Increase online sales: No matter your start-up is either product based or service based—seeing sales soar is what all you want to see. Starting a startup is an easy task when compared to the task of selling the products or services you spent months to build.
It’s not an exaggeration of the importance of sales when said that sales can either make or break your business—in fact, it holds true for any business you could possibly imagine. Here, we present you the TEN most important—yes, I’ll say it again—we present you the TEN most important and smart ways to help you increase online sales in your start-up.
1. Stop closing sales and start providing values —
Nowadays every salesperson wants to increase online sales and find ways of closing. They read and see videos of what is the perfect way to close the sale—or which is the perfect time to sell call to close the sale—numerous similar trends are followed blindly by the salespersons. But the secret is to not go for finding ways of closing a sale but to provide the customers something really valuable.
Everybody looks for value for money, and if your product or service is not offering something of value, then it is very unlikely that you would be closing an expected number of sales. Giving value allows you to use creativity and become magnetic. And when you’re magnetic you don’t have to chase people or opportunities, they start chasing you.
Being magnetic means you are a giver. The most successful entrepreneurs that we know are the people who constantly give as much as they could. Givers are confident in their hustle, and they never mind coming out of their comfort zones and offering something much more valuable that amazes customers and thus drives sales.
Value can be perceived by:
- Ease of use of service or product after the purchase
- Increase in productivity for the customer
- Boost in customer moral after product or service is installed
- Providing Reasonably Affordable product or service—not the cheapest rather best valued
- Continued valued messages to help the customer after the purchase.I have written a detailed article on How to hire freelancer online
2. Fear of Rejection
It’s a totally bogus concept. The saying that the fear of rejection among your salesperson is the reason of low sales of your start-up is false, along with the persons who says this. This is a pretty good excuse and made when the salesperson lacks essential skills likes communication or friendliness. The one of biggest myth in sales is that the salesperson doesn’t like the cold call because they fear rejection.
It’s a sick thought. We heard managers saying to the salesperson that customers have not rejected you—they rejected your offers. No man! They rejected your offers and your people—both. And it’s not because the salesperson was in a kind of fear of rejection.
It’s because the top management leadership skills of your start-up is weak and their soft skills training are weaker and without these two essential things how can you expect your salesperson to score high on sales? Rejection is a reason based response and when you are wise enough to know when and by which wrong activity the rejection may come, there is a very good chance that you can possibly eliminate those activities and acts.
Reasons of Rejections are —
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- Lack of ATTITUDE not only positive attitude but also the lack of a winning attitude.
- Lack of preparation in terms of a customer.
- Lack of customer’s belief in you and your offerings.
- Lack of proper sales skills.
- Lack of personal self-confidence.
- Lack of resilience.
- Lack of personal pride in your work. Consistent lateness, missed appointments, cynical comments, etc.
- Negative self-thoughts. Like thinking—I am not good enough for this.
- Lack of self-esteem. Somebody said you are not capable enough and you believed in it.
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Overcoming these reasons would surely boost up your confidence and definitely your increase online sales.
3. Asking for Referrals —
This is one of the worst things you can do for your startup—asking for referrals. It doesn’t make sense to beg for referrals. This is not only an embarrassing act but asking for referral can even jeopardise the future of your relationship with the customer. Studies have proved that asking for referrals makes the customer uncomfortable, and eventually, they lose interest in maintaining a healthy relationship with you.
Referral is something that works best when it is given without asking. Genuine referrals are one of the great tools to increase sales and revenue for your firm. But, getting genuine referrals is not that easy—no one gives a referral until and unless your firm had delighted customers with your products or services and they are happy satisfied and eager to work with you. When happy and satisfied customers gave your referral, it’s sure that it will convert into a business. So, rather than asking for referrals, delight your existing customers so that they could tell how they feel when they used your product or service.
Be available always and be a consistent value provider. You may even give a referral to the customer, see that if anything is value to them and start making a connection. The thing to remember is that GIVE TO GIVE, NOT GIVE TO GET.
4. Change your Approach —
Having a great sales approach is as important as having essential skills for sales. It’s the way of approach that defines how the customer will respond at the first place. It’s all about having a great first impression so that you could continue to flatter the customer. Being impressive is not an option—it’s the necessity.
A systematic sales approach with an equally detailed research of the customer and his company is pre-requisite before making a sale call or meet. You have to do your homework about their company, and about the person, you are going to meet.
Prepare every type of questions you need to understand them and their business needs. Be more questioning than your competitors, so that you could know more about the customers than your competitors. Asking more and talking less is the key of the building trust in a sales conversation. Get a list of the things that excites them.
Every company has something to achieve with the product or service they buy—figure it out as early as possible and then direct your conversation to offer product and services to meet their planned goals. Being more patience and less anxious will help you analyse better.
5. If you don’t know, then ask —
Asking right questions is the most powerful element of selling. Asking not only clarifies doubts but also builds trust among the people in conversation. Asking questions that are thought provoking develops a sense of respect from the buyer and eventually he is flattered by your deep intellectual business sense. If you are not so sure about questions then do take time— framing the questions.
It’s a great way to gain the essential trust and friendliness that helps you to increase online sales And when they are friendly and trusting with you, they will give you valuable insights that will help you customising your business solution for them. And these initial factors determine whether they are going to buy from you or not. So, remember to put numerous thought provoking questions next time you are in your sales pitch.
6. Positive Mental Attitude —
Having a positive mental attitude is also a great way to win your customers and make them love you and your services or product. Most people when asked say without hesitation that indeed they possess a positive mental attitude. But the truth is that they don’t. In fact, they were not even close to the thing called positive mental attitude.
They don’t understand that positive attitude is not a feeling, it’s a self-induced state of mind. Yes, there’s no possibility that you will have a positive attitude without transforming yourself from within. You have the supreme control of positivity within yourself. All of attitude changing is hooky, but you have to transform this into the real world by keeping it in your own mind.
But, how will you do it?
- Surround yourself to a positive environment. Read positive books, watch positive videos, CDs, doing exercise— especially yoga and meditation.
- A positive self-talk, thinking of how you can, not how you can’t.
Always have a firm believe that you can achieve it. Don’t listen to other people telling you that you are nuts, they are just jealous. Start now and work on things that matter every day. Simple? But it takes a lot of hard work.
Remember that there is no instant positive attitude, only instant negative attitude. So, fill yourself with all types of positivity and develop a positive state of mind to embark on the journey of personal and professional success and increase online sales.
7. Negotiate —
Negotiation “techniques” are something that every WEAK salesperson must learn. Negotiation— itself means that you’ve failed to give value to the customer and you haven’t build any relationship with them.
What would you do? — Negotiate, try to manipulate, save money and lower the price, OR would you rather look for pleasure, build a relationship, uncover profit, and build strengths?
Would you “hammer out a deal” where no one really wins, or provide value such that the customer will pay your price and both parties win?
ANSWER: If you want to negotiate, do it BEFORE THE SELLING OR HIRING PROCESS. Set criteria for the qualifications of bidders. Change the terms of the RFP so that you become a favoured vendor. Or better, eliminate the competition. THAT’S NEGOTIATION.
BETTER ANSWER: Use testimonials to eliminate negotiation. Back up all claims and value offerings with customer video testimonials.
THINK ABOUT THIS: Every dime you take off of your price comes right off your bottom line. increase online sales.
8. I want to think about it—
“I want to think about it”, “I want to think over”. This is one of the most frustrating type of rejection you often meet. You go through a sales presentation for one hour, and you have that gut feeling that yes, the sale will close in your favour. But, the customer after listening to your so assumed greatest ever pitch doesn’t make up his mind and come up with – “Everything sounds great, but I want to think about it for few days.”
You have lost the deal man. He is gone.
What are you supposed to do now?
Trust me; nothing is going to work when someone has said this to you. So, there exists only prevention of this deadly situation. So, what’s the way to not let the conversation go this way? The answer is— understanding. Understanding why people say this thing even, you have just finished a great sales presentation.
It is a direct result of one or more of these elements
* Some unspoken fear or reason or risk.
* Not wanting to “just say no.”
* You haven’t uncovered my real motive to buy.
* I don’t like you.
* I don’t trust you.
* I think your price is too high.
All of these elements or reasons are the real barrier to increase online sales. “I want to think about it” is a mask of rejecting your product or service, not an objection or barrier.
But, GOOD NEWS is that all of these elements are discoverable. But it’s up to the salesperson to understand what really causes “think it over.”
It’s not about RESPONSE. It’s about PREVENTION.
Before you blame the customer for THEIR lack of ability to decide, you must ask yourself these questions –
* Did I offer a value a unique value proposition that favoured the customer?
* Did I ask enough questions to discover the motive and urgency of his buying?
* Did I establish rapport and friendly dialogue?
* Was I able to create a difference between me and my competition?
* Did I uncover the prospects experience and past use?
* Do I know what the prospect’s expected outcome is?
BEFORE you hear “I want to think about it” you may be able to prevent it. Study the reasons and elements above as a start. So, to increase online sales the thing is that you have to create a perceived value in the mind of the buyer between your product or service and the others – then you have a chance. If the prospect likes you, believes you, has confidence in you, there may be a sale.
9. Two most important words —
Selling is not as hard as people make it look. Not doing the right things at right time and not asking right questions is what make it look worse. If brought down to fewer words, sales have two most important words – first is WHY. At the first place, why you are selling this? Why in the world you want to hear non-stop mind boggling phone calls and why in the world you want to spend days and nights making sales pitch that works.
And if any of the answer is MONEY. Please get out of this profession and forget to increase online sales as soon as possible. Making money never motivated someone to push their limits and do works that amazes people. It’s the will of doing something valuable and worthy for people that motivate us to go beyond our capabilities.
And the second word is YOU. Why you? Why the customers buy from you at the first place? Why not he should look to an alternate and cheaper deal for his business? The answer lies in building a relationship. Customers buy you before buying your service or product. They see you as a person who is soon going to solve his business problems. So, first, be that person whom they could trust and give their valuable money and by solving their problem in a great way you could build a lifetime relationship with him.
10. Kick your own ass —
Not a single thing comes without an ardent desire and willing to do things. Being successful or increase online sales has a lot more to do with the will of getting successful and kicking your ass to constantly working more than your competition. Hard work has no substitute and without that making your start-up successful is a far cry. Be ready to take on challenges and find immediate solutions to problems that stop you from being the best.
Your attitude impacts every single thing you do, whether it’s sale or marketing or any other thing. And before trying to impart these things in your sales pitch, impart these things in yourself. Be the best version of you by constantly pushing your limits. Work on a positive philosophy and have enough self-inspiration that drives you to work even in unfavourable moments. Greatness lies when we fight and win from inside out. Now on, remember to improve yourself each day and inspire yourself to work harder than previous day. Keep in mind that it’s the hardest work that brings the hardest sales.
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