Small Business Sales Tactics: The Do’s and Don’ts
Many small business owners I’ve come across in my 25 years of experience are scared safe and stuck. They are tired of reaching into their pockets and getting no results. They’ve always done things a certain way and they aren’t going to risk spending money trying anything new for fear they might have to come grovelling back to where they started.
I worked inside a company once and you could cut the tension with a knife. Customer’s felt it the minute they walked in the store. It was a toxic environment and frighteningly quiet. The employees were competing against each other and they disrespected the owner. They had their cushy little jobs and felt they were indispensable after 8 and 10 years of employment. I don’t have to tell you what happened next. No sales-no business. The company ran out of money. They went on knowledge and low prices. My lesson here was – that’s not enough.
Here are a few do’s and don’ts for running a successful sales organization.
DO’s
Follow up is essential because it gives us information. I’ve gone with companies that made follow up calls and companies have gone with me because I made follow up calls. Even if you believe the deal is dead one phone call can resurrect it. It’s not badgering. You are keenly interested in their business or why you didn’t get their business and they will appreciate that.
Go the extra mile. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you aren’t passionate about your product or service why should they be excited about it? Your complacency will rub off on your customers and your employees. I always appreciate buying from someone who likes their job and loves their products and feel pretty good when I make decisions that way.
Cross train your employees – Whether you have 5 or 25 employees it’s important to have everyone working together as a team. An example of this is to ensure you have employees crossing training each other. You’ll reduce your exposure to risk and they will take ownership by covering off each other for holidays and unexpected absence or departures. It’s a no brainer but many companies forget.
DON’T
Don’t hire people you aren’t willing to manage. Set up weekly meetings. Review sales activities that will hold your salespeople accountable. If they aren’t going after new business, they aren’t sales people. Develop a prospecting strategy with them. Take your time finding the right fit for your business and be sure to check references. An outsourcing sales company like Acquirent can help you with all of this. A bad employee can do so much damage and can turn your customers and other employees sour as well.
Don’t assume your knowledge is enough. It’s not. People do business with people they like and trust. Develop the relationship first. Have friendly front-line people. Supreme customer service and persistent follow up will yield you repeat and referral business.
Hire strong enthusiastic sales people that believe in your product or service and are willing to go after the business. Have a pay structure in place to reward it such as commissions or bonuses. People who can establish rapport and build trust will make every customer feel like they’ve made the right decision. If you find those people, you’re golden. You will have a very successful business on your hands.
Happy Selling,
Carrie
I worked inside a company once and you could cut the tension with a knife. Customer’s felt it the minute they walked in the store. It was a toxic environment and frighteningly quiet. The employees were competing against each other and they disrespected the owner. They had their cushy little jobs and felt they were indispensable after 8 and 10 years of employment. I don’t have to tell you what happened next. No sales-no business. The company ran out of money. They went on knowledge and low prices. My lesson here was – that’s not enough.
Here are a few do’s and don’ts for running a successful sales organization.
DO’s
Follow up is essential because it gives us information. I’ve gone with companies that made follow up calls and companies have gone with me because I made follow up calls. Even if you believe the deal is dead one phone call can resurrect it. It’s not badgering. You are keenly interested in their business or why you didn’t get their business and they will appreciate that.
Go the extra mile. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you aren’t passionate about your product or service why should they be excited about it? Your complacency will rub off on your customers and your employees. I always appreciate buying from someone who likes their job and loves their products and feel pretty good when I make decisions that way.
Cross train your employees – Whether you have 5 or 25 employees it’s important to have everyone working together as a team. An example of this is to ensure you have employees crossing training each other. You’ll reduce your exposure to risk and they will take ownership by covering off each other for holidays and unexpected absence or departures. It’s a no brainer but many companies forget.
DON’T
Don’t hire people you aren’t willing to manage. Set up weekly meetings. Review sales activities that will hold your salespeople accountable. If they aren’t going after new business, they aren’t sales people. Develop a prospecting strategy with them. Take your time finding the right fit for your business and be sure to check references. An outsourcing sales company like Acquirent can help you with all of this. A bad employee can do so much damage and can turn your customers and other employees sour as well.
Don’t assume your knowledge is enough. It’s not. People do business with people they like and trust. Develop the relationship first. Have friendly front-line people. Supreme customer service and persistent follow up will yield you repeat and referral business.
Hire strong enthusiastic sales people that believe in your product or service and are willing to go after the business. Have a pay structure in place to reward it such as commissions or bonuses. People who can establish rapport and build trust will make every customer feel like they’ve made the right decision. If you find those people, you’re golden. You will have a very successful business on your hands.
Happy Selling,
Carrie
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