Customers are what drive your business. Not revenue. Not product. Not even great people. But, in your passion for your business strategy or product, do you, often, overlook or downplay the most important part of your business - the customer relationship?
Sales success comes from doing the right things that make customers want to do business with you. But like with spiritual success there's also some wrong things that can prevent that success. I call them the “Seven Deadly Sins of Selling.”
Successful selling is never easy. You have to have the right product for a target market; with the right team, and the right sales process that works in that market. And the critical point - to be successful - all three have to be in sync.
You build a business by acquiring customers and driving revenue. That's about selling, which is about creating and delivering value. Many think all that's needed is to present them, send a proposal and the sale is theirs. Not today, and maybe not
There are seven critical steps to getting customers and driving revenue. Learn what they are and you'll build long-term relationships with customers who keep coming back and become sources for future revenue.
For a small business owner, there is no task more daunting (or frustrating) than creating the first professional sales team for the company, especially, if the entrepreneur doesn't have a sales background.
First impressions count! They form the basis for opinions and feelings that can be difficult to change. First impressions are the foundation of reputations, whether for individuals or companies. And there are no "do-overs" for that first impressions!
When you're ramping your business, there's almost nowhere you wouldn't look for revenue. Even if you're very successful, you always have limited resources that need to be judiciously deployed. That means sales and marketing require careful planning.
You have no business without customers and you have no customers without sales. As important as sales are to the ultimate success of any entrepreneurial endeavor, there is no area of business that is more misunderstood and more rife with myths than sales.
The more you know about your prospects and customers, the more successful ANY sales efforts will be. The more you listen, the more you learn about customer problems and needs; the easier it is to match your products/services with those problems and needs
Generating revenue is the most critical part of getting an enterprise solidly underway. No matter how good your product, selling potential customers is difficult without a major track record. The best advice to solve that is to embrace "give to get!"
Sales are what makes or breaks a small business. Yet many entrepreneurs, especially those who are the product gurus in their company, never fully grasp their importance or the process that drives them. Sales are not just a function of a good product.
Regardless of glitzy campaigns, attempts to create videos that can go viral, no matter how many likes you have on Facebook or followers on Twitter, the ultimate purpose and very reason for the very existence of marketing is to generate qualified leads.
The revenue vs. margin question is one faced by entrepreneurs at, virtually, every step of their growth. Would you, or should you sacrifice margin for revenue? Top line success drives overall success. Without revenue there is no margin to improve.
To succeed, every entrepreneur knows that his/her product or service has to meet an identified customer need. However, equally important, is "connecting" with the customer on a personal and professional level, building a relationship.
The lure of the "big win," especially for entrepreneurs with small struggling companies, can sometimes be too great to avoid. Approach with caution. There is no consolation prize, no revenue, when your small business finishes second!
"my friends from ABC" wished me a happy birthday and presented me with a birthday service special for my Ford Expedition, which they hoped I was enjoying...
Does your small business have a real sales and marketing strategy? One that specifically defines your target market and sets out specific strategies and tactics (and budgets) to penetrate those markets and generate qualified leads/prospects for your ...
If I've heard it once, I've heard a thousand times from small business owners, "the biggest problem with our sales is that we don't have enough leads in our forecast."
Too many small companies make the mistake of figuring that leading with price will win the day, often lowering an already low price to ensure success...
When it comes to image, perception IS reality. And first "perceptions" are critical. As a small business owner, your company image is formed in a prospect's mind with their first contact...
