Sales is tough. Every business owner has to deal with it, and most either don’t like it or downright fear it.
If you’re like most small business owners that I talk to, you have been successful in getting your product or service to sell, but when we get down to it, you might have some difficulty nailing down exactly why. You know people like your widget, but why? What is your sales process, and what makes it work?
Here are some thoughts that, should one or more sound familiar, might mean that you need some help with your sales process:
1. You don’t know why your product sells.
Many times, we’re so wrapped up in the day to day operation of our business that we don’t get down to the nitty gritty of why it sells in the first place. This is especially true of family businesses in a city that experiences sudden growth (sound familiar?), businesses that grow fast because of the surrounding growth, and some other fast growing business situations.
Anytime you experience fast success in a business, it’s unlikely that you’ve had time or scope to fully understand why people are buying from you. Understanding this key element is indispensable in make sure that you have long term success.
2. You don’t know why it DOESN’T sell (or doesn’t sell enough).
Why do people not buy from you? What stops them? Why don’t people buy more than once? Knowing the natural barriers to your product or service selling is a big part of success for any business.
3. You don’t measure (using some sort of Sales Analytics).
Perhaps larger, you don’t know WHAT to measure, or why. Don’t pick a metrics platform without knowing these facts. A 1k sales consult can save you many times that in time, frustration and lost sales.
4. You don’t know Your Prospect’s Connected Relevant Purchases
In other words, you don’t know your ideal buyer. Understanding what else your buyer buys, and why, will tell you how to speak their language. This is why sales and content go hand in hand. What are you really saying to your buyer? Are you communicating about low prices when your buyer is motivated by overall value and experience in the sale? That’s a mistake, and a disconnect that you’ll pay for in lost sales.
A “Connected Relevant Purchase” (CRP) is one that makes sense and is somehow connected to your product or service. For instance, if you sell Ford Trucks, a CRP would be bed liners, mud flaps, cargo lights, bed covers and other accessories to personalize a pickup. How do those sellers talk to their prospect? What sales techniques are working for them? Are there alliance partner possibilities?
These are easy mistakes to make, and one more reason to get another set of eyes on your process. Just take the value of one sale, and project out how missing 10 of those sales per month affects your monhtly gross revenue. Suddenly, hiring a consultant to do an audit makes a lot more sense.
“I hired Kyle because we needed help with our sales process, and he helped us immensely. In just our first meeting sitting down with our team, he identified more than a dozen pain points. We couldn’t take notes fast enough!”
Matt Winters, CEO – Austin Visuals
5. You don’t have a standardized Sales Process, and you don’t know where it changes for your demo and product.
There are commonalities in all sales processes, but uniqueness for every seller. Where is yours? What is it that trips you or your sales team up? What bottlenecks does your online sales funnel experience in moving a prospect along the line of the purchase process? Do you know your prospect’s Purchase Process (different than the Sales Process)?
This is, of course, an overview, and meant to stimulate your thinking about your own Sales Process and whether you need help. We offer a free, no obligation Discovery Call where we can talk through your needs and see if we’re a fit. You can click below to request an appointment.
