Few entrepreneurs sink their life’s savings into a startup because they love to sell. The fact is that most small business owners hang their shingles because of their passion for their trade, whether it’s computer repair, graphic design, digital marketing, social media, training, fashion or anything else.
They want to practice their passion. They figure if they do excellent work, word will get around.
It might. It might not.
The fact is that if the contractor doesn’t sell, the business won’t succeed.
But finding the motivation and making the time to sell can be a challenge, especially for creative entrepreneurs who want to spend the whole workweek remodeling homes, designing websites or doing anything besides market research and cold calling.
The reality of business, however, is that every entrepreneur is—or should be—equal parts craftsperson and salesperson. The reality of business is that every job is a sales job, no matter what your job title—or passion—is.
Still, just the thought of having to sell turns off a lot of entrepreneurs. The “ick factor” that’s attached to the very few sales professionals who still subscribe to the old-style pushy or unscrupulous method of selling can be a powerful deterrent when it comes to gearing up to consciously market and sell.
To change that mindset—and to grow their businesses through sales—independent contractors can adopt a kinder, gentler approach to selling, one that leaves both seller and buyer with exactly what they want or need. There’s absolutely no need for any business owner to be dishonest, manipulative or cheesy when trying to sell.
The key: Don’t sell people stuff they don’t want or need. Instead, offer them something that will solve a problem, fill a need or make them happy. In return, your business profits and grows.
A second reason why small businesspeople are reluctant to sell: They think they don’t know how. But they do.
They sell all the time; everyone does. They very likely had to sell a spouse or a business partner on starting the business in the first place. They sell vendors on cutting them deals on supplies. They sell employees on working for a little less money while the business gets on its feet. They sell stores and other marketplaces on showing and stocking their wares. They sell their families on rooting for them, despite the long hours and reduced pay that often accompany the first couple of years of a startup.
Most people don’t call those negotiations sales, but that’s what they are. As long as they are selling—and have to sell to stay in business—entrepreneurs can take a page from successful sales professionals, whose strategy involves five important steps:
Step 1. Plan
Many small business owners wait until they organize every aspect of their businesses before they ever quit their 9-to-5 jobs. Many others open their doors and wing it without ever writing a business plan.
The planners are much more likely to find success once they set out on their own.
A business without a plan is often unfocused, undefined, unbranded and unsuccessful. A planned venture is one whose owner understands whether a market exists for the product or service; who will buy it; how much to charge for it; how much it will cost to make it; how much money the business needs to cover expenses; and how much the owner needs to earn to pay personal bills.
That’s not all a plan can do for a business owner, however—especially one who is reluctant to sell.
A plan that outlines the business’ sales philosophy and approach will help the owner create a sales style and a sales ethic that jibes with his or her values and comfort level. A thoughtful, written sales plan can outline the who, what, where, when and how of sales in general and of each sale in particular.
It also can keep the business on track to meet monthly, quarterly and annual revenue goals. Without a plan, the business owner relies on luck rather than on strategy.
Step 2. Look for opportunities
Once an entrepreneur embraces the notion that every job is a sales job, opportunities to sell will become obvious.
Three important, low-pressure sales techniques to turn into habits include:
- Ask every single customer what other needs the company’s products or services might be able to fill. Then sell those other wares.
- Request that satisfied clients post positive comments about the business on social media and on online review sites like Yelp, Angie’s List and the Better Business Bureau.
- Suggest that everyone you do business with recommend the company to family, friends, neighbors and colleagues. Most people would rather buy from a business that has already made a good impression on someone they know.
Step 3. Trust
The surest way to make sales is to offer customers what they need and want—not just what would make the most money for the business.
Every sale should be a win-win for buyer and seller. That means the entrepreneur needs to listen to potential customers closely enough to hear and understand just what it is the business has that can fill their needs.
Striving to fulfill those needs will build trust between the business owner and the buyer. Trust creates repeat customers who are happy to refer the company to others.
Step 4. Ask for what you want
Even people who sell for a living have a hard time asking for the sale. The fear of rejection is a powerful emotion—powerful enough to cause a lot of business owners to leave money on the table.
Consider this, however: If you don’t ask, the answer is an automatic “no.” If you do ask, the answer could be “yes.” Sure, it could be “no.” But it could be “yes.”
An entrepreneur who wants a customer to purchase something has to come right out and ask. It’s risky to wait for the client to initiate the sale; that’s not the client’s job, after all. That’s true whether an artist is selling handmade jewelry at a craft fair or a self-employed consultant is hoping to get a high-dollar contract with a big company.
Step 5. Follow up
No sale is complete until the contractor thanks the customer for the business.
No “thank you” is believable unless it comes from the business owner’s heart and from a place of genuine gratitude.
Here are four ways to say “thank you” to someone who has made a purchase, referred another potential client to the business or agreed to a favor:
- Hand-write a note and deliver it in person or through the mail. Email thank-yous are nice, too, but they don’t stand out as much as one that someone has taken the time to write out and mail.
- Follow up with customers a few days after their business with the company is complete. Ask if they are satisfied with the work or the product and if there’s anything else the business can help them with.
- Deliver what was promised. Quality work, respect for deadlines and thorough attention to the details that the business owner has agreed to are key to creating a satisfied customer.
- Keep the relationship going. Nobody likes to feel that a vendor was interested only in making a sale. People like to feel appreciated. Create a customer for life by getting in touch during the holidays; by emailing a relevant article every now and then; and by sending updates about new products or services that might be of interest.
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