I have been told, many times, “Oh it must be so great to own your own business but I could never do it.” When I ask why people say that they almost always say something like, “I’m not organized enough.” or “I’m terrible with money and accounting.” As almost anyone that knows me. I am one of the least organized people out there. I have a good head for numbers but I hate the act of accounting (I like reading the reports). The truth is, what you need to own a successful business is passion, and resources. While money helps, that’s not what I mean. Many people have opened businesses before you or me. Far fewer are successful at it. Of course everyone is different but there’s a few pit falls that catch a lot of people. For the next few posts, we’ll talk about some of them and how to avoid them for yourself.
One of the most common challenges to business owners is not knowing how to sell. You may have a great product that could help a lot of people, but if you don’t know who your market is and how to get it to them it does not matter. It really doesn’t. If no one knows about your product, no one will buy it. This does not mean that you can’t have a successful business if you’re not a good salesperson. You should have a decent “elevator pitch” (30 seconds on what your company does) but you don’t necessarily need to be the sales person and if you are, you don’t have to be great at it right off the bat. What you do need to do, is practice. One of the best things I did when I started my business was join a Leads Group at my Chamber of Commerce. Every week I was in a room with other business owners telling them what I did. I got to the point where I could explain why we mattered in 20 seconds and why we were different from the competition in another 20. It is a valuable skill that continues to serve me today. These groups are also great because you’re with other business owners. Ask for help. If someone has a somewhat similar business (same structure, different products), as them what they do for new business and if they’d be willing to let you pick their brain. Take them to coffee and chat about some of your challenges.
There are a ton of great, and often free, resources for new business owners. Your local Chamber or Small Business Development Center can help. They often run classes and lectures on all kinds of facets of business and can help you with whatever challenges your facing. If you don’t live in a metropolitan area, look for online resources. I’ve had great luck with SCORE in the past. The most important thing is, if you know that your weak point is sales, prioritize it. No one wants to spend time doing things they don’t like but it’s often what we need to do most. If you just really can’t do it, hire help. If you can’t get new clients, you don’t have a business. Whether it’s a social media consultant, a cold caller, or even just a closer for leads you find, business can’t thrive without sales. Learn your market, learn what other businesses like yours do and take your cues from them. It’s unlikely you need to reinvent a perfectly good wheel. You just need to find clients, and be able to explain why you’re different from someone else they might use.
How did you improve your sales skills? Is there something you wish you had done sooner?