5 Innovative Sales Strategies to Drive More Revenue

If your sales revenue has been stagnant lately, you might need to incorporate some new sales strategies. New strategies can successfully drive more revenue for you and your organization. Here are five innovative sales strategies to drive more revenue for your business. We encourage you to look for some new sales strategies outside of this article and give them a try as well.

Requesting Referrals

This may not sound innovative, but it’s something that often gets forgotten about. You already know how crucial referrals can be for pulling in new business, but expecting them to happen isn’t enough. Perfect your strategy for asking for referrals by trying new methods or tweaking your existing referral program.

Don’t take short cuts and just rely on offering benefits to those who make a referral. Come up with a compelling speech to ask for referrals without being too pushy, create a video, create a convincing email or send an actual postcard to your clients.

Use More Social Media

You might already tweet or have a Facebook page, but that’s not enough these days. Consider creating a YouTube channel for your product or service on which you can display detailed instructional videos. Take some eye-catching photographs for Instagram. Maximize your presence on all outlets, and don’t forget about influencers. YouTube and Instagram personalities are amassing huge followings that buy any product recommended to them.

Point Out a Problem & Solve The Problem

Don’t rely on expressing your product’s purpose(s) and features. Do the research to point out a problem your customers might not be aware of that your product can fix. Put a detailed document together that shows them what exactly needs to be fixed, how you can help them fix it and what it will cost them to fix that particular problem or set of problems. Evaluating the concerns and needs of the customer builds trust, improves your knowledge of a targeted consumer base, and improves the overall experience.

This will set you apart from your competitors who all have similar stories and products but just aren’t putting forth the time and effort to bring them to their client’s attention. This requires discipline so you need to go to work and start pointing out and solving client problems.

Simplify Your Message

Do you have a company mission statement or a sales mission statement? If not, create one and keep it simple. Consumers are hit with hundreds of advertisements a day, so they don’t search through long, rambling messages to figure out what you do. Keep it short, simple and attractive.

If your goal is to collect more email addresses via your website, make sure that you have a compelling reason for people to provide their email address. This compelling call to action could be an exclusive White Paper or a $500 give away to someone that signs up for your newsletter this month.

Content Marketing

Many businesses underestimate the power of content marketing. People spend hours every day on the Internet, so online content is a valuable resource. Many companies and freelance writers can create short articles using search engine optimization practices. These articles can pull online traffic to your site that can turn into sales. Ensure your content marketing has a Killer Content Strategy.

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June 26, 2017February 8, 2019

5 Steps To Run A Productive Sales Meeting

While the world of business is fast paced and frantic there are times when the entire staff comes together for the purposes of making succinct plans for the future. These conferences, or sales meetings, are important to the employees as well as the employer. It is during these meetings that goals are set and techniques are refined. If you are responsible for setting up sales meetings in your company, then there are several things that you need to remember at all times.

The following information is meant to serve as a guide to help you lead a more productive and professional sales meeting.

Make An Agenda

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that you need to have a specific agenda for the materials that will be covered in your meeting. Having a plan is the first step in making your business meeting more productive. If you fail to have a proper agenda, it will become obvious to the other employees that you have not devoted adequate time to your craft. This is the breeding ground for sloppiness and for apathy. Make a plan and stick with it.

Get Everyone Involved

Every sales meeting needs to embody the salespeople. This means your meeting needs to hold information that can be beneficial to the people who are actually doing the selling. This is a great time to inject new people and new ideas into the conversation. Encourage your people to share and bounce ideas off of each other. This meeting is about making them more productive. Allow them to learn.

Related Article: How To Brainstorm With A Group

Collaboration

This meeting is not about hearing you lecture. The number one mistake in many sales meetings is the dominance of one person. It is important that this meeting is a time of collaboration. Make sure that you are not the only one speaking. This is not the time to monopolize the conversation. On the flip side, it is important that you do not allow another individual to dominate the conversation as well. In order to foster a good environment, it is important that everyone have a chance to share. It is equally important that everyone feel his or her opinions are being listened to.

Related Article: Stop Pitching and Start Solving Client Problems

Measure Results

It is important that your meeting has measurable results. This does not mean you should take a poll of the people immediately following the meeting. What it does mean is that a sales meeting is meant to offer encouragement as well as fine details.Recognizing the individual performances during meetings promotes improvements throughout the sales force. A properly run sales meeting can energize your team and set your week on the right path. A poorly operated sales meeting could undermine your leadership.

Make A Comfortable Environment

Perhaps the most obvious aspect of a sales meeting is that it should be fun. This is not the time for carnival rides or balloon animals but it is a time to make your employees comfortable and loose. Allow for creativity in both the atmosphere and the tone of your meetings.

The Sales Coaching Institute offers effective instruction when you want to learn more about how to run a sales meeting efficiently. Get more great tips by visiting SalesCoach.us today.

June 20, 2017February 8, 2019

Why Creating Great Memories & Experiences During the Sales Process Will Engender Greater Client Engagement

Often sales representatives forget that their customers, even the C-suite clients, are people and have the same basic needs as everyone else. Finding ways in a sales meeting to create positive relationships, experiences and memories are essential to engaging those clients during the meeting and during critical future interactions.

In order to develop these positive experiences, there are several things that any sales rep can do. These should be considered in advance of your sales meeting, but can also occur based on what is occurring in the room if you can think on your feet. The best sales professionals are able to highlight these moments as part of the sales presentation, not impeding the flow of the meeting but rather enhancing the engagement by creating a personal interest for the customer.

Prior to the Sale

The key to being able to create positive memories and experiences during the sales process is to know about the person or people across the table. What do they enjoy, what recognition do they value, are they passionate about an organization or an event in their community? Today, it is easier than ever to find out what people show interest in by looking at their social media accounts. There is bound to be something about them online that you can use to open a conversation and build rapport.

Being able to recognize these unique attributes, interests or recognition given to the various individuals in the room in a natural and authentic way during the initial introductions creates increased engagement.

Don’t Be the Expert All The Time

Selling to anyone means respecting their experience and expertise in their industry. A sales rep that comes across as an “expert” is a good thing. However, if you always come across as knowing everything you are going to turn off more clients than you will engage during the sales process. This will also create negative memories of the event if they felt “upstaged” by the sales rep in their own area of expertise.

Instead, be collaborative with the buyer or the buying team. Ask an open-ended question, get their opinions and be seen as someone coming alongside to help to solve a problem or a challenge. Show interest in their business and ask them questions about their business. After you ask questions, make sure to listen! Most hard working business owners treat their businesses like their children. If you show interest in their business, you are building rapport and an emotional connection which is key to developing a trusting relationship with your prospect.

Related Article: The Power of Positive Sales Habits

Be Authentic

Being authentic is also critical for any positive meeting. Avoid being robotic and respond to the people in the room in a way that adds to the shared experience and generates a feeling of similar goals and interests. Staying true to yourself by showcasing your genuine personality will create a comfortable environment. The more people feel “alike,” the more engaged they are in discussions, and the more open they are to considering your product as a viable solution.

The science behind sales and the sales process is the focus of training, courses, and workshops offered at The Sales Coaching Institute. To find out more, click here.

Need Some Sales Motivation?

RONALD REAGANS TOP 5 MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES FOR SALES PROFESSIONALS

June 5, 2017February 8, 2019

A Beautiful Sales Mind

How To Grow A Beautiful Sales Mind

Many people think that selling is not their strong suite, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t get better. You can learn and establish strong sales attributes if you don’t already have them. If you look at selling as a methodical and engaging profession, you’ll realize that it takes years to perfect yourself. If you want to grow a beautiful sales mind for yourself, here are a few tips.

Ask Pertinent Questions

Good sellers know that everyone wants something, even if they think they don’t. One common method of salesmanship is to ask what color car they want instead of whether or not they want one. If you ask them if they want a car, they will probably say no and leave. If you ask them what color they want, it opens a new way of communication that can get you that sale. You still have your work cut out for you, but you’ve already established that they want a blue car or particular features and can work to help them find it.

Related Article From Dummies.com: 10 Tips To Help You Ask Good Questions

Compromise Everything

Good salespeople are likely to find a compromise for everything in their lives. There are two sides to an argument because no one starts off thinking about compromising or negotiating. Understanding ideas from the opposing side while sharing your own builds successful listening skills that allow you to spot important issues within the conversation. However, there is always room to give something up. For the customer, they may not get the latest model but may also not spend as much money. You sell them something, but it may be lower in price than originally posted.

Understand The Customer

In some cases, the selling pattern goes on forever or just ends up fizzling out because you don’t consider their point of view. You want them to buy something and may go over the benefits and features until you’re blue in the face, but until you take a moment and step into their shoes, you’ll never have a beautiful sales mind.

The Sales Coaching Institute prides itself on offering the most robust sales training and coaching programs that focus on the entire sales process. Visit SalesCoach.us to find out more.

May 22, 2017February 8, 2019

Are You Suffering From SDD – Sales Deficit Disorder? If You Are, Here’s The Cure

Sales is not an easy job. It requires a lot of different skill sets and abilities to really be effective in this career. Often those new to sales or those transferring from one type of sales to another find themselves suffering from SDD.

SDD or Sales Deficit Disorder is not an incurable condition. In fact, by reviewing your current sales practices and making a few changes, you can actually cure yourself. Bad habits, lack of sales process and simply not having the experience are often at the heart of SDD, along with the following:

Missing The Business Question – selling a product isn’t just about product knowledge. It is about asking the business for their business once they understand the value of the product or service. If you aren’t asking this direct question, don’t anticipate any response from your customers.
Finding a Need – are you providing your customers with an answer to their problems, needs or challenges? By highlighting how your product resolves these issues in their life rather than on discount pricing or monthly promotions, you create an interest and a solution. Inform the client of how beneficial the service or product would be for them personally.
Not Listening – while you are there to make a sales pitch, some very well worded, open-ended questions to find out what the buyer is looking for. Try to find the challenges they are facing or find the current deficit in their supplier, which will allow ] you to tailor the presentation to their needs.
Being Easily Shut Down – the perception of the chance to make a sale will influence how much effort you put into the pitch. If you don’t think it will happen, you don’t try as hard and walk away on the first “not interested.”

By thinking of every sale as a strong possibility, you are more confident, better prepared and more resilient to those mixed messages that buyers may be sending.

Author: salescoach