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Monday, November 18, 2013

Small Business Propel: Getting Clear 3.2- Yes, You Are Going To Sell


In the last segment, I shared some ideas to help you get clear about you.  If you missed it, go to Small BusinessPropel:  Getting Clear 3.1- About You; to get clear.

Today I am going to help you get some clarity about the selling issue.  The thing is that most business owners that I have met hate the idea of being a sales person but we both know that unless you come up with the greatest thing since sliced bread, you are going to need to find a way to sell your product or service unless you have the capital to hire people to do it for you.

So a million years ago, when I hated the idea myself, I had to create ways of getting me to do it knowing that without a strategy I would find how to avoid it at all costs. 

OK, first get clear:

·        My product or service will not sell itself.

·        If I have a great thing to offer, why would people not want it?

·        If I am not connecting to potential buyers how will they find out about my offerings?

·        Potential buyers will get an inferior product or service when they buy elsewhere.

Now, here are strategies that I have used and continue to use very successfully:

·        In the early stages of a business, spend 70% of your time doing a combination of activities that connect you to potential buyers.

·        Select two or more networking places where your target market goes.  Sign up and pay the fee. Put it on your calendar.  (By registering and paying you will not make last minute excuses not to go.)

·        Commit to going to two events per week consistently so that you get to know people and they get to know you.  Do not go to drink for happy hour and have a relaxing time.  This is part of your sales plan.

·        Find and set up speaking opportunities and educate people on your area of expertise.

·        Set up a blog and begin to share ideas, comments, tips, promotions, relevant information.  Do this weekly and find out where to post it so people will find it.

·        Select the best social media for your market and work on it 3 times per week.

·        Do not go crazy trying to do all social media types and spend all of your time doing a little here and a little there.  Commit to one and do it well and consistently.

·        Set aside one day a week to schedule one on one meetings with people in related areas.  Schedule for the following week (after you have blocked out when you are networking, blogging, and doing social media).

·        Spend 2 hours per week helping a related business get referrals from you.

·        Spend 8 hours per week of phone follow up:  thank people for spending time with you at an event, set up a one on one, and follow up on any requests for information, schedule appointments, and call referrals that you got.

·        If you hate the phone, use the sandwich method:  do one hour of other sales related tasks that you like better, then call for one hour, then do another more desirable task.

·        Identify the characteristics of a new group of people or business that need and use your product or service line.

·        Spend at least 4 hours per week looking to introduce your company to that market segment.  Create an effective email that you can send via Linked-in to individuals in your target market.  Use the same email to create an email blast for your contacts.

·        Develop your sales kit:  presentation materials, samples, contracts, etc.

·        If you hate talking about money, have a price list at all times and include a “sign up or buy me now” form.

·        Have an effective logo, business cards, and web site.  You are either selling or UNSELLING yourself every time a person sees one of these items.

·        Spend money on SEO for your website, or take the very long time it takes to learn this stuff and get it done.

·        When you can afford it, spend on advertising.


So the bottom line is that if you are spending at least 70% of your time doing selling, marketing, and/or related activities your chances of success go up tremendously.

Paper work, bookkeeping, spending hours learning how to do something that you have no clue how to do, let alone do it effectively is a sure way to run you out of business.

Until such time as you can pay others to do it, yes-you are going to sell.
By +Maria Ryan McElhenny
 
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