Some owners are natural salespeople, while others must work at it. Finding books and articles like this one–on how to increase business sales–is sure to improve your numbers.
Over the course of multiple decades, I have realized that the key to better income is to not sell at all. I know what you’re thinking, to improve my numbers I must sell more.
Well, not exactly.
Think about it, when you yourself make a purchase, do you like being sold to or do you like to buy? Those are two completely different things.
We know we are already going to buy whatever it is; we just need another opinion on the matter.
Rule #1 Stop Trying To Convince People.
Trying to change someone’s thinking is draining. Can this process be made easier? How about pushing a car downhill instead of struggling to push it up?
Let your competition dilly-dally with meetings that go nowhere. You’ve got better things to do. But before I share exactly how to stop wasting time, let me describe who it is you’re looking for.
There are three types of customers:
- Buy today
- Buy tomorrow
- Never buy
I also like to think of it in terms of fruit. You’ve got ripe bananas, green bananas, and rotten bananas.
The perfectly yellow one is ready to eat now. The green one could ripen and be ready to eat later. And the rotten one, forget about it.
Think of buyers the same way. Some are ready to act now, others may be ready in the future, while a select few will never do a thing. Immediately discern which shopper you are talking to, and act accordingly.
The trap a lot of owners fall into is discounting our sales skills. Our job is to be the client’s consultant. Not a pushy rep.
However, we tend to spend most of our time trying to convince a “rotten” to see things our way—selling. We invest what’s left with a “green”, trying to get them to buy today.
And because we have given the wrong people our attention, our competitors have taken the “ripe” ones.
You may be familiar with the 80/20 Rule or Pareto’s Principal. It states that 80% of our results come from just 20% of our efforts.
Simply turn this around, and you’re bottom line will explode.
Going forward spend 80% of your workday with clients that want to buy now. Spend 20% of it with clients that need more information. And absolutely zero time with a rotten.
When done correctly, you become a consultant. A trusted adviser guiding them to a “yes”.
Rule #2 Follow Up With All Prospects.
Organization and good note taking are paramount to keep track of your leads. When you’re canvassing in person or online, right it down.
As soon as you walk out of a lead’s office or end your phone call, write down what was said. Detailed notes about what your customer is looking for, and how you can deliver that, are best summarized pronto.
If a lead asks you to follow up in two months and you didn’t write that down, you might as well kiss that opportunity goodbye. A good example how effective following up is, would be the story of a huge cleaning contract I once won.
I ran across an opportunity that was unhappy with her current crew and she explained to me that a change was imminent. She suggested touching base with her every three months. And I did so without fail.
It took nearly a year, but we eventually won her over. A quarter of a million dollars in yearly revenue because I followed up.
Rule #3 Brand Your Startup Like A Big One.
Branding your business to standout from competitors is well worth the effort. It tells customers that you’re professional and serious about business. What you do, and how you can help them.
To create an eye-catching logo and tagline is easy with resources like Fiverr and Shopify. Choose from several stock images or hire a freelancer to create a unique one.
You can also come up with memorable taglines by using the Shopify tagline generator. Although it may not give you the exact tagline that you ultimately decide on, it will help get you closer to the right one.
800 numbers are another way to build a positive image to define your company. The cost to utilize a toll-free number is surprisingly affordable too.
Professional website design is an easy way to showcase your skill at company branding. Producing a website that is easy to navigate, and displays a uniformed image, speaks volumes about your agency. It evokes a level of trust that your clients cannot ignore.
Business cards are another way to build your brand. Well, at least your image. What do I mean exactly? You will want to differentiate your company from others by getting professional cards that display corporate feeling information.
Bypass the cheap cards and the need to put your personal email on your card (and service vehicles). Not sure why this is not a given and continues to warrant addressing. Look I get it, you’ve had your email forever and you’re attached to it. But resist the temptation.
“For a free a quote email bob123@gmail.com”
I cannot tell you how many times I have seen this on cards or plastered on work vans. It shouts to the public that you’re not serious and lacks branding prowess.
bob@bobscompany.com or contact@bobscompany.com
The two examples above are a 100% improvement over a personal email choice. Which seems more legit to you?
These are just a couple of tips to improve your bottom line. Incorporate them into the way you operate, and watch your revenue skyrocket.