In order to be a successful entrepreneur, you must ensure that you have gradually started learning the art of making sales. Since your business can’t survive without sales and related profit, any blunder in the process can give a serious jolt to the pace of your business. Most of the small or new businesses fail not because of the lack of idea or even lack of specific demands. They mostly fail due to the lack of sales efforts and proper marketing. We can say that marketing for small businesses is rather seen as a multichannel endeavour. On the other hand, sales come along with single purpose in mind and that is to fetch more and more customers and clients.
Art of making sales happen in the most effective way doesn’t actually come with the college degrees in hand, neither do you get to learn them in grade schools. It should be added that the entrepreneurs are required to push their limits in order to let revenue keep flowing in.
So what are the sales blunders that the entrepreneurs of today must strictly avoid?
Starting Without A Plan
This is like asking someone to push you into water! Sales making is a process that requires considerable planning and organised effort which should be implemented at each stage. Goals should be fixed and you must know what your target is like.
You must focus on calculating the revenues by days, months or weeks. Annual or quarterly analysis is a much required thing at the moment. It will help you in planning some of the realistic goals so that you can see to it whether you are putting the efforts for delivering what you require.
Lacking the Suitable Tools
If you have stepped into the business, make sure that you are doing the needful as you are there to sell! You must ensure that you have got the right kind of tools that would help you accomplish this. You may also require the best customer relationship tools that would help you manage interactions with your customers.
It will also ensure that you can keep a good track of your sales, leads and even the follow-up. It is always going to be favourable having a website that would give away all the relevant information your customers need and would also guide them to the way they are expected to proceed.
However, the most important tools that you can’t afford to miss are – wit, mind and your sense of humour!
Talking Instead Of Listening
This is going to look like a crime! Listen to what your customers have to say and learn to say hello even when you actually don’t want to. Ask them, enquire, let them explain and recommend. That is how you are going to make a pitch.
Belittling Your Competitors
Bad mouthing your competitors is a bad idea. It gives out a message that you are not really sure about your own efforts. You can be polite even by pointing out their drawbacks and that’s also an art you need to learn.
Not Following Up
If you are not following up, you are actually killing the pace of your business. One out of the ten potential clients can start buying from you. In order to fetch business from the rest, you will need follow-ups.
Saying Yes To A Deal That Is Asking For Too Much
Clients asking for too much and even something unethical is common but as a business that is looking to grow the right way, saying no to deals that demand too much can be equally challenging. Clients asking you to do something for free and taking unfavourable favours from you can affect your brand and price.
If you feel that saying yes to every deal is like opening up an array of opportunities for your business, you may be wrong – think again! There are too many fishes in the sea. So what are you waiting for? Go and figure out, which of these above mentioned blunders, you have been found guilty of! Find them out and fix them as soon as possible. This will help you get back in the game. You can then start playing your cards all again with much confidence, more efforts and better packs of determination this time.
Michael Evans is a blogger and he is currently associated with leading UK based start-up – CableProtector.