Most women entrepreneurs are passionate about their small businesses but the idea of selling their service terrifies the living day lights out of them. The lack of sales and profits make them despair about the future of their business and contemplate upon quitting. If you are one of these women, then you are certainly not alone. Women are brilliant in conceptualizing, creating, executing, marketing their service even but when it comes to selling it, they get the cold feet. They find it difficult to name a price and convince a client to buy their service. They feel awkward and self-conscious. They hope that their service would sell itself. They often end up making fatal sales moves that hurt their bottom line and eventually run their business into the ground. Contemplate up on the following commonly made sales mistakes and see which ones you are making:
Treating Sales Call as a Formality and Not as a Conversation
Sales calls have a lot riding on them so it’s not uncommon for introvert business women to feel uncomfortable in making these calls. However, the minute you shift your mindset and begin to see sales calls as real conversations, an exploration of your prospective client’s needs and your offerings, and the aim to find the right fit between them, you will feel relaxed. You will feel confident that you have something of value for your client and have the potential to make a difference in his or her life.
Speaking But Not Asking the Right Questions
When you are unable to understand the purpose and dynamics of a sales call and place it in the right context, you make the mistake of using it as a one-way street i.e., bombarding a new person with your service intro and features. Since a sales call is a conversation, so it should be warm, friendly, two-way, and empathetic, where you should be encouraging your prospective client to speak more and where you should be listening attentively and actively. Another mistake that you make during a sales call is that you don’t ask the person enough important insightful questions because you don’t want to get on his or her nerves or look naive. However, actively listening and asking insightful questions will enable you to learn the pain points and aspirations of your clients and place your product in the context of their needs and desires.
Selling Features and Not the Benefits
Don’t fill up the precious space in your calls, website, presentation, and emails with the innumerable features of your service. Your client is not interested in knowing the features of your service but rather how these features are beneficial for him or her. Many a times, customers are struggling to see the real benefit of your service in their life and business. So if you are able to do a better job of convincing them of the real benefit, then you would also be able to sell them the service. So go right into the heart of the matter and tell your clients all the ways your service can be beneficial for them.
Attempting to Sell Without Solving a Problem and Giving a Solution
If you keep seeing yourself as a person selling a service, you would be unable to discover the deeper meaning in the sales process and keeping demeaning your work. Instead of being someone trying to sell as service, try to see yourself as a person trying to help a customer solve the most critical problems in his business or life. For this purpose, you firstly have to understand the problems and pain points of your client.
Under pricing Your Service
If you price your service unreasonably low in order to establish your market and attract more customers, or keep offering them discounts you can’t afford to give in the first place, you will set a negative pattern. You will depreciate the value of your own brand and end up hitting rock bottom sooner or later. For many customers, low price means low quality and not just affordability. On the other hand, if they see the value in something, they would be willing to pay the price. But using discounts and free trials selectively and tactfully with the right customers and at the right time can help you earn his or her long term loyalty and referrals. The key is to distinguish which prospective customer is worth this chance. So try to use your sales conversation to gauge this.
Stop fantasizing that your product is so perfect that it would sell itself or that the perfect client would cross your door on his own. You have to go out there and catch the attention of your clients by hearing them out deeply; understanding their real needs and pain points, situating your service in the realm of their needs, and making them realize that your service can solve their pressing problems.
I am Luci McMonagle, a Miracles and Abundance coach. My true passion in life is helping aspiring women entrepreneurs overcome their biggest fears and obstacles and get the best out of their businesses and lives. There are a myriad of ways I can help you: tips, personalized readings, counseling, referrals, resources, and much much more. Check out my training calendar and be on it to learn the ways to make your sales soar and earn the income you deserve. Click here.