Every entrepreneur knows that increasing sales is the key to unlocking higher profits; it’s simply a fact of business that almost doesn’t need stating. However, sometimes we get so caught up in the end goal – whether it’s increased profits, wider reach, or something else – that we forget to work smarter so that reaching the goal is a natural extension of our carefully planned efforts.
Taking a step back to consider new strategies so that you and your team can approach your sales goals in an organized way can help ensure your success.
Sales Strategies That Work
Search the web for “proven sales strategies” and you’ll undoubtedly find hundreds – not all of them relevant to your market, industry, or business. However, the following sales strategies are effective across a number of sectors and allow for accommodations unique to your business.
1. Start with a Goal in Mind
You may have heard of SMART goals by now—those that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-oriented. Go into 2020 with a specific, measurable goal in mind. Don’t simply aim to increase sales. Instead, for example, aim to increase your sales by a certain percentage point. Then, set a time frame within which you’d like to achieve it. A great tactic is to set several short-term goals, perhaps by quarter, as well as an achievable long-term goal for the fiscal year so that you can measure your progress along the way.
2. Research Your Sales Leads
You’ve undoubtedly spent a great deal of time researching your target market, the specific subset of the population most likely to purchase your product or service. It’s equally as important to perform research on each lead you pursue before making contact. Ask yourself:
- What are their business or personal goals?
- What potential obstacles have they been trying to overcome?
- If they’re working with a competitor, how can you improve upon that experience?
3. Talk Benefits Before Features
Once you’ve identified your potential client’s needs, it’s important to discuss how your product or service will meet those needs and provide a benefit to be gained.
It can be tempting to list all of the wonderful features and details of your product, but a discussion of how the sum of these can benefit your client provides a much better description of why they should buy. Then, a list of features can help you seal the deal.
4. Follow Up, Every Time
After making initial contact, don’t be discouraged when a potential client doesn’t purchase right away. In fact, it often takes repeated contact to close a sale; only two percent of sales occur at first contact, and over 80% of non-routine sales take at least five follow-ups before the final deal.
The lesson? Don’t give up after initial contact, second contact, third, fourth or fifth, and consider devising a solid email follow-up campaign that can help you keep account of your leads.
Strategizing to increase your sales can help you identify roadblocks before you encounter them and provide a cohesive approach to meeting your goals. Sales strategies are as numerous as the clients you’re trying to reach with them, so it’s crucial to choose a fleet of techniques that work for your business. The four listed here can help you build a foundation that will help you develop an effective set of strategies to meet your 2020 sales goals.
Additional Resources:
https://www.highspot.com/blog/sales-strategy/
https://autoklose.com/effective-sales-strategies/
https://www.leadfuze.com/sales-strategy/
