So you have taken the leap of faith and started your own business. You have a product or service to sell and you need to get the word out- beyond your current circle of friends, family and business associates. What do you do when you're a great Engineer, Illustrator, Home Health Professional etc, but have no sales background at all? Well if you are really fortunate- you hire a sales professional to promote your product or service- but most likely in the beginning stag
So where do you start? At the beginning of course! The following steps are some tried and true "Rules of Engagement" for selling yourself and your business. If you follow these steps consistently- even when you are busy taking care of clients and the money is rolling in- you will steadily grow your client base and your business:
1. Identify your Target Market- Who needs your product or service? Are you going to sell to the masses or do you have a specialized product? This step may take some time to figure out- or you may already have a prospect list in hand. Put together a call list of your top prospects- you can refine your list as you go along.
2. Prepare your message- Once you have figured out who you think could benefit from your product or service- don't just run to the phone and start making random calls. Think about what you want to say about your company, what makes your product or service different from everyone else's and a compelling reason why your prospect should choose to do business with you rather than their current supplier (because unless you have invented a new product or service I can guarantee they already have a supplier and they love them).
3. Practice- Rehearse your message- if you need to- write a simple script or cheat sheet for when you are on the phone, get nervous and forget the name of your company, if you have a website and what your call back number is. And be ready to leave a brief voice message once you do make the call because nine times out of ten you are going to be talking to electronic voice mail rather than your contact person. If you practice leaving a message you will remember to speak slowly, say your name and number at the beginning and end of your message and be coherent when you say your spiel.
4. Make a commitment to yourself (This actually should be Step 1)- Set aside time every day, or as often as possible to make your calls. This is probably the hardest part for a small business owner to do because we wear so many different hats during each day and are pulled a hundred different ways at the same time. The best way to accomplish your sales calls is to make an appointment with yourself. Block out an amount of time you feel you can consistently commit to in your calendar and take that 15 minutes or 2 hours each day and make as many calls in that amount of time that you can.
5. Keep records. It's great to make sales calls, talk to prospects or leave messages but if you don't have a call-back system in place-you are just spinning your wheels. I recommend a database management tool like ACT or some of the online database services- whatever you feel comfortable with. You can keep records on an Excel worksheet, on note cards or in a spiral notebook- just make sure you know who you called, when you called them, what you said, and when you are supposed to follow-up or what action you have promised to take next. People are impressed when you can remind them exactly what you discussed during your previous conversation.
6. Follow up! Follow up! Follow up! Call your prospect back- over and over again until you get a definitive yes or no (unless they sic the dogs on you or pull out a shot gun- assume a no is just a maybe- but just not right now).
7. Have fun with it! Imagine that every call you make gets you closer to buying that new car, making your mortgage payment or taking your dream vacation. Salespeople call cold calling on the telephone "dialing for dollars" because we know that sometimes we get the sale because we just kept suiting up and showing up and outlasted everyone else. One day- one like any other day-you may make a call right after your prospect received poor service or a defective product from their current supplier and they will finally be interested in hearing what you can do for them.
8. Don't take making sales calls too seriously and don't take "No's" personally. Your prospect is not rejecting you- they just do not perceive a need for your product or service today. And remember- the only constant is change- so keep on trying and the "Yes's" will come- especially if you are persistent and consistent in making your calls.
Don't put off making sales calls another day. Get into action today! If you want to build your business- be bold, be brave, pick up that phone and ask for the business. Make a commitment to yourself for the next 30 days and see how many new clients you have by next month- and then commit to another 30 days again and again until you are so busy you have the resources to hire that secretary, accountant, sales rep and custodial service you so richly deserve.
So where do you start? At the beginning of course! The following steps are some tried and true "Rules of Engagement" for selling yourself and your business. If you follow these steps consistently- even when you are busy taking care of clients and the money is rolling in- you will steadily grow your client base and your business:
1. Identify your Target Market- Who needs your product or service? Are you going to sell to the masses or do you have a specialized product? This step may take some time to figure out- or you may already have a prospect list in hand. Put together a call list of your top prospects- you can refine your list as you go along.
2. Prepare your message- Once you have figured out who you think could benefit from your product or service- don't just run to the phone and start making random calls. Think about what you want to say about your company, what makes your product or service different from everyone else's and a compelling reason why your prospect should choose to do business with you rather than their current supplier (because unless you have invented a new product or service I can guarantee they already have a supplier and they love them).
3. Practice- Rehearse your message- if you need to- write a simple script or cheat sheet for when you are on the phone, get nervous and forget the name of your company, if you have a website and what your call back number is. And be ready to leave a brief voice message once you do make the call because nine times out of ten you are going to be talking to electronic voice mail rather than your contact person. If you practice leaving a message you will remember to speak slowly, say your name and number at the beginning and end of your message and be coherent when you say your spiel.
4. Make a commitment to yourself (This actually should be Step 1)- Set aside time every day, or as often as possible to make your calls. This is probably the hardest part for a small business owner to do because we wear so many different hats during each day and are pulled a hundred different ways at the same time. The best way to accomplish your sales calls is to make an appointment with yourself. Block out an amount of time you feel you can consistently commit to in your calendar and take that 15 minutes or 2 hours each day and make as many calls in that amount of time that you can.
5. Keep records. It's great to make sales calls, talk to prospects or leave messages but if you don't have a call-back system in place-you are just spinning your wheels. I recommend a database management tool like ACT or some of the online database services- whatever you feel comfortable with. You can keep records on an Excel worksheet, on note cards or in a spiral notebook- just make sure you know who you called, when you called them, what you said, and when you are supposed to follow-up or what action you have promised to take next. People are impressed when you can remind them exactly what you discussed during your previous conversation.
6. Follow up! Follow up! Follow up! Call your prospect back- over and over again until you get a definitive yes or no (unless they sic the dogs on you or pull out a shot gun- assume a no is just a maybe- but just not right now).
7. Have fun with it! Imagine that every call you make gets you closer to buying that new car, making your mortgage payment or taking your dream vacation. Salespeople call cold calling on the telephone "dialing for dollars" because we know that sometimes we get the sale because we just kept suiting up and showing up and outlasted everyone else. One day- one like any other day-you may make a call right after your prospect received poor service or a defective product from their current supplier and they will finally be interested in hearing what you can do for them.
8. Don't take making sales calls too seriously and don't take "No's" personally. Your prospect is not rejecting you- they just do not perceive a need for your product or service today. And remember- the only constant is change- so keep on trying and the "Yes's" will come- especially if you are persistent and consistent in making your calls.
Don't put off making sales calls another day. Get into action today! If you want to build your business- be bold, be brave, pick up that phone and ask for the business. Make a commitment to yourself for the next 30 days and see how many new clients you have by next month- and then commit to another 30 days again and again until you are so busy you have the resources to hire that secretary, accountant, sales rep and custodial service you so richly deserve.
Stephane McGrady is an innovative Activities Professional and small business owner sharing her creative projects, tutorials, sales experience and business development ideas with other small business owners and professionals working in the Seniors industry.
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