Do you feel as though you’ve tried everything you can to increase your sales yet nothing is working and you’re running out of ideas? Been there, done that.
You may have an amazing product or service to offer, but if you can’t get people to purchase it, you’re going to run into an issue.
We spoke with 4 entrepreneurs who shared their best tips and tricks for increasing your sales when you feel like you’ve already done it all.
Leverage the power of product reviews and customer generated content.
Do not underestimate the power of a positive customer review in making a sale for you. Something someone comments on or shares could be the exact proof another person needs to pull the trigger on making a purchase from you. Also, customers love seeing other customers using or wearing your products so leverage user generated content (like photos or reviews) in your social content. This gives the shopper a chance to see what your products look like on people from all walks of life or using your product as a solution to their same needs or problems.
– Rachel Raab, Owner of Buddha Pants
Teach people how they can be great.
Nobody cares about your products and services. People don’t buy great products, they buy better versions of themselves.
Rather than telling people how great you are, teach them how they can be great. Become their trusted advisor. As I always say, “If you teach people to fish, they will learn you sell fishing poles.”
Build identities in all the places where your prospects and customers (and ideally influencers) are having conversations, and where people seek information about how to become better. Then, start sharing content that inspires and educates. This can be either written by you, or simply expertly curated from others (don’t forget to give credit to the source and use hashtags!). Personally, I share content about sales, marketing, technology, entrepreneurship, and more.
When you share such content, make sure that you engage and listen to other people. You don’t want to drop lures in a river, let fish swim by, and nibble on your bait. Reel them in.
– Jon Ferrara, CEO of Nimble Inc.
Be empathetic.
So many sales professionals focus on what they want to tell their prospects and what they want to say next that they completely miss the most important part of sales – listening and understanding where your prospect is coming from. When you listen to prospects, you engage them on a deeper level because you’re hearing their exact needs, their pain points, and the issues they’re ultimately trying to alleviate. Good sales comes from understanding all of those above points and knowing how your product or service can help their specific needs. Bad sales assumes they know the prospect and talks at them, good sales hears them out and tailors the conversation to their unique situation.
– Ben Swartz, CEO / Founder of Marcel Digital
Focus on the top 20%.
Lead generation and new customer acquisition is essential for growth and bringing in revenue. But oftentimes, business owners forget that their current customers are the most valuable. By focusing on the top 20% of your most loyal customers by providing helpful information, support, and perks, you can maximize their Customer Lifetime Value and increase the number of sales you get from them. You will be able to create bread and butter customers that can sustain the business.
– Pavel Stepanov, CEO + Founder of Virtudesk
Feeling ready to start trying new sales strategies after learning these tips? Implement them in your processes and let us know how they work for you in the comment section below. And, if you want to know more, check out our ultimate guide to sales!
