Every successful small business owner I have ever met is a great salesperson. These successful business owners are not only good at selling their products or services, but also at selling ideas and their vision to employees, board of directors, stakeholders, investors, potential investors and sometimes, even debt collectors.

 

Like it or not, if you are a business owner, you are a salesperson. So hone your skills and become the best salesperson you can be.

 

Selling is not a favorite task for many entrepreneurs and small business owners. However, we cannot survive without generating sales so selling skills are a critical competency we need to acquire.

 

Everyone who operates a business should continually learn some selling fundamentals. Let's start now:  

 

The most common mistake salespeople make is to immediately launch into a product presentation or "pitch" when they first meet their prospect. They extol the virtues of what they sell and tell the prospective buyer how good, fast, inexpensive or easy to use their product is or how different, reliable, and great their service is .

They talk, talk and talk hoping to convince the buyer their product is of value. The problem with this approach is the "pitch" seldom addresses the issues or concerns of the buyer.

 

Because their needs have not been addressed, there is no compelling reason for prospects to consider using products or to change vendors.

 

If you really want to give prospects a reason to buy from you, you need to give them a reason. One of the most effective ways to do this is to ask a few well thought-out questions to uncover what is important to the prospect. Here are a few examples:

"If you could change one aspect about your current arrangement, what would it be?"

"What are the most important issues for you?"

"What have your experiences been with ABC Professional Services?"

"How can I help you...?"

"Who is your primary customer?"

 

"What is your biggest challenge right now?"

 

"What are you trying to achieve?"

 

Notice each of these is an open-ended question which means it begins with "who", "what", "where", "why", "when" or "how." These types of questions encourage the prospect to open up and share information of what their needs and wants are.

 

One of the most important lessons I've learned about selling is that people will tell you ANYTHING you want to know. All you have to do is ask. Most people love to talk about themselves and want to share information about their current situation, their challenges or problems, likes and dislikes. But, in most cases, they need prompting.

 

This prompting comes from you in the form of asking the right questions in the proper tone and manner.

 

Change to a resolution mindset. Don't "sell." Help people find resolutions to their problems.

 

Stay positive and optimistic. Do not take a negative outcome personally.

 

You need to be direct, authentic, and unattached to the outcome.

 

Do your homework - Put your client's needs first
It amazes me how few salespeople actually take the time to learn about their client before they launch into their presentation. 

More people want to know:

 

"How can you help me resolve my problem 

effectively and efficiently at a price I can afford?"

 

and

 

The Ol' WIIFM - "What's In It For Me?"

 

If you really want to begin differentiating yourself from your competitors take the time to learn about your prospect's situation. By doing so, you'll begin to give them a reason to do business with you instead of someone else.