The Eternal Sale
Recently, I was talking with someone, and they were explaining to me how they could never sell, as they wouldn’t be good at it. I pointed out to them that we are always selling in one form or another. Think about it: when you go for a job interview, you are selling yourself; in fact, if we are totally honest, even when you go on a date, you are selling yourself! Therefore, given that we are selling all the time, it would certainly behoove us to sharpen our selling skills, especially when it comes to our businesses.
A very important fact to think about is this: most companies don’t go out of business because they lack great products or ideas. The fact of the matter is that they go out of business because their strategy for client acquisition is somehow off. In other words, they are not selling enough.
In order to make sure that your sales process is functioning to the best of your company’s ability, I suggest that you look at the following four key areas:
- Client Profiling: Do you honestly take the time to profile who is the ideal client for your services or product? What are you doing to reach this market? Have you perfected your sales pitch or presentation to get the most out of meeting key prospects?
- Vital Prospect Information: Before going out on any sales call, it is imperative that you research these potential clients’ needs—for example, do they require your services or products locally, nationally, or globally? Are they high-end or low-end when it comes to pricing and budgets? Will they drain precious resources due to slow payment or taking up too much time with pointless questions?
- Know Your Value: When meeting with potential clients, it is very important that you know what extra value you will bring to the table in comparison to your competitors. Do you know what this is? How do you plan on “selling” yourself and your company? Have you practiced difficult and challenging questions that a prospect might throw at you with a colleague?
- Closing the Deal: Many salespeople fail when it comes to closing the deal, and this can be very frustrating. To avoid this and to make sure that your client acquisition is in top gear, be prepared to ask yourself, do I have the right contract or agreement ready to put in place? Is further negotiation required? What can I offer and/or change to seal the deal?
Focused follow-up is the key.
As incredible as it may seem, many salespeople drop the ball when it comes to following up after a meeting with a prospect. It doesn’t matter how you do it—old school or new—just make note of who you meet and any commitments you or the prospect may have made. Little or no follow-up after sales meetings is devastating for your reputation. You will come across as a flake and unreliable, to say the least. Though it may seem obvious, actions speak louder than words!
Putting together a serious sales strategy for client acquisition is not complicated, and when put into action correctly, it produces phenomenal results. What are you waiting for?
