When your Busy, Sell Sell Sell…Never Stop Selling…

Better Never Stops - Sale

WHEN YOU’RE BUSY, SELL SELL SELL. NEVER STOP SELLING…

 

One month you’re too busy, so you ‘turn the flow’ down, and then the next month sales go a bit quiet and you ‘turn the tap back to full flow’.

 

In turn this puts unnecessary strain on just about every aspect of the business as it jumps from flat out to half power, back to full power etc. This might sound extreme, but I’ve come across lots of businesses like it.

 

Ideally the business should beat to a consistent rhythm.

 

Ideally the business should beat to a consistent rhythm.

A consistent flow of quality leads, professionally followed-up through tried and tested sales conversion techniques and every opportunity taken to maximise customer value.

Now, this last one ‘maximise customer value’ is probably the most powerful and sadly the least used strategy in most businesses I meet. Without them, it’s like trying to fill a bath with the plug out and holes drilled in the sides. You keep pouring water in (sales leads), a certain amount stays (sales conversion) and then it just leaks away again. Without the tap constantly pouring the bath would be empty.

Imagine the bath now with only a small hole (or two) half way up the bath. You’ve plugged all the other holes with customer maximisation strategies. Now you only have to keep topping up the bath.

This is equally so for businesses. Just look at the number of big brands that since 2000 have disappeared. And why? Because they didn’t keep up with their changing market. And these are big companies with a big brand, huge resources and masses of intellect.

A good marketing and sales strategy are the secret sauce of every business.

Many falsely believe you need a top quality, industry-leading product to be really successful. But a good product badly marketed will never fly and soon die. However, a mediocre product marketed well will sell and survive and flourish for years to come.
Is MacDonald’s a top-class restaurant? Many would argue the food is terrible. Even when faced with all sorts of criticism (and scandal) over the years about the salt, fat and calories they bounce back quickly and stronger. They are a great example of how you do excellent marketing.

Action...

Get The Habit of Always Selling!

In every successful business you’ll find a core culture and habit of ‘always selling’.

It would be very easy to mistakenly believe their success comes effortlessly to them and customers are somehow cleverly brainwashed into submission.

They achieve it because they have a well thought through, constantly tested and executed marketing and sales programme.

When was the last time you reviewed your marketing and sales approach

  1. If you don’t already, start measuring the following every day, week and month (you’ll need this to effectively test and review):
    • The number of leads the business generates
    • The number of new sales orders you get from those leads
    • The number of repeat orders you get from customers
    • The value of the orders you get from customers new and existing
  2. Implement two customer maximisation strategies
    • Increase the value of each order by upselling or cross-selling.

Upsell is increasing the volume of the order by adding value but without adding much cost to you. The classic at Macdonald’s is “do you want to go large?”

Cross-selling is adding additional products at the point of purchase. Again, at Macdonald’s “would you like a drink with your order?”

How could you use these in your business?

Asking for Referrals. After every transaction ask your customer either verbally or in writing (a voucher, written on the bottom of invoice or email), “thank you for your order and your business. Is there anyone you know who could benefit from the products we’ve provided you today?” You can include an incentive but if you’ve given your customer a really great experience you don’t need to, they are normally only too willing to tell others.

 

  1. Review your sales follow-up processes. Most companies don’t follow-up enough and stop after 2-5 attempts. Research proves on average you need at least 7 and closer to ten to get the business. Don’t give up, find ways to automate and systemise the process.
  2. Don’t stop generating leads and use at least three different lead generation strategies all the time.

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get the same result” Henry Ford – Founder of the Ford Motor Company

So, what do you do now?

If you’ve read this far, you’re clearly not happy with your business. As I see it you now have 3 choices:

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Choice 1

Do nothing! And surprisingly many won’t do anything different. They’ll carry on seeking for the magic wand! Or better still bury their head in sand in a vain hope something will happen.

One of my clients and now good friends, Adrian, has a great saying (he’s from Yorkshire, so it’s even better in his accent!):

“Only s**t happens, everything else you have to make happen yourself!”

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Choice 2

Take action by implementing some or all the actions above.

Great stuff and good luck, you’ll be well on your way to very quickly having a much easier business to manage, you’ll feel rejuvenated and start to really enjoy your business again.

If you need any further help please check out the free tools on our website, www.betterneverstops.global

Choice 3

Take our Business Efficiency Test to find out how efficient your business runs and what improvements you could make today. It will cover all of the mistakes mentioned above and many more.

Check out www.betterneverstops.global