Have your sales dropped? Are you working harder to keep customers? Are you struggling to get new customers? Do you think it’s tougher to sell for a small business than it’s ever been before? In some ways it is. In other ways, it has never been easier.
Certain business functions like accounting and finance have remained relatively unchanged for years, notwithstanding regulatory changes like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Other business functions like IT, marketing and sales have changed dramatically as a result of changes in technology and the marketplace.
Leveraging the power of technology, relationships and creativity, a small business has the ability to sell effectively in just about any market they choose without having to make huge capital investments. In the past, only a big business with a huge marketing budget and a large sales force would be able to reach and penetrate those markets.
New technology such as video conferencing, texting, remote desktop and the “find me follow me” telecommunication feature which allows phone calls to be received at different locations on different phones gives a small business many of the same advantages only big businesses with many employees used to have.
In addition to new technology, a sea change has occurred in the marketplace rendering traditional (expensive) marketing methods such as advertising far less effective. Up until the 1970s, marketers had complete “command and control” of a company’s message and brand. The message was “in your face” advertising, using one-way communication mediums such as print, radio & TV. Now, people no longer tolerate an incessant barrage of advertising messages. “Do not call lists”, TiVo, DVR, permission marketing and anti-spam laws have shifted power away from the corporations and into the hands of the consumer.
All of these changes have effectively leveled the playing field for small business. However, if a small business wants to increase sales, they need to alter their approach. You see, prospects today don’t need or want to be “sold” products and or services. They want to gather the competitive information required on their own (readily available on the internet), secure recommendations from people with whom they have a relationship and trust, and then make their own decisions.
Here are 3 top selling secrets for small business that will help them to take full advantage of the changes in the marketplace:
1. Leverage Technology
Small businesses can dramatically improve lead generation with online marketing and Social Media. It doesn’t do you any good to have a great website if no one can find it. Search engine optimization (SEO) will ensure your website will get found when prospects are looking for the kinds of products and services you sell. If you are not familiar with SEO, you can find numerous articles about it on the web, including those we have written (see list below), or you can hire a consultant.
Other than referrals from happy customers, building social media networks will help you build brand recognition, credibility and generate more qualified leads than just about any other method. Utilizing Social media networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are excellent strategies for finding prospects, earning credibility, and developing relationships with them. Not only can you build and maintain your social networks at home and the office on the computer, today you can do it from anywhere in the world from your cellular phone – allowing you to make the most of your downtime.
A word of caution is in order though. If try to use social media networks to advertise or sell your products or services, it will backfire. Online communities such as you will find on LinkedIn do not want to be solicited. If you are unfamiliar with social media, you can find numerous articles about it on the web, including those we have written (see list below), or you can hire a consultant.
Another way to leverage technology to increase sales is to create and maintain a company blog. A blog is a great way to drive traffic to your website, engage your prospects and customers, build credibility and generate qualified leads. A blog, however, must contain information that prospects and customers find valuable. And, to be effective, you must supply fresh content each week. Experts recommend posting at least two articles a week. If you are not a very good writer or don’t have the time to maintain a blog, you can hire someone to do it for you. If you are interested in finding out more about blogs you will find numerous articles on the internet, including those we have written (see list below), or you can hire a consultant.
Finally, small businesses don’t have the resources of a large company. So, you need to automate as many of your sales and marketing efforts as you can. Email marketing campaigns, newsletters and auto responders are a great way to keep in touch with your prospects and customers. By making sure that your content is relevant and valuable to your prospects and customers, you will continue to build credibility and loyalty while you are creating brand recognition. If you would like more information about how to develop email marketing campaigns, newsletters and auto responders, you can find numerous articles on the internet, including those we have written (see list below), or you can hire a consultant.
2. Leverage Relationships
Customers have higher expectations than they’ve ever had before. They also have more choices. This makes them very fickle. So many companies lose customers needlessly because they either don’t listen to what their prospects and customers want or they fail to give it to them. If you want more customers and want them to be loyal to you, you are going to have to be loyal to them.
How do you know what your prospects and customers want? First, make sure you are listening. At any moment of the day, 24/7, on the internet, your prospects and customers are sharing their feelings about companies and their products and services. With tools like Google Alerts (and their competitors), you can get an update anytime someone mentions you, your company name or your products and/or services. You can even get updates on your competitors. Just make sure you do something with the information you are hearing. Those companies using social media can join the discussion and ensure happy customers.
While technology has changed almost everything about the way we market and sell, one thing has not changed, people buy from people, not companies. If you develop a positive relationship with your customers, they will be more apt to tell you what they like and don’t like about your products and/or services. This way, you can adjust your sales and service tactics accordingly.
Whenever you or one of your employees interface with your customers, keep the attention on them. If you take the time to listen and ask questions, customers will start to think of you and your business as a valuable resource. This is far better than the classic image of a slick salesperson who is only interested in getting the order. This is the best way to grow prospects into loyal customers.
The most powerful sales approach in the world is “give first, receive later”. So many salespeople are under such extreme pressure to get sales that they don’t even think about what they could do for a prospect. We all have more to do than we have time to accomplish these days. This makes it all too easy to fall into the “time is money” mentality and focus on short term gains.
When building relationships, sometimes the pay off doesn’t come for a while. But, when a prospect receives something of value from a sales person, even if it’s just a sincere interest in the prospect’s business, they will remember that sales person when they are ready to buy. They will also remember that sales person when they meet someone else who is ready to buy (referrals).
“It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.” ~ Napoleon Hill
3. Leverage Creativity
The longer you’re in business, the more you’ve probably realized that the only constant is change. You may be experiencing strong sales and have a loyal customer base today, but those conditions could easily change within a matter of months. Competitors (from anywhere in the world) could seduce your best customers with lower prices, new products, services or features. You need to be agile enough to respond quickly to changes due to technology, supply chain and industry or government regulations. As a small business, you have a big advantage over large companies when it comes to responding to change. The larger the company, the more difficult it is for them to change.
Today, if you are “listening”, you can keep your finger on the pulse of the market. That way, you will know what changes are occurring and have time to develop an effective response. You should tap into the creativity and problem solving skills of your employees as well as your customers. Many companies are using crowd sourcing to design new products. Don’t be afraid to try new things. In today’s fiercely competitive environment, creativity is the only real sustainable advantage.
Small businesses can compete better today than they ever have before if they know how to utilize these 3 selling secrets: technology, relationships and creativity. If you invest your limited time and resources in these three areas, you will dramatically improve your chances of finding and keeping customers.
Those who enjoy this article may also enjoy:
Social Media: What Up With That?
The New Small Business Super-Strategy
Autoresponder: The Greatest Online Marketing Tool of All
Is Small Business Blogging Really Effective?
Is Your Blog Really A Blog?
Should Small Business Give Twitter A Twirl?
Social Media-Listening, Connecting & Publishing
Web 2.0 SEO – Search Engine Optimization
Local Online Marketing For Small Business
If you would like to contact me, you can do so by visiting my LinkedIn page or emailing me at mike.clough@bestbizpractices.org.
Posted by: Mike Clough
