Could one of these Ten Common Sales Mistakes Be Costing You?
Selling Only on Price
Lowering price because you feel customer cannot afford it. Not being confident of value. Feeling like there may be a possibility of losing the sale so being willing to make it at any price. Selling your services based on an hours for dollars mentality.
Sell on value, results the client will get, pain that you will solve. Do not sell hours for dollars sell a solutions package; include other services and items of value in package.
Not Sticking with Your Strengths
Doing jobs or tasks that you get stuck on, things that hold you back. Tasks that you do not want to do. You got into business for a reason, you know what you strengths are, do not let what you cannot do well or do not like to do hold you back.
Spend your time on money making/generating activities. If that is not your strength, hire someone that it is their strength. Sales are the lifeblood of your business, without them you will not build a business that sustains itself or your future.
Not Systematizing
Being an entrepreneur and being able to do things on the fly and make decisions is great. Having no systems and procedures in place to handle workflow and all of the tasks that go along with business can cost you time and money. Systematizing your sales process saves time and money and ultimately serves your customers much better.
Selling to Everyone – Not Niching
This is a very common mistake. Most likely the service or product you provide could help anyone and you probably want to help a lot of people. So it is easy to assume the broader the market the easier it is to find customers. Actually niching makes it easier. Identifying the demographic you can make the most difference in helps you hone in on where your specific market is, target all of your marketing efforts to their needs and establish yourself as an expert in solving their specific problems.
Selling YOU YOU YOU when it is THEM THEM THEM
Developing your elevator pitch, your sales speel, your website any of your marketing items from the standpoint of I do, I do, I do. Your perspective client feels much more comfortable talking and thinking about themselves not you. Developing an opening, a sales conversation and your website from the standpoint of where they are and where they want to go opens them up to listening to you.
Waiting for the Perfect…….
Waiting for your website, business cards, the perfect logo, tool…etc. anything that is keeping you from selling. You have the value without that, you can provide the solution without the perfect whatever (which BTW will never be perfect, it is always evolving and growing). Start selling constantly and consistently no matter what it is. Start where you are at with what you have.
Getting Caught in the Sell/Deliver/Sell/Deliver/Sell/Deliver Cycle
This creates inconsistency or the roller coaster effect in your income. It gives you no stability and no future. Once you get caught in this cycle it is hard to get out of it. No matter what your service or product it is possible to structure your offerings in a way that you have consistent sales and delivery happening.
No Sales Strategy
Going into or being in business because you have a passion, because you want to make a difference is wonderful. Being able to sustain that without sales is difficult and can be hard on you personally if you struggle financially. Sales are a must but not necessarily easy if you are not comfortable selling. Having no sales strategy will make it even more frustrating and difficult. Developing a sales strategy plan can be easier than you may think. Find out how to attract ideal clients quickly and rapidly increase sales here.
Thinking Action vs. Results
There are so many things to do when you are working your own business. It is easy to get caught up in actions rather that results. For instance, networking, you can be busy going to networking events almost daily. But if those networking events are not producing results it is not really serving your true goals. You may be busy, even overwhelmed but not truly producing the results you need for your business. Results and tracking results are critical to your success in business. You need to know what is producing and what is not.
NOT Selling
Not actually selling, thinking all you need to do is tell people how wonderful you are and they will come running to do business with you. Selling is a vital part of your business, being able to ask for the money is a MUST.
