{"id":8331,"date":"2011-03-18T06:30:01","date_gmt":"2011-03-18T11:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/37d57f8fa2.nxcli.io\/blog\/?p=8331"},"modified":"2011-04-05T10:35:54","modified_gmt":"2011-04-05T15:35:54","slug":"small-business-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketingforsuccess.com\/blog\/sales\/small-business-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"The Missing Link To Your Successful Sales Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"

No matter what your line of business is and what product you sell, you\u2019re still dealing with the same thing as everyone else in sales.<\/p>\n

This roadblock to success is inevitable for most small business owners. But if you can find a way to prepare for it in your sales strategy, you\u2019ll discover how to unlock unlimited profits.\u00a0One of the keys to small business success is overcoming\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"Objections. In the business of selling products and services, you\u2019re bound to hear objections or concerns that interfere with or slow down the sales process. Most objections or concerns can be addressed or overcome, but it helps if you have a business strategy in place to deal with them.<\/p>\n

Usually, it\u2019s just a matter of clarifying information about the product. Sometimes it can involve switching gears to another product entirely, but most challenges can be overcome by your small business.<\/p>\n

Occasionally, you\u2019ll hear something that’s more than a concern or objection to your product or service. It\u2019s a condition of the sale.<\/p>\n

With some experience, you\u2019ll learn to recognize conditions, or valid reasons for not going ahead\u00a0quickly and handle them appropriately. It\u2019s an objection to a sale that may be difficult, if not impossible to overcome. For example, if your product is fitness-related and your potential client is in poor health, that could be a condition that prevents you from taking him on as a client.<\/p>\n

If you sell quick printing services, there might be some jobs you can\u2019t take on due to their size, or other specifications. In some cases, the condition may just be impossible to meet today.<\/p>\n

If that\u2019s the case, your transaction turns into one of timing and sales strategy<\/a>. When can you deliver the product? When will it be in stock in midnight blue? When will you have a whole case of the product available?\u00a0If the client is convinced that your product or service is right for them, your sale simply may be made based on timing.<\/p>\n

If their timing and yours don\u2019t match up, you may have lost the sale, but not the opportunity. If you can\u2019t meet their needs when they need them met, at the very least, keep the door open for a future opportunity.<\/p>\n

The most common condition business owners face when dealing with large investments is lack of money.\u00a0That includes having no credit or bad credit. If the prospect just can’t meet the financial requirements of the purchase, well, there’s no sale. You\u2019ll be wasting your valuable time continuing to talk with them. Again, keep the door open by letting them know how much you\u2019d like to help them get involved with your product, but don’t let the process drag on if you can see clearly that they cannot afford it.<\/p>\n

At times, you\u2019ll meet with clients who are don’t know much about your business and type of product or service. Once you get them talking about their needs, it could very well be that that they’re just not good candidates for your resources after all. The sooner you learn this, the better. If you realize you cannot provide what these clients are seeking, offer suggestions as to where they can find the right product. Always maintain a high level of professionalism.<\/p>\n

Your sales strategy should be to try to give them sound advice as to where they can get what they truly need. If you know of a good source, refer the clients to a different small business owner, someone better able to serve your needs.<\/p>\n

Sending appropriate referrals to others will work in your favor in two ways: First, the clients will remember you as being helpful and providing good service, even though it didn\u2019t result in a sale. Second, the company or person receiving the referral will appreciate your efforts and, hopefully, send referrals your way in return.<\/p>\n

I strongly recommend paying attention to those clients whose needs you can\u2019t meet. If you\u2019re seeing similarities in their needs, you may want to seek out the best resource to meet those needs in you area and establish a relationship with the business owner or one of their salespeople to set up a lead exchange.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible they’ll provide you with a referral fee for clients who end up owning their products.\u00a0This is the perfect way to create a win-win situation for everyone involved. The client gets the product they really need, while your small business gets a sale and either remuneration or qualified leads in return.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all in the plan you choose to approach the conditions you\u2019ll encounter in business. If you give yourself a realistic sales strategy, you can be prepared to deal with these issues and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About Tom Hopkins
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