Why to your retail store foot traffic is dropping and how to bring customers in
/Getting foot traffic to retail stores is harder than ever. These are unique ways to attract customers to your shop.
Read MoreThe 4 selling tips small business owners must use to avoid failure
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Which steps must you take or face business failure? This post includes the four selling tips small business owners need to follow so they can rock their success. Skip these at the risk of your own peril. Starting and running a business is challenging! Business owners wear so many hats and have so much to do every day. While it's essential for entrepreneurs to do many things well, I'll give you the bullet points for the sales essentials you need to use to ensure success.
(Interested in more sales tips for small business owners? Download this free ebook, “From Cold to Sold” and get 17 sales secrets.)
The selling tips small business owners are smartest to use are efficient and useful.
Have a selling plan
The importance of having a plan cannot be understated. And the good news is, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Without a plan, all the other selling tips for small business owners are wasted. Author Katherin Peterson famously said, “a dream wihout a plan is just a wish”.
SMB owners can keep the sales plan simple, for a start. Have one place where all leads and customer information is kept. This can be a CRM or an Excel spreadsheet. Create sales goals, even if you’re guestimating.
Also, have an idea of how many opportunities you’ll need to close to reach this goal. Start with a specific target number of phone calls or in-person appointments. As you close sales, track how many prospects you contact for each sale. It's also helpful for seeing how much follow up is required to close the sale. This is highly valuable data you can use to continue refining your selling plan.
Know your unique selling propostion
Most likely, you’re famliar with this term. But unique selling proposition (USP) is still too YOU-centric. Like it or not, humans are ME-centric, which means the best way to make your product appeal to your prospect is to make the USP about THEM. This comes down to what does your product or service do for your client? A “value proposition” is the customer-centric version of the USP.
Don’t even pick up the phone until you have a clear understanding of what your service or product does FOR your customer. What pain does is alleviate? Which problem does it solve? How does it remove fear? Understanding the value your offering delivers to prospects is essential to grabbing and keeping attention. No one has any interest in hearing descriptions of a product when they see nothing in it for them.
Sales techniques that focus on the prospect
Listen to customer’s needs
Asking questions and listening is powerful for building rapport and for discovering your customer’s needs. More about how much about the prospect your selling process must be. And guess what? People love talking about themselves, so getting your customers talking is easier than you might think.
Listening to customer needs also serves to further qualify what’s important to them and how they want to communicate. Which provides invaluable insight for tailoring your offer specifically to what your potential client wants. Thus increasing your likelihood of closing this sale.
Ask for the sale
Sound ridiculous? You’d be surprised how often this doesn’t happen. A common challenge facing small business owners is fear of rejection. Actually, this is a common problem for even the most seasoned salespeople. Toss that fear of rejection out the door. If you’ve done a good job of qualifying your prospect, then you know if they have a problem you can solve. Simply ask if they want you to help solve it for them.
These are the top 4 selling tips small business owners need to use to ensure success. The list of others sales and customer retention techniques and is endless, but these are the most important ones, in my opinion.
Entrepreneur Success Starts with Step 1 - Respect
/Part 1 of 5 in the RAISE Sales System blog post series for entrepreneur success. Are you an entrepreneur who struggles with sales? If so, you're not alone. Entrepreneur success requires strong sales skills and this struggle is a common problem that many business owners have. Entrepreneurs wear a lot of different hats and for most, selling isn’t their strongest skillset.
One of the secrets to entrepreneur success is knowing how to ask for and close the sale. In this 5 part blog series, I’m going to share my signature sales system, RAISE. I created this 5-step strategy RAISE from my 25+ years of experience across multiple industries and teach it in workshops and when doing sales coaching with clients. This is the sales process entrepreneurs and sales professionals use for dramatically increasing sales.
Download free ebook "17 Sales Hacks to Close More Sales"
RAISE is the word that is spelled out by the first letter of each of the steps in the system. This post is about the first step and each post in this series will reveal subsequent steps in the RAISE system.
The R in RAISE is for respect and I love starting with respect because this is where a relationship building begins. This is where developing the know, like and trust factors starts, so you can advance to asking for the sale.
Entrepreneur success secret #1 is Respect
You can’t close the sale if you’re no longer in the conversation. Respecting the prospect will keep you in the conversation longer than asking for the sale before they are ready to buy.
First of all, respecting where the customer actually is, and not where you wish they were in the buying process is vital to entrepreneurs success. It's super essential to be aware of where your prospect is where their heads at what they care about where they are in the sales or buying process.
Two Ears and One Mouth for a Reason
One example is at a networking event or a party. You have connected with somebody and they did most of talking, while you do a lot of listening. At the end of the conversation, they say, “You're a great conversationalist!” And you think to yourself, “I said so very little and you did all the talking!” There's a reason people say we have two ears and only one mouth for a reason:-)
Why is it that the person who did the listening is a great conversationalist? Because human beings love to feel heard. When we show consideration for people and actively listen to them, they FEEL respected and valued. Plus, we find out what is important to them and that knowledge fuels our own entrepreneur success. All of this goodness also allows us to build the know, like and trust factors.
Success Story Using Respect to Sell
Now I’ll share with you an example of how amazing the Respect step is for entrepreneurs to succeed. In the late 80s, I sold construction equipment in Florida, working for the only companies in the country that had female sales. I was calling on construction sites throughout Southwest Florida and I wasn't always welcomed. One general contractor was using the old-style, less cost effective and more dangerous scaffolding on a project that was a prime candidate for using a boomlift. He wasn’t interested in hearing about a new technology solution from a woman who he perceived didn't know anything about construction.
How I Cracked the Tough Prospect
If I was going to have any shot at selling this customer a boomlift, I knew I needed to get creative. I realized I needed to respect where he was, no where I wanted him to be.
Since I knew he felt competent as a general contractor, I asked him about the project. He was happy to talk about it. After listening, I offered to deliver the boomlift the next day at no charge to him. If at the end of the day, he found the equipment effective, he could keep it and pay only for the rental for the rest of the time he used it. If not, I’d pick it up and charge him nothing. No risk for him.
When I called this customer at the end of the day, he told me I could leave the boomlift. I had the sale without ever asking for it. What is important to know, is that I respected where this customer this prospect was and stayed in the conversation. When building a relationship with a prospect, starting with respecting where they are and what they value is the best first step. R is for Respect and entrepreneur success depends upon it.
Follow up is the gold - From cold to sold to convert leads to sales
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Nice to meet you, now what. The steps you need to take to follow-up and convert those new contacts into customers produce the gold.
Well done. You went out there and connected with some new people. Networking can feel daunting and you did it anyway! And, now what? What's the secret to converting that new contact into a referral relationship or customer? Knowing what to say and how to say it without sounding cheesy can be a challenge too.
If you need to repeat it, automate it, as they say. So here’s the 6 step process I use and can recommend for you.
Follow-up is SO valuable for converting sales
- Always send a quick thank you email or text the same day or the next day at the latest. This shows respect for the other person’s time by prioritizing a follow up to the conversation right away. It is more important to send this quickly, rather than for it to be a comprehensive or long email.
- Be yourself. Authenticity is always a good approach. To pretty much everything. So, it's not surprising that follow-up emails are no different. Since people feel good when you listen to them, include something key you heard the contact you just met say. Use your own “voice” and keep it professional. That doesn’t mean uptight, just respectful.
- Make a positive observation about the person, company or project that this contact mentioned. For example, comment on how you can see this work achieving the goals or being successful. This is more good evidence of your effective listening skills and which creates the know, like and trust factors
- Summarize the action items you agreed to do and include any you can in this email. So, if your follow-up action requires more time or a separate email, outline how and when you will complete it.
- Thank your new contact for the action items they offered. Because appreciation is always smart and it can be a helpful reminder to busy people who’s intentions are good and who’s schedules are full. They feel valued. And that is more know like and trust development:-)
- Connect with your new contact on LinkedIn, Twitter and perhaps Facebook. You’re building your network and broadening that connection to social media channels is too important to miss.
Ready for more ideas on how to use follow-up to close more sales?
Need more customers? Download free! "From Cold to Sold", the ebook with 17 secrets for getting more customers.
Now that you know the 6 steps to turn your follow-up into gold, go out there and convert more sales!
Do you have suggestions for making the follow up after making a new connection even better? Bring it! I’d love to see it, so share your comments below.
Ready to give yourself a RAISE?Check out the 5-step system that is the blueprint for success.
Margo Wickersham enjoys assessing, creating custom sales strategies and coaching professionals on exactly how to get more customers, close more sales and increase revenue. Dramatically. Authentically. Consistently.
For women, negotiating for the fees can be difficult. Even when we know our market value, it can be hard to ask for the fees we deserve. Even Sheryl Sandberg says she sometimes suffers from the imposter syndrome. The key is not to beat ourselves up for experiencing this discomfort - it is to take the action required to get the income we deserve. Will it feel uncomfortable? It might. It'll feel a lot better when your bank account shows a beefy balance that you earned!
Schedule your FREE sales coaching session!
Investing even 15 minutes in your success can have a massive impact on your business and your life. YOU are worth it!
Sales Tip of the Week - Active Listening
/One of the most powerful ways to increase sales is to listen. Active listening means you ask your prospect questions and focus on hearing their answers. People love to be heard because it makes them feel respected and valued. Plus, active listening often reveals insights that help you determine how best to help them solve their problems or entertain them. This information helps you illustrate the value your product or service offers, which helps you close the sale.
Active Listening - Sales Tip of the Week
Try it out and let me know how it works for you. I coach and train sales teams and entrepreneurs how to increase their income by 20 to 80%. Active listening is one of the most effective methods I coach my clients on developing. For a limited time, I'm offering a FREE 15 minutes Sales Strategy Session! Click the button below to schedule your session now. Spots are limited, so get yours on the calendar while you can!
400% Increase in Referrals - The Success Story Video
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Referrals are awesome! You know you've done a good job nurturing business relationships when your referral rate goes up by 400%! That's what one business coaching client saw as a result of the marketing and social media efforts. Watch the video below to see how we did it! Hint: We didn't have a marketing budget or dedicated marketing person. I worked with my client to create a plan that HE could implement and feel GOOD about. At first, he was worried he would dread contacting colleagues in his industry to network. He thought, "Ugh, I hate calling people to ASK them for something." We needed a plan my for building up referrals that my client could enjoy. Sound familiar? I knew the secret to his success would be making this process easy...and maybe even fun.
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Getting Referrals Can Be FUN - Really!
I'm serious. Connecting with other people in your field can and should be fun. Referrals are so crucial to the success of most entrepreneurs and yet, I find many business owners avoid networking like the plague.
Social media can be a great way to expand your network. It can also be a tremendous way to waste precious time, so learning how to use social platforms efficiently is the key to success. In my recent post, "The 1 Thing to Do on Social Media Today", I outline how to focus your content on the highest value you can deliver to your prospect.
LinkedIn offers very powerful tools for finding new potential referral partners and prospects. The advanced sear tool is incredible - but using it can be overwhelming. To unlock how to use LinkedIn's search tool to find more referral partners and leads, click here.
Do you have some techniques that work really well to grow referral networks? Share them below in your comments.
What my dog taught me about social media
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Ever noticed how dogs behave so much better in an off leash park than on leash anywhere else? Social media is like an off leash park for humans. Free range to say what we want, whenever we want, to whomever we want. No leashes constricting us!
What is it about an off leash environment that makes dogs get along so well? Dogs adhere to an ancient and universal set of guidelines for interacting in off leash encounters. Dogs don’t discuss the guidelines ahead or time or sign waivers before they engage in off leash play. (Their humans might have to, but they don’t.) If people were to adhere to a commonly accepted set of guidelines for engaging with each other on social media, we could enjoy substantially reduced: hurt feelings from inflammatory statements, offending remarks, escalation and online bullying. It might even help us move closer to world peace. Certainly, the level of civility would improve. :-)
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So what guidelines do dogs use that humans could adopt for more civil social media engagement?
- Enter social situations with respect. Healthy dogs approach a new social situation with submissive energy and body language. They don’t enter a free range social situation like an off leash dog park with aggressive or dominating behavior. People who demonstrate a healthy respect for others, rather than blasting social channels with bombastic posts gain the respect of others. As a result, they gain more followers and repel fewer.
- Get to know others first. How relieved are we that the polite way for humans to get to know each other does not emulate dogs?!? Butt sniffing would be SO embarrassing! Fortunately, finding out more about another person is as easy as asking them.
- Accept our differences. Alaskan Malamute, Dachshund, Lab or mutt, dogs take each other at canine face value. Different isn’t bad to dogs in a free range area; it’s good. Different smells, different sizes, different shapes, different everything. Except that the general guidelines for polite doggy behavior is the same and dogs who don’t go by those rules are shunned. Dogs have no reference for breedism. If people can learn to treat those with differing political views, religion or opinion with this same regard, the world would indeed be a more peaceful place.
- Invite others to play nicely. The adorable and universal body language for dogs who want to play is the same across all breeds. Front feet down, hind quarters and tail up and open relaxed face. No teeth baring or growling, no fur standing up on their backs. Dogs who want to play will engage with the pups who show they want to have fun. If a dog doesn’t respond to the invitation with the same playful body language, the other dog moves on to invite someone else.
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- No means no. When a dog is uninterested or is through playing, they adopt a “No thank you” stance. They look away or walk off. Persistently playful dogs (@mylabs) might attempt to engage this dog in play another time or two. But once they get the message, the pup will move on to someone else.
Seems to me, our best friends can provide us with an excellent example for how to treat each other in our own off leash areas - social media.
The 1 social media thing to do today to grow your business
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How to get social media focus – We are faced with endless options for posting on several social platforms.
Easier said than done, right? Raise your hand if you feel overwhelmed by social media sometimes. It’s SUPER common!
There’s so much we CAN do on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn (to name a few social platforms) that entrepreneurs can feel paralyzed, like a deer in the headlights. How do we get social media focus? Building a network of referral partners is one smart use of social media.
And this can be a really good use of your social media time, depending on your business. Download my free 3-step plan for getting more referrals.
Just because we CAN do it, doesn’t mean we SHOULD do it. The key is social media focus. I like to use lists to visualize and prioritize my tasks. Whether you like lists, graphics or some other way to organize your "To Dos", I highly recommend you do that so you can get clarity on what social media activity is most important for driving growth for your business. What’s the one thing you can do that will attract more customers today?
I’ll give you some help. You’ve heard it said often that brands need to deliver value with their content. That’s true, no matter what form the content takes. Social media is included. Entertain, inform or do both is the content marketing credo. Since the goal of content is to build the know-like-trust factor, I suggest you run each post you’re considering through that filter.
Does the social post help audiences to know, like and trust you? If so, is the content valuable and/of entertaining.
My suggestion is to put all of your social media focus on post ideas. Look through these filters and then you’ll have a short list of good branding, rapport-building and value-adding content. Once you have the short list, review it to determine which social post is most likely to attract new clients. That’s the one to post.
Declutter your mind and calendar by focusing only on this one post. Use your favorite social media management app (I use Hootsuite) to optimize when you post on each social platform. Remember to answer questions and like and reply to comments to get the most mileage out of your post too.