How to maintain good sales in these challenging times? Businesses and customers are pulling in their spending, and getting existing - much less new - sales, is getting more challenging. But different thinking and solutions can open doors and lock out competitors.
The challenge is that upper management do not often open up to different thinking or the sales force gets stuck in the old mode of doing business.
Once this old thinking is broken and the business is open to a different approach, the following ideas have made the difference for others.
Many of these ideas are not really new, so the question is - how are you using them? Some are being used internally to save time and money for the company, but what if you offered them to your customers in some fashion as a solution for them as well?
- Social networks - The reality is that more upper level business people are using this mode of communication and connection.
Facebook and Twitter are just some of the hundreds of sites out there. These are great ways to build a network, find experts and sell ideas and services. Join one and figure out how you can use it, and then help your customers do the same!
- Blogs - What if you had a blog about your product or service, then had your customers and potential customers driven to it? What a great way to educate them about the solutions you can provide without pushing product. Could your customers also benefit from their own Blog?
- Websites - Today, if your business does not have a web site you are behind the curve! The next generation and even the older generation of businesses and buyers go to the Internet for information before buying! If you're not there who is?
Salespeople, do you have your own website? I don't mean your companies, I mean Joe Salespersons personal site with their own Blog and unique message about the added value you provide. You can tie all your Social Networks into this as well.
- Newsletters - A Blog or website can be an electronic newsletter, but does everyone have access or use the Internet in that way? A quarterly newsletter with some real content that gives others value and ideas can drive business your way and build credibility as well as trust. By real content, we do not mean product information, rather new ideas or solutions that help the customer survive. There are even online services that will handle all the work, you just supply the content and list!
- Articles - If you're an expert on some area, why not share it through articles? Editors both on the Internet and off are looking for experts to provide content. If you have solutions for others, these editors are looking for you! I know of several "experts" that are now regulars on radio, TV or print that started by writing articles with real value.
Once more, this is something every salesperson could be doing, not just the company! Do your customers have some capability as well? Could it help build their business and yours?
- Electronic meetings - With petrol and other travel costs going up, have you been using more electronic means? I know many of my clients use teleconferences and even live electronic meetings internally, but are they using them externally as well?
With services like Skype, which anyone can sign on to and utilise from any Internet connection, you can talk face-to-face with customers and demonstrate ideas as well. All that is needed is a computer, an Internet connection and a very inexpensive computer cam. Might your customers also be able to benefit from using this technology?
Even live meetings with groups do not require huge investments. One company uses a service such as "go-to-meeting" and a projector and screen. They can have group meetings, have designers and engineers or other groups involved in a live meeting at one time! Their total investment, a few hundred dollars!
What if you helped your clients understand and use this technology? Might it save them money and build their business?
- Brand yourself - And we are not talking about cattle branding. Marketing people talk about branding a company. What about a salesperson branding themselves!
So often people think branding is a logo or tag line. No - branding is what people think and say when they hear your name. With the big brands, when you hear their name, you immediately have an image or thought of who and what they are. Those images and thoughts are their brand. Yes this might be different for different people, so marketing works to have the same image and thinking occur the majority of the time.
What image or thinking occurs when your name, as a salesperson, engineer or consultant comes up? What could you be doing to direct that image?
All of the items listed above can be used to create your brand, your companies brand and your client's brand.
What if you were able to help your customers build their business in a different way? Would this set you apart from others and build a stronger relationship with them?
As I have always said, it is not always about the product in sales - it's more about the trust and relationship that sets you apart and binds you together.
What are you doing for your customers to help them build their business? Or is it just about getting an order for more products? Change that thinking and it may just open up some new doors and ways for you to provide that bit extra that gets the extra sales!
Take one of these ideas and work on it for a month, then take another one and see what happens to your business over this next year. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!