Sales is the most critical aspect of any successful business. In order to build your business, grow your business and leverage your business for success, you must increase your revenue consistently. Many small business owners don’t understand the basic sales principles that will ensure long-term success for their organization. Building revenue for any business involves having a solid sales structure and sales team to increase revenue and improve customer loyalty. Let’s look at the top 5 principles that sales pro’s know and practice that the average small business owner doesn’t.
You only get one chance to make a good first impression.
You may have heard this saying but unless you have lived it, you really don’t know it. Everything matters when it comes to a great first impression; from the way you look someone straight in the eye and shake their hand firmly to the way you describe your product or service. When you come across a potential new customer, you must provide them with an experience of what it will be like to begin a relationship with your company. Because when you get to the heart of the matter, winning new customers is nothing more than building great business relationships.
You can win more customers with your ears, than with your mouth.
If you’ve ever dealt with a salesperson that did more talking than listening, you understand why this point made the list. Before you begin selling your product or services to a potential customer, you must first understand what their needs are. Listening to the prospect will help you to sell the prospect by knowing their hot buttons. Once they have identified something of significance, you are then able to highlight how your offerings can assist them with what is important to them.
Customer loyalty pays off.
Once you win over a customer, it is critical to keep them loyal. Customer satisfaction goes a long way in keeping your sales funnel full. Not only are satisfied customers more likely to spend more but they are also more likely to be a source of referrals for your business. In addition, it is a lot easier to get increased sales from existing customers rather than always acquiring new customers.
The biggest mistake you can make in the sales process is to break a promise.
Breaking a promise, not only ruins your credibility but it places your business in questionable position in the customer’s mind. They begin to doubt whether or not your business has the capacity to deliver the results you initially promised. People who are doubtful or confused about your integrity will not remain customers for very long. If you consistently deliver more than you promise, you will keep your clients happy and they will continue to do business with you.
Never convince someone to buy, rather position the close.
Every great salesperson knows that the art of selling is not about persuading someone to buy something but more importantly creating the environment where they convince themselves they need it. Using the right language to communicate the benefits of your product or service should make the right people understand that what you offer is what they want and need.
Now over to you. Do you have any sales tactics or strategies that you’ve implemented that worked flawlessly? Leave a comment below and share your success. And by all means if you need sales coaching, learn more about my programs here.
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This article is written by Lori A. Manns. Want to use this article for your website, blog or newsletter? No problem. Here’s what you must include: Lori A. Manns, CEO of Quality Media Consultant Group your marketing and sales success mentor, and founder of Marketing For Trailblazers™ & ABC’s of Successful Sponsorship Sales System;™ that shows you how to get more sponsors and sales for your business, guaranteed. To purchase consulting services on marketing, advertising or sales and, learn how to increase your revenue and grow your business; please visit www.qualitymediaconsultants.com.