(By Loyd Ford) As humans, we want shortcuts. Even corporations are constantly looking for the magic formula for skipping costly steps to get results. However, skipping steps in the selling process will result in pulling up short more often and losing opportunities for relationships and income.
You won’t find a magic close that allows you to eliminate your investment in the clients, their problems, helping them solve those problems and helping them get what they want.
Six Things You Can Watch Out For + Grow Your Business
- If you are not getting to know about potential clients, their issues, problems and opportunities before you see them and getting to know them during the sales process, you are actually hurting yourself and the potential clients you see. They also often won’t become your client, or they just won’t continue to buy from you after that first strike when you skip the step of focusing on them.
- If you are going to provide a solution for a potential client, personalize your presentation just for them. People love to be heard and showing them a solution that was created just for them shows you are really focused on their best interests.
- Make sure you tell the story of your brand and the unique and unduplicatable role it can play in solving problems for your clients. The lost art of telling the brand story of local radio brands is a shame. Tell this story consistently well and your income will rise.
- Concentrate your presentation on value to the potential client. No value = no long-term client. Besides, the client doesn’t care about anything else.
- If you are a salesperson who loves to lower the price for an easier sale, you are often making a mistake that reduces the effectiveness and devaluates your product. Here’s why that is bad: This is not the path to more revenue or income. It’s a path to more work for you and less money. Go ahead. Ask yourself if you want to work twice as hard and make half the money you could have made. You know the answer. Don’t be afraid to ask for what your brand is worth.
- Don’t drop your price easily. When you drop your price, you also signal to the client that you will likely drop the price even more if you are nudged. You’ll notice 5 and 6 on this list are both about changing the perception of value by giving away more of your work. You shouldn’t give away your value. Radio is already a great buy. Clients don’t want to overpay, but they will pay if you show them the value. Concentrate on making certain you are showing the true value of your ideas and brands. Not that you are cheap. When people see you are offering more value than the price they are paying, people rarely talk about price.Leveraging the value of your product is your job. Learn how to do that well without dropping the price and you will be a happy seller with happy and engaged clients.
People will spend more time and effort trying to avoid the real work of making things happen instead of doing the work up-front that is necessary to do a top-flight job. If you do roll your sleeves up and do the work as a salesperson, you will make more money.
I found it the exact same in my programming career: Most battles are won before the first shot is fired. There is a reason they say that those who prepare are ready. And clients notice.
No Shortcuts To Winning
There are no shortcuts when it comes to being prepared for a client presentation or even interaction.
The best salespeople are involved directly with clients and potential clients and they care about their business. They consistently engage the clients and potential clients to help them reach their goals.
And they hold their value.
Go be a great seller and leverage your brands. People, clients, your company and your bank account will notice.
Loyd Ford is president and chief strategic officer at Rainmaker Pathway Consulting Works (RPC). Reach him anytime at 864.448.4169 or [email protected].
