1. Don’t Ignore the Sales Stages
A person may not buy a product because he does not need it. And also, because the seller “sucks in” something before he finds out about the real needs of the client. To prevent this situation, do not ignore the sales stages.
Sales stages are a specific plan, the purpose of which is to lead the client to the conclusion of the transaction. There are 5 main stages:
1. Establishing contact with the client
At the stage of acquaintance, it is important to show sincerity, openness and a desire to help. To establish contact, you can use open questions and a script to start a conversation. But even if you use a script, try to be as organic as possible – nothing scares you more at the dating stage than the use of ordinary phrases and the inertness of the dialogue.
Establishing contact with the client on the trading floor: show interest and interest in the person as soon as he crosses the threshold. Even if he does not become a client, attention and nice communication will leave a good impression. And if he initially came to you with a specific purpose, it can help increase the average check and sell related products.
Establishing contact with a client by phone: do not let conversations take their course and think over the scenarios in advance – ready-made scripts.
2. Stage of identifying needs
This is one of the most important sales stages. If the client is taciturn or unable to clearly explain what he wants, use probing questions that need to be prepared in advance. This will help the conversation flow in the right direction.
3. Effective product presentation
At this stage, the information that you received from the previous paragraph will come in handy. It doesn’t matter what technique is used at the stage of product presentation, it is important to find the best solution for the client’s problems with the help of your product / service. Therefore, focus not on the properties of the product, but on the ultimate benefit of its use.
4. Dealing with objections
The customer objection is a normal part of the sale. It is important to make out whether this is a constructive objection or a subjective one. Constructive ones can be worked with with the right arguments, need creation and discounts. But with the subjective, it can be difficult to do something – you will not affect the mood or personal problems of the client.
5. Closing the deal
At the stage of closing the transaction, it is important not to ask too many questions. Confirm what was going on throughout the conversation to convince the client that he is making the right choice.
And most importantly: if the stages of sales do not seem important to you and you start the conversation with a product presentation, be prepared for rejections, because only following all the points will help make the sale organic and effective.
2. Use Sales Techniques
Yes, all these snaps, spins and heels were invented for a reason. Sales techniques exist to build a conversation properly, depending on the characteristics of the niche and customers. We advise you to understand at least those that work in your market.
For example, the SNAP sales technique that pays off in highly competitive and rapidly changing markets (and small business in the service industry is just that) advises dividing sales into 4 stages:
1 – Simplicity. Tell us about your product or service and how it will help the customer.
For example, you have a computer repair service.
2 – Uniqueness. Tell us about what makes your product or service unique.
Due to the fact that all parts are in stock, you perform work of any complexity in 1 day.
3 – Customer focus. Focus on how the product fits the customer.
Your workshop is located in the office area, thanks to which IT specialists do not waste time diagnosing and searching for masters, but can use the service without leaving the office.
4 – Priority. Show why he should acquire it as quickly as possible.
But if you hand over the laptop for cleaning now, then the client will receive a discount on laptop maintenance throughout the year.
3. Motivate employees
Nothing affects the level of sales like the motivation of employees. After all, sales will not take off just because the owner needs it!
Therefore, tie employee salaries to sales:
- make interest charges for the sale of certain positions,
- give bonuses for the sale of related products (cross-selling),
- make rewards for completing a certain number of sales.
And in order not to get confused in the numbers and not complicate your life, use the accounting system. In RemOnline, for example, you can set up automatic payroll for employees according to more than 8 scenarios:
Using motivation to increase sales is an effective solution for small businesses, because along with profit growth, staff performance indicators will go up. This means that the development of the company will go faster.
4. Don’t Forget Phone Sales
Of course, phone sales are no longer as popular as online marketing and social media sales. But for small businesses, giving this channel a chance is still worth it, because it will help:
- Remind about yourself and your services to regular customers,
- Interest in new promotions and interesting offers of new customers,
- Quickly get feedback about the company and more.
Due to the fact that when talking on the phone you can not see the person and his reaction, it can be difficult to establish contact and even more so to make a sale. But if you maintain a customer database in crm, then it will not be difficult to identify a client when calling and personalize the approach. RemOnline, for example, integrates with telephony, which allows you to see the data of the client and his order during an incoming call.
5. Sell online
Small businesses do not always use digital opportunities for sales. But in vain, because placing goods on Internet sites will help to get an additional flow of customers. How to sell online to small businesses?
- Online store
If the creation and promotion of a separate online store seems like an overwhelming task for small businesses, a separate sales unit on the landing page is not such a difficult solution to implement.
- Marketplaces
Increasing sales with OLX or Prom is an affordable solution for small businesses. If sales are not a profitable part of your business, but additional ones, marketplaces will provide additional turnover without the need to invest in the development and promotion of your own store.
- Social Networks
If you are familiar with social networks, they can be a great source of income. An online catalog on a Facebook business page will increase sales on Instagram and increase brand awareness. But before mastering social networks, it is important to understand that you will need to devote time to content and communication with subscribers.
And most importantly, remember: even if your business is a story about services, not sales, extra revenue never hurts. Use our advice, find your own ways to increase sales and develop in several directions at the same time. This is what we wish you!
