Sales will make or break your business. This is an unfortunate truth that many of us fight against, but the sooner you embrace being a sales-focused entrepreneur, the sooner you can make real headway. It’s not rocket-science – without sales, there’s no revenue and without revenue, there’s no business. There are plenty of examples of […]
Selling by Numbers (reach your targets using this technique)
Selling by numbers is a great idea – especially for those of us that don’t love sales. But a formula approach – like the paint-by-numbers activities we used to do as children – is not exactly what we’re talking about. Instead, selling by numbers is a way of reverse-engineering your goals into the actions you […]
Are You Scaring Customers Away?
Could you inadvertently be making it difficult for customers to buy from you? Do people seem intimidated by the suggestions you’re making? Unfortunately many of us think we’re doing our market a favour by being super upfront and transparent. But admirable as they are, those very traits could be scaring customers away. Imagine, for instance […]
Here’s Why Optimism in Business Matters (+7 tips to regain your optimism)
Glass half-full? Business getting you down? Here’s why losing your optimism in business might be holding you back. Unlike many populist business articles, I believe that there are pretty much any personality traits can be ideal for entrepreneurship. That is to say, almost all personality traits can work, provided that you frame them in the […]
Wondering How To Get Your First Customers? 6 Experts Share Their Tips
So you’ve started a new business and now it’s time to get things moving. We’ve talked before about why it’s so hard to start a new business and some things you can do to get momentum going, but the core of the matter is how to get your first customers. A lot of people get […]
New Business Launch Plan (How to turn your Business Idea into reality)
We’ve previously highlighted the importance of having a business plan, but rather than a generic business plan that really serves little purpose, one that is the right type for your objectives (either running a feasibility study for a business, running/growing an existing business, or appealing to investors). If you’re already in the thick of a business, […]
10 Reasons you Lost the Sale
When was the last time you missed out on that sale you were hoping to win? Ever wondered what went wrong? There can be lots of reasons you lost the sale you were hoping to win – but often we focus on the wrong things. There’s a lot to be learned from lost sales that […]
Lacking Sales Skills? (How to sell when you’re not a salesperson)
When you love business but hate selling, that’s a problem. Sales skills don’t come easily to me and I am not a natural salesperson. In fact I’ve realised that I have a distinct disdain for the stereotypical smarmy car salesperson or real estate agent types. These behaviours send prickles up my spine and I’d loathe to think that I […]
The First Customers are always through Hustle!
I recently had a startup contact me for advice. In a nutshell, they had spent the last 8 months building a slick platform for an online marketplace (which happens to be a very good idea), and now all they need is customers. Wait – all they need is customers? But that’s (pretty much) all any […]
8 Things to include in every Sales Proposal
Of all the documents you write, for many businesses, there’s nothing more important than your sales proposal. This is your gateway to more work. Many businesses hate the thought of putting together another quote or sales proposal, but if you design them well, you can have a format that will bring in new customers and revenues, […]