Every day I meet enthusiastic, passionate business owners who come to me with the same question: how can I grow my business (increase profits) and become more efficient? Regardless of how many years of experience you have, the industry you work in, or the size of your company- sales and productivity are always two extremely important skills to develop and strengthen both personally and professionally. Here are 5 tactical, actionable tips that you can begin working on today to increase revenue in your business.
1. Set time aside for sales (daily): The fact of the matter is, we tend to avoid the things we are uncomfortable with. It’s very common for entrepreneurs to get themselves caught up in operational busy work rather than hitting the pavement and selling their products. This is a big mistake and you must reach deep within yourself to resist the temptation to avoid working on sales. I believe you need to focus at least 1-3 hours per day on sales and be working through a detailed roadmap that tracks clients from new prospect all the way to raving fan.
2. Develop a clear roadmap from A-Z: In order to get more clients, you must understand where to find your leads, how to qualify those leads, and how to engage and convert them. This is why it is so important to thoughtfully outline the steps you and your team will take from finding the lead all the way to closing the sale.
3. Have a Nurture Plan on auto pilot: One thing that people don’t often talk about is the Sales Cycle. How long does it typically take for a potential client buy your product or service? For many businesses, it may be up to a year before the customer is ready to make the purchase. General guidelines state that 9-11 touches are required before a prospect becomes a customer. That is why you need to employ a thoughtful nurture plan to stay on top of mind while you wait for leads to make the purchase. This can be done by creating a solid social media and email marketing strategy.
4. Know your numbers: You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Follow the success of your sales roadmap and your nurture plan in order to adjust and make enhancements. There are plenty of wonderful tracking software available within a lot of the apps you’re already using. Be conscious of checking these reports, they are the key to create a flawless sales system in your business.
5. The sale doesn’t end with the sell: The most important asset you have in your business is a happy customer. It doesn’t matter how much you spend on advertising and marketing. The #1 best way to acquire new clients is word of mouth. Take this very seriously. Develop a customer service program that you can send every client on that keeps them happy and feeling well taken care of. These touches will help keep your sales pipeline full and healthy.
While wearing many hats in your business is a necessary part of start-up culture, it should never impede your ability to sell. People buy from people and the passion and fire of the business owner is the fuel that sustains the entire revenue stream. Don’t take that lightly. You must develop, track and nurture your sales processes with intentionality and integrity because the success of your business truly depends on how seriously you look after your sales.
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Victoria is an experienced sales and marketing director who is crazy about helping women think bigger about their business and giving them the tools to grow. You can get her to dig into your business’ sales process 1-on-1 through the Streamlined Sales Workshop. If you’re ready to grow and scale your business, check out the Business Accelerator Bootcamp where you’ll learn the key strategies and skills for sustained growth through a set of Business Best Practices for today’s millennial female founder.
To your WILD success,
Victoria
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