerns.
Remember, everyone who comes in contact with a client or a prospect is the “first impression” or even the “good-bye” of the day and each interaction needs to be memorable and leave your clients happy to be your clients! What can you do to make your customer service experiences memorable and unique?
If you’re fearful — whether of success or failure — you will find you’re spending most of your day spinning your wheels.
What can you do to put our finger on what you’re afraid of? How can you move past fear toward achievement? Here are a few of my suggestions:
Refocus. Maybe you’re too busy selling and not serving your clients. Maybe you’re trying to be everything to everyone. Focus your efforts. It could be a feeling of overwhelm that is freezing you in your tracks.
Fear of the unknown will freeze you on the spot. Having a business plan and working that plan will help you move forward without fear.
Focus on your core competency and build a team of professionals to help you with what you’re not well-versed in.
Surround yourself with a support system of professionals. Join a mastermind group. Find a mentor.
Be a risk taker. Sometimes you just have to be willing to experiment and take a risk on having it not work out. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Managing and taking risks is part and parcel of being an entrepreneur.
You got into business for yourself to be a success, right? If that’s the case and if you’re struggling, maybe you need to take a step back and look at the basics. Here are my three habits that I’ve found highly successful entrepreneurs share:
Prioritize. You cannot drift along hoping for success. There has to be a written plan in place. Your priorities will keep you on track and will keep you accountable. If you’re working your priorities, you’re bound to succeed.
Build a great team. Whether it’s the staff you hire, the attorney you work with, the virtual assistant who oversees your projects or the mastermind group with whom you associate, you need to surround yourself with great people.
Communicate. Whether you operate a virtual business or brick and mortar, you need to master effective communications with your staff and clients. Every communication, whether on the phone, by email, or in person, should have a well thought out purpose and be clear, concise, and complete.
Work on incorporating these habits into your daily business routine and you might just see your success rates increase. What do you find is a habit that helps you succeed?
Do you remember the Pet Rock? If you do, you remember it was very popular at one point, but now it’s gone the way of many widgets and other business ideas that just weren’t sustainable. Not every business can be Facebook, but you can ask yourself questions to see if your idea is a viable one.
Here are some starting points.
Is your business idea a good one? Harken back to the Pet Rock. Ask yourself this:
Is there a need for the goods or services you’re offering?
How much competition is there?
Do you have the skills and expertise to make your business viable?
Are there any trends that could make your idea more, or less, viable in the future?
Do you have the income to support yourself while you launch your idea?
Do you have the know-how to launch this business? Having an idea is one thing, launching is something entirely different.
How will you make sales?
What is your comfort level with providing customer service?
What do you need to launch your product or service?
Will you need to store product or find someone to make your product?
Where will you market the product and find customers?
Can you make a living?
If you’re not making a living, your idea is a hobby
Know how much it costs to deliver your goods or services
What is the anticipated demand?
Where will you sell it? Online? In person?
How long do you anticipate it will take to see a profit?
Do you have a support system in place?
These questions will jump start your business planning process. They will also help you formulate your written business plan — a necessity for business success.
Have you ever asked yourself. “Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?” If so, here are a few questions to ask so you can delve deeper into that question and see if entrepreneurship might be right for you:
You come from a family of entrepreneurs. Many individuals find that if they come from a family who pursues its passion and turns it into a living, they are more likely to have the entrepreneurial drive themselves.
You simply cannot work for a “boss.”
You have the self confidence to strike out on your own, work hard and deal with the ups and downs that come from owning a business.
You never take no for an answer. That’s a good trait as an entrepreneur, to be successful, never gives up.
You relish a commute that extends from your bedroom to the home office.
You believe that job security comes from what you make for yourself, not from an employer.
You have a finely honed competitive nature and are willing to compete with others to make your business the best.
What can you do to make the leap from unemployed or underemployed to business owner? You need to have a roadmap in place and a mentor or coach in your corner. Questions? Send me a message.
