By Karen Wessels, co-founder of VA Connect & co-founder of SnappSales
I saw an interesting post on Instagram today. A survey asking entrepreneurs what is the one thing they want to accomplish today and the most common point out of the 4 given was, you guessed it, getting new clients. It seems like as entrepreneurs we really understand how to build a business, what product or service the market needs, how to use social media and to speak passionately about our business. Yet there seems to be a lack of focus when it comes to sales.
So to help you with this I’ve put together 5 quick points to help navigate you on this sales path.
1. Believe in what you’re selling
If you speak passionately about your product or service it comes across in your presentation, in your marketing collateral, and everything else that you touch. It’s hard to hide that passion, and because people buy from people, it will be easier to convert your prospect into a loyal buying customer. Your passion will bring the vision and message across.
2. Managing objections in a positive manner
I like to build objection management collateral. So when I am faced with objections from prospective buyers I can send them an infographic of the top 5 objections my service faces daily. The infographic very clearly handles the objection, allays any fears the prospect may have and swings them into a more positive frame of mind when it comes to the value we drive and the pain our business solves.
3. Be authentic at all times
I mentioned in the first tip that people buy from people. It’s so important to be authentic in everything you do, whether it’s dealing with staff, suppliers, customers or on social media. A person can very quickly pick up whether you are being true or not. It is important to be authentic because your customer wants to continue using your product or service, and it’s easier to do so when a trust relationship has been built.
4. Give a twist to the follow-up
If you know me at all, you know I preach that the magic of sales lies in the follow-up. Yet, what if we mix it up a bit? Instead of following up on proposals in the traditional manner, why don’t we send the prospective client a blog we know they may find of interest, or share one of your latest testimonials? It serves as a subtle reminder to the prospect that you are still around, and even better, you have taken a genuine interest in building a solid business relationship with them.
5. Remember to listen and not always speak
As salespeople we have a tendency to talk and we forget to listen. Listening is paramount to understanding the pain the prospect is experiencing and matching our service to solve that pain. It will be very difficult to identify where the prospects’ problem lies if you’re doing all the talking. Become comfortable with silences in a conversation and learn how to ask open ended questions to get the prospect to provide more telling info on their current situation.
Well, there you have it, 5 quick tips to get your sales off to a great start this week!
Karen Wessels is the co-founder and COO of VA Connect, a South African virtual assistant platform that provides outsourced administrative support; and is also the co-founder of SnappSales, a company that generates quality sales leads for its clients. Prior to establishing both her companies, Karen spent over 10 years in different sales, marketing & admin support roles. This experience has equipped her with the invaluable skills required to run her two successful business ventures. Follow Karen on her Personal Website | Twitter | Facebook | Google+
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