Create Sales Culture

Recession Busting Sales Strategies to break through the Recession

Please don't put too much reliance on the government and politicians to get us out of this economic mess.  If you care about your business you will not want to leave recovery to these clowns but take responsibility yourself.

Here are the lucky thirteen strategies, that if applied with vigour will push you and your business through to recovery in 2009

Words vs. Actions

Before that here are my thoughts on ‘trust’ and ‘confidence’.  They are simply two words which depict emotional states which individuals experience.  How we can be made to experience more trust and confidence is widely debated. 

Trust & Confidence - is this Business Recovery?

The presence of these emotional states in people, either individually or collectively, may trigger a change in behaviour – and that’s what economists hope will happen with eager consumers creating a retail revolution in the high street.

Consumer Recovery – Where, When & How

In terms of economic growth we are led to believe that the return of ‘trust and confidence’ will signal a recovery reflected in changes in consumer behaviour.

Commentators and analysts hope that this will trigger an economic revival.  I am not so sure.  I do not know what strategies I could use to build trust and confidence in a short period of time.  Fiscal measures would help.

My Trusted and Talented Business Network

You can guess most of us who run businesses are keen to find when the recovery will start.  I have had many meetings in January with a variety of colleagues from Web Designers, to Recruitment Consultants and IT specialists to Hoteliers.

We are all looking for new ways to get customers to knock at our doors.  Here are some ideas and they are all driven by you.

Thirteen Strategies to Achieve Economic Recovery

1. Is there a demand for what you supply?

Decide what it is you are about to sell.  It matters not whether its goods or services.  Is your service of value to those whom consume it?  If you don’t have any effective demands for your services you have no business. 

You just have something to sell that people don’t want.  They may want it in another market place – they may love it – but in your current market place you do not have a business.  This can still work – but you have to relocate to a geography where interest is intense.

2. Are your customers ‘Raving Fans?’

How do your customers respond to what you sell?  Are they ‘raving fans’ who act as strong advocates making active recommendations and referrals for you - or are they lacklustre in their praise?  Are they dispassioniate and could not care about the service you provide?  Do you know?  What's more, if they are displeased, what are they saying to others? 

If you can count on them to recommend you to other potential purchasers then you have to devise a strategy to achieve that.  If not how can you turn their indifference to passion?

Can you use their referrals to drive your business in 2009 and 2010?

3. Do you have a powerful value proposition?

What is your value proposition from your customer’s perspective?  What value do you bring to them and their business or their life?

4. Do you have tangible benefits from the customer perspective?

What benefits will accrue or be experienced by your customers?  Be honest with yourself do they really experience these benefits or are they just part of your sales patter?

5. Why do customers leave you?

Do you know why your customers stop trading with you? What are the top three reasons they move on?  Address these and you may retain customers.  Do you have a customer retention strategy?  What warning signals have you ignored that indicate that their loyalty to you is about to be displaced?

6.  What are your Moments of Truth

Have you isolated your moments of truth - what are the core experiences that lead to customer loyalty?  What do you fail to do that would lead to this customer commitment towards always purchasing from you?

7. Do you have a business plan and have you communicated it to your people?

Do you staff fully understand your business strategies and any business plans?  If they do not how can they contribute and why should they if you cannot be bothered to engaging with them and using their talents to the full?

8. Qualifying Prospects

Do you know how to win new converts to your business?  Do you have strategy to convert interest from prospects into paying customers?  Do you know how to qualify your prospects?

9. Marketing vs. Sales

Have you developed a marketing plan that works?  Some of your marketing will fall on deaf ears – some will generate interest which may result in purchasing. 

Marketers’ have this problem of not differentiating which bit of their marketing tactics worked and which bits did not?  You have to set up reliable measures?

10. Cold Calling

Have you committed to winning new customers through cold calling?  Most people will do anything to avoid call calling.  Many are terrified of it because they don’t know how to do it. With cold calling comes rejection as well as success.

Develop the interpersonal resilience, master this process and you will always have a growing customer base.

11.  How do you Market yourself?

What media do you rely upon?  How do people find out about what you do?  What works for you?  What do your competitors do that works for them that you don’t?  If you don’t know – find out.

12. Emotional Needs & Wants

What is it that you provide that makes people feel good about you?  What bad things or pain are never experienced by the customer because of what you provide?  How can you leverage both to your advantage?

13. Build a Sales Culture

Everyone you employ has the capability to engage with existing and potential customers.  Don’t believe that sales leads reside with sales people. 

You may wisely decide to only approach potential prospects through your sales business but harvesting names and routes should be promoted company wide.

From Recession to Recovery in 2009

If you run your own business this responsibility resides with you.  If you need capital or borrowings then that may be a different story. 

However, if you do have effective demand for your product or services and can leverage interest reflected in purchasing decisions you will be in a strong position.  And getting to the customer is your responsibility?