Whatever the product or service you are thinking of offering, you must test and practice selling it to prospective customers. You might need to change the product or service offer if you find it too difficult to sell.
Don’t let the experts lull you into believing ‘business planning is the most important skill’. Of course you need to have a clear idea of where you’re going and how you’re going to get there and the numbers attached to this but ‘winning and keeping customers’ through your own efforts, is the ‘must have’ skill.
Winning more business (through selling) and looking after customers are what 99% of new business owners need to get great at pronto. No customers equals no business.
Tony Robinson OBE is a prime example of someone who wastes hours each day promoting my talents, as a speaker and author, on Twitter and other social media but at the end of the day you haven’t made a single sale. Why is that oh useless one? Because you haven’t been selling or negotiating with a prospective customer.
Because you are passionate about your products and/or services you will find a method of selling and win-win negotiating that you find comfortable with – if you practice. It’s usually about asking really, helpful to the customer, questions so that you can provide them with what they want.
Before you start trading most business owners would recommend you test out your products and/or services with potential customer. Not only are you testing whether you’ve got your product or service right – you’re also learning how to sell it.
For products then car boot sales and markets can be ideal testing grounds and for business to business services then exhibition stands (share one) and business fairs are great. Skype and free webinars are other ways to test trade (sell).
For more from Soculitherz come back every weekend or purchase the Kindle book ‘Freedom From Bosses Forever‘ by Tony Robinson OBE (with Soculitherz) from Amazon.
