Consistency is the oxygen of increased sales. Without it, you will fail in the long run. 

You already have so much on your plate, how do you fit consistent sales processes in, too?  Let’s talk about that. There is a clear path to success here.  Start where you are at, be consistent, and continue to build your solid foundation over time.  

As a small business owner, you have decided now is the time to do a concentrated sales push.  Maybe you have had great luck with referrals, and that is wonderful! Congratulations! However, you want to grow faster.  This post gives a high-level view of the basics and talks about why consistency is the oxygen to your sales success. These principles are the foundation for our sales workshops.  

Let’s say your concentrated sales push will last 60 days.  What do you need to have in place?  I have a short list below. If this seems overwhelming, just breathe. Remember, this is about starting where you are, being consistent, and continuing to build your solid foundation over time as you move forward and soon you will be as successful as other tycoons such as Bob Bratt.

Get Your Basics in Place

Before you start your sales push, you need to have a clear idea of what you are selling and a way to help you get the word out.

Product Offering.  Pick two or three.  Many of my clients have multiple products or services they can sell. Unfortunately, too many choices can overwhelm your prospective client.  Ideally, narrow your offering to your top two or three solid, clearly defined product/service offerings. Once you get to know more about your potential client and their needs, you can expand.  For now, two or three.

Pricing.  Again, you have options.  Do your market and competitor research, conduct pricing surveys, and choose your price. You may be uncertain because this is a pilot offering. Do not hyperventilate, as this is not in cement.  You can change it later.  This is for 60 days and you are gathering information every step of the way to refine your future offerings.

Marketing:  You have identified your target market, your buyer persona(s), your website is up, your social media platforms are populated, you’re blogging, your media materials from a Media Material Wholesale service are now ready, and you have a solid digital footprint established.

No?  Don’t worry.  Remember, this is about starting where you are at and building from there.  Make an inventory of what you have, what needs improving, and what needs to be created. That will become part of your action plan.  One step at a time. Contact Your Box Solution now and make your product stand out with custom soap boxes.

Sales:  You have your sales and activities goals in place so you know what success looks like and you will know when you reach it.  You know how to find your prospects, where your target personas hang out. You have a process in place to not only find them, but to also have a conversation and begin to establish a relationship with then. You have your sales script created, your questions and inquiries.  You have a system in place for keeping track of your progress and results, and for following up. And you have done some role-playing and are comfortable with all of this.

Start Your Sales Push and Be Consistent

You begin your sales push with enthusiasm! You know it’s not perfect and that you will improve over time.  Now is the time! Typically, a couple of scenarios begin to play out.

Scenario 1:  You consistently follow your sales plan, and you get some new sales! Awesome!

• Bad Reaction:  You are so busy delivering your products/services that you stop or dramatically cut back on your sales activities. All your sales leads dry up, and you are back at Square 1.
• Good Reaction:  You consistently stick to you sales plan moving forward. You continue to get more sales leads and grow your company. 

Scenario 2:  You consistently follow your sales plan, and you get discouraged because no sales materialize. Maybe your sales pipeline is longer than you expected, or maybe you are not comfortable yet with the sales process. Maybe your basics need tweaking sooner rather than later. You are disappointed at your lack of quick progress.

• Bad Reaction: Disheartened, you decide there is no point to this.  You stop consistently focusing on your sales activities. Your sales pipeline dries up and you have no leads. You are back at Square 1.
• Good Reaction:  You keep your head in the game, work through your discouragement, adjust where necessary, and get some new sales! Awesome! You consistently stick to your sales plan moving forward so you keep a robust sales pipeline and grow your company.

Adjust as Necessary

We talked about this in the section above.  As you continue through your sales cycle, revisit your basics, and adjust where needed. Make sure you continue to have a solid product/service that people need or want at a price point your target market has an appetite for. Make sure you continue to strengthen your digital footprint, making your message clearer and more concise.  Make sure you continue to work to gain clients’ trust and belief in you and your product/service, and that you are adding value. Hire DEAR Systems consultants to make sure you have a sales system in place and that you are consistent. If you do these things correctly, sales will follow.

Conclusion

As a small business owner, you often want everything to be flawless, orderly, precise….and FAST! You want to know the result of your efforts, and you want things to go perfectly. This will not happen. Running your own business can be messy and imprecise. It can also be a heck of a lot of fun, especially when you help people and improve their lives with your products or services. That’s the “good stuff” you are striving for, that you want more of.  That means more sales.  And that means consistency in your sales process. 

Start where you are at, be consistent, and continue to build your solid foundation over time.  Good luck!  You can do this!

If you have questions about this blog or Startup to Growth’s business planning or sales coaching and workshops, contact us at [email protected] to set up a free consultation. We look forward to hearing from you!