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Sales Management- Part 1

Every businessman or woman knows that in business you have to sell, sell, sell; no matter what kind of business it is or what kind of product or service is being offered, or even if it is an online or off-line business. But if the business is slow and sales are slower, what can you do to improve things and speed those sales up?

There are plenty of tips and advice available for entrepreneurs who really want to make their business work, and if they are prepared to put in the time and effort then there is no reason why they won’t succeed. And when I say put in the time, I mean 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

To help the more determined among you, who want to see your business turn a profit, we’ve put together a few little tips and pointers to help you in your endevour. And when I say a few, I actually mean 365 of them, 1 for every day of the year – just in case the title didn’t give it away.

Each one of the 365 power sales tips will be accompanied with an explanation to help further explain exactly what is meant and how to go about putting the tip into practice, and by the time you’ve read through them all, you’ll be well prepared to put all of your newfound knowledge to good use, and ready to watch those sales escalate.

Tip 1: Stay Positive

You can’t expect prospective customers or clients to feel positive about your company – or you – if you have a negative attitude when you are dealing with them.

Tip 2: Be Confident in Your product or Service

Even if you really aren’t all that confident in your product, try to put it across that you think it’s the best thing since sliced bread. You don’t have to go overboard here, but convince yourself, and at the same time you’ll convince those customers.

Tip 3: Advertise, Advertise, and Advertise

Did I mention that you need to advertise? You do. A lot! You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make sure people know about your product or service.

Tip 4: Hire More Staff / Assistants

If you’re finding it difficult coping with the demands that your business is bringing you, then think about hiring an extra pair of hands.

Tip 5: Get to Know Your Customer

If you don’t know your customer then you can’t know what he or she wants from you or your business.

Tip 6: Emphasize your Product or Service

Make sure when you are talking to a prospective customer that you emphasize your product and why it will be better for them than your competitor’s product

Tip 7: Improve Customer Service

Make sure that your Customer Service is spot on. Hopefully, you won’t get any complaints, but if you do, act on them.

Tip 8: Be Prepared to Compromise

At the end of the day the customer is paying for the work, so reaching a compromise might be the only solution to having a happy customer – and getting paid.

Tip 9: Offer Upgrades

Everyone loves to get something for nothing, and your customers are no exception. If you are in a position to offer an upgrade to a service or product you supply, then do it.

Tip 10: Write an Effective Sales Letter

Sales letters are important, and they can generate a lot of interest and potential custom, but only if they are written effectively.

Tip 11: News Letters / Emails

Newsletters and emails are a great way to keep in touch with your existing customers and entice new ones to do business with you.

Tip 12: Listen to your Customers

Keep an ear to the ground and listen to what customers want or would like to see in your business.

Tip 13: Know your Market

If you’re in the buying or selling game, then know what’s what in the modern market. If you’re selling music players then hopefully you’ll already know that cassette players are not really wanted anymore and you’re selling CD players or MP3’s.

Tip 14: Build Trust with Staff

Be honest with your staff and build up some trust with them. Show them some respect and let them know exactly what’s going on in your business.

Tip 15: Build Trust with Customers

It’s important, to be honest with customers too. If you don’t have a particular item in stock, or can’t carry out a job until next week then tell them that.

Tip 16: Listen and Communicate

That means to your staff as well as your customers. If someone has any concerns, ideas or merely suggestions then listen to them.

Tip 17: Be Flexible in Methods of Communication

Don’t rely on just one method of communication because you could be cutting out a whole group of prospective customers if you do.

Tip 18: Make a Web Site

OK, so some of you might not have a clue when it comes to building a website, but there are plenty of people out there who do and it might be worth hiring someone to do it for you.

Tip 19: Motivate your Staff and Yourself

Don’t become complacent about your business, your staff or yourself. Learn to stay motivated, and make sure everyone else does too.

Tip 20: Build relationships with Customers / Clients

Once you’ve made a sale, don’t just take a customers money and then forget about them. Ask them if they’d like to receive a regular newsletter and keep a note of their details – what they bought etc..

Tip 21: Offer Referral Bonuses

Offer existing customers a referral bonus if the recommend your business to a friend. A $5 coupon towards their next purchase could be a great incentive for them to tell their friends about you, and it could subsequently bring you in a nice little profit.

Tip 22: Set Achievable targets

Don’t be unrealistic and set goals that can not be made. We’d all love to make $1 million in a year, but for the majority of us it just isn’t going to happen. Be realistic and know your limits and your capabilities, and work with them.

Tip 23: Give Positive Feedback

If you have an online business then leaving your customers some positive feedback can have a lasting effect.

Tip 24: Be Honest

Be honest with yourself, your staff and most importantly your customers. If you can’t get something they want then let them know.

Tip 25: Be Fair

Fair prices will bring in more custom than extortionate ones. Be fair to your customers and you’ll end up making more money than if you hike your prices up to make a quick buck.

Tip 26: Use Social Media

Promote your business with the help of social media sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Let other like-minded people know exactly what services you offer or what you sell, and you’ll be amazed at the response you get. Best of all – it’s free!

Tip 27: Use Good Keywords

Subliminal messages have been used for generations, and they’re more common than you probably realise. Using specific words when having a conversation with a prospective customer can put an idea in their head without them being aware of it. A sentence such as “By the time the next model comes out you’ll wish you’d bought this one” the word ‘by’ has been changed to the word ‘buy’ in their minds. It’s a simple tactic, but an effective one.

Tip 28: Emphasize What your Product / Service Offers

If your product or service specializes in a particular area, then make sure you emphasize it. If you offer a 3-room special on carpet cleaning, or upstairs windows cleaned for free if the downstairs ones are paid for, let people know. It’s a great selling point and one you shouldn’t be shy about pointing out.

Tip 29: Be Resilient and Determined

If things don’t seem to be progressing as quick as you’d like don’t lose heart or give up at the first hurdle. It can take a few tries before everything falls into place, but when it does you’ll be glad you persevered and were resilient.

Tip 30: Take Responsibility

If you take responsibility for your business then you can take the credit when it’s a success. Don’t be afraid to admit when you’ve made a mistake, but learn from it, move on and do better.

Tip 31: Give Back to the Community

Many new businesses have the help of others to get started. And very often once a business is established that help is forgotten about. Make it a policy to give something back to the people who have helped you, and they’ll be loyal customers for years.

Tip 32: Value your Time

Know how important your time is, and don’t waste it. Even if you work from home have self-discipline and make sure you start and finish work at a set time.

Tip 33: Be Prepared to Get your Hands Dirty

Don’t ask anyone to do what you yourself wouldn’t. It’s your business so you should be prepared to get your hands dirty in making sure it’s a success.

Tip 34: Cross-Sell your Product

Don’t just assume that your customer wants just the one thing he or she ordered. Maybe they simply haven’t thought about buying a pair of slippers to go with the pajamas they just bought as a gift for someone.

Tip 35: Use Eye-Catching Headlines

Make sure any newsletters, emails or advertizing posters etc have eye-catching headlines. You want to draw prospective customer’s attention from the very first words and make them want to carry on reading all about your business.

Tip 36: Practice Presentations

If you intend to make a presentation in order to sell your product then I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to practice before hand, preferably in front of other people. If you aren’t prepared then you won’t feel confident, and it may be taken as lack of confidence in your product.

Tip 37: Provide the Right Tools

If you have members of staff then make sure they have the right tools in which to do their job efficiently and professionally. Ensure they have right materials or programs etc so that their jobs can be done properly. A gardener can’t do a decent job if he’s using a pair of scissors to cut the hedges.

Tip 38: Be Passionate

Be passionate about your product. Love can be contagious, so if you love your products then so will your customers.

Tip 39: Work with your Team

Don’t sit back and let them take the brunt of all the donkey work. Without your team you cannot function – remember that.

Tip 40: Network

Work with other companies. If they have a business website ask them if you can leave a link back to your website on it – and vice versa. You’ll both see increased business.

Tip 41: Don’t Limit Yourself

If you see a need in the market for a particular item or service you feel capable of providing then go for it. Don’t limit yourself to just one thing. Times change, and so do peoples needs and wants. Go with it.

Tip 42: Ask the Right Questions

Questions are always a good thing, unless they’re the wrong questions. If someone wants to buy a vehicle then why ask them what their favorite food is? Make questions relevant to the product, and listen to the answers.

Tip 43: Provide Training

The right training is crucial, and it needn’t cost a fortune. There are many online training courses available, or if you have a member of staff who is particularly skilled in a specific area then do some in-house training.

Tip 44: Offer Promotional Items / Offers

BOGOF! You heard me. I said Buy One Get One Free. Those special offers are a Godsend sometimes. And there’s nothing to say the same kind of thing won’t

work for your business. People tend to buy more than they initially wanted too – a double bonus!

Tip 45: Focus

Remember what the goal is, and focus on it. if you let your mind wander then so will your customers.

Tip 46: Ask for Help if Needed

Don’t be too proud. Everyone needs help and there’s no shame in asking for it. just make sure you ask the right people and the right questions.

Tip 47: Build Interest

When you’re talking to customers, or compiling a newsletter or web page, build interest. Talk about the most interesting facts about your product or service and why it is the best for your customers.

Tip 48: Use a Script

If you are giving a presentation then make sure you have a script written beforehand. If you lose your way while talking then your script will help you get back on track. It will also help you to remember the more important aspects and points that you want to get across.

Tip 49: Handle Objections

You’re going to get objections at some point from someone; it’s a fact of business life. But make sure you handle them fairly and try to keep an open mind. You might be surprised to find that you were actually wrong about something. Learn from it and use it to your advantage.

Tip 50: Establish Rapport

Establishing a rapport with your customers lets them know that you understand where they’re coming from and that you possibly know what they are feeling or

wanting. It humanizes you to them, and they will be more likely to buy from you than the hard-nosed salesman down the road.


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