Twenty-five Million Small Businesses Desperate for an Effective Sales Strategy
Posted by: Cheryl Clausen in sales marketing coaching, tags: sales marketing coaching, sales strategyYou aren’t alone. There are 25,000,000 small businesses. Each and every one frantically seeking ways just to survive today’s harsh economic climate let alone… make a buck!
While there’s some comfort in knowing you aren’t alone it doesn’t solve your problem. If you could do just one thing to chart your course and set a path for prosperity I suggest it would be figuring out what you are really selling. Then figuring out how to tell others what you are really selling.
Small businesses can learn a lot from the big boys… sometimes. Realistically every big business that exists today was just a little business in the beginning. There’s no reason your business can’t become a big business if that’s what you want too.
Don’t scoff at my suggestion that you figure out what you are really selling. Let me make my point. What does Nike sell?
You might tell me shoes, clothes, posters, etc. And I would say, “Yes, they sell all those things but that’s not what they are REALLY selling. Think about it. What emotion is Nike pushing in every message?
WINNING. Nike is selling winning, and they are persuading the buyer to open their wallet and buy because doing so fulfills the buyers internal emotional driver to WIN!
How about De Beers Diamonds? What are they selling? Diamond rings, necklaces, bracelets, etc. What is the message in every communication? A diamond lasts forever… meaning your relationship or commitment lasts forever. De Beers is selling a lifetime commitment in your relationships.
Now I realize those are both tangible things and you are selling your service, but you can do the same thing. What are the people who buy your service really looking for? What’s the emotion connected with getting that?
eHarmony is an online dating service. Aren’t they selling love? Don’t they communicate in every message how their service made love possible for their users?
There’s no need to desperately search for an effective sales strategy. Simply develop it. Start by identifying the emotion that motivates your buyers to act. Then communicate the connection between you, that emotion, and your buyers in every communication.
My buyers want financial success. Success is the emotion that motivates them to act. The message… “Gain an unfair advantage when prospects contact YOU“ Have you noticed where you can find that message on this page?
Why do you think I put that message there?
So… what are you really selling?
What’s the message that tells me that?
photo credit: El Grande78
Entries (RSS)
September 21st, 2009 at 6:05 pm
And big business desperately needs what small business entrepreneurs all have; an entrepreneurial spirit.
Like the Movie City slickers, I like your “one thing”.
Find your one thing, connect it to buyers who have a problem it solves, and serve them.
Mark Allen Roberts
September 24th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I see where you posted that message…right under the title of your blog on the right hand column. Right at the top…so people can read it first.
I like this blog. Very intuitive. I will need to take some time myself to make some words that will fit what my clients are looking for by purchasing my products.
Although I haven’t put much effort into the sales techniques yet, I am gathering a huge amount of information to open up with a bang. My official launch is next wednesday.
Thanks for all the great info, Cheryl!
September 25th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Well, I remember one thing about Nike’s school sponsorship program. They go to schools, even kindergarten schools, give off shoes to athletes and students, and so on. However, there’s this teacher who wore another brand of shoe wear and got kicked off by the school. Now that’s the wrong type of relationship.
Anyway, regarding your article, I so much agree that there’s no need to find for another effective sales strategy. Keeping the relationship with your client as formidable as possible, or better, is the best marketing strategy. Soon you’ll find out that this is very important especially for small types of businesses.
That was a great post Cheryl, keep it up!