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Are you a small business owner or a company founder who has found yourself in the role of the lead salesperson for your company?
By Marc Wayshak
It’s a really common place to be because the reality is that sales is the driving force of any business, and we, as business owners, often have to master the process of selling what we do.
So, even if the goal is to ultimately scale up and get other salespeople to do the dirty business of selling for us, we need to master the sales process ourselves.
Don’t outsource sales.
One of the most significant mistakes I often see small business owners and company founders making is attempting to outsource sales early in the process. It might be tempting to avoid dealing with sales and hire someone else to handle it. However, the truth is that without sales, your business won’t go anywhere. Sales is one of the single most important roles in a company. Especially when you’re just getting started, you must master the sales process yourself before bringing in others to help. Outsourcing sales right from the start can often lead to failure. Instead, focus on getting the sales process in place before considering outsourcing. This is one of the most crucial sales tips for small businesses that are just getting started.
Focus on processes.
Imagine yourself as a McDonald’s franchisee. The success of a franchise like McDonald’s relies heavily on having well-defined processes. You’ve got to master the process of making the signature McDonald’s hamburger so that you can teach someone else how to do it perfectly—and then they can make the same hamburgers all day long. Similarly, as the business owner of any kind of company, it’s crucial to focus on processes in sales. While your charming personality might help you make sales, it’s not a scalable approach. Develop a structured process that anyone can follow. This way, when you bring in additional salespeople, they can seamlessly step into the role using the established process. Having well-defined processes makes training and scaling much smoother, and it’s one of the most important sales tips for small business success.
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Have a repeatable way to get cold prospects.
The data is unequivocal that the top organizations in the world have one thing in common: they have a repeatable way to engage with cold prospects. Relying solely on referrals and introductions can work, but it won’t allow you to scale as you’d like. You need a consistent and repeatable outreach process to connect with cold prospects and turn them into clients. By having a clear and consistent approach, you can transform strangers into potential customers.
Leverage sales automation.
As a business owner or company founder, your time is limited. Instead of manually sending every email or making every phone call, embrace sales automation to streamline your outreach efforts. Various sales automation tools are available that allow you to send personalized emails at scale. These tools are different from marketing automation platforms like HubSpot or MailChimp or Constant Contact, and they can significantly improve your efficiency and outreach capabilities. Developing the ability to send personalized emails at scale is one of the most important sales tips for small business that you can follow.
Use virtual assistants for the research of prospects.
Setting up your sales automation requires building a leads list, which often involves extensive research. This is where virtual assistants (VAs) come in. While you can handle the initial list creation, VAs can perform the detailed research to ensure accuracy and personalization. Delegating this task to VAs can save you valuable time, as they can handle the meticulous work while you focus on higher-level tasks. When it comes to sales tips for small business, the idea that your time is valuable is paramount.
Know your company’s real value.
Understanding your company’s real value is crucial. Many founders focus on the technical details of their offerings, but what truly matters to prospects are the outcomes your solutions can provide. Shift your focus from what you’re selling to how it can solve your prospects’ challenges. This shift in perspective allows you to communicate the true value of your offerings and resonate with potential clients on a deeper level.
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Disqualify. Hard.
I said it before, but it bears repeating: Your time is precious as a small business owner. Engaging with hundreds of unqualified prospects is a waste of your limited resources. One of the best sales tips for small business is to develop a stringent disqualification process that quickly filters out those who aren’t a strong fit. While salespeople might have the luxury of spending more time on potential leads, you need to be ruthless at disqualifying prospects that don’t align with your ideal client profile.
Focus on larger sales.
Even when you have a sales team in place, as a founder, it’s wise to concentrate on larger deals. These deals can significantly impact your revenue and cash flow. Ensure that you’re overseeing the process for larger sales to secure these high-value opportunities. This focus on bigger deals can make a substantial difference in your business’s financial health to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Once you have proof of concept, bring in support.
I started out by saying that you shouldn’t outsource sales. That’s true, at the start. But after establishing a solid sales process and achieving proof of concept, you’re in a position to bring in support. Start small by hiring individuals for specific roles, such as sales development reps or account executives. Having the right processes and successful sales outcomes will make it easier to onboard and train new team members effectively. Do the work upfront, create that proof of concept, and only then bring in that support.
So there you have it. Now you know 9 sales tips for small business. Which of these sales ideas will you implement as a small business owner? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below to join the conversation.
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