Right now, sales should be the number one priority for every business. Sales is the lifeline of all businesses, without sales, we cannot survive this storm.
I speak from experience. In April 2020 we lost most of our clients overnight, forcing us to take stock and pivot the business. I did this using the five sales tactics below and went on to have a record year in FY21 achieving nearly 300% growth. Sales Redefined went from lockdown to hypergrowth in under 12 months and expanded from 2 people to 6 people.
When 16 million people in three states get thrust into lockdown, there are crippling knock-on effects for businesses. The bottom line is that with up to 300,000 job losses expected by September 2021 (source: Commonwealth bank) we all need to make sales to survive and keep Australians in jobs.
Here are my five proven steps to reboot your sales:
1. Sales is a mindset game. Your business needs you on your ‘A game’. Double down on your wellbeing, even if it’s only 15 minutes a day to help you get into the right mindset. You cannot muster up the energy to double down on sales without this.
2. Shift gears from reactive to proactive. It’s too easy to default to reactive mode, responding to emails. Start embedding proactive sales habits into your daily schedule, for example, spend 15 minutes following up on existing prospects. 80% of sales takes 5 follow ups or more but only 44% of people follow up once. (Source: Invespcro)
See how you can add value to your existing clients, it is easier, faster and more cost effective to sell to existing clients than win net new.
Be proactive in finding out what your customers need most right now. A prime example from 2020 was gyms and fitness clubs who adopted to virtual memberships with home-based workouts.
Look at your customers’ most burning needs, not the nice to have list, and don’t limit yourself to your current organizational boundaries as to how you can help solve those needs.
3. Sales is a volume game. It’s time to get all hands-on deck to generate sales. Chet Holmes (author of “The Ultimate Sales Machine”) claims only 3% of your target market are ready to buy now, it’s a case of playing the volume game to gain rapid momentum. Contact prospects, dormant clients, existing customers, and strategic partners.
4. Set daily goals with a reward. In times of high stress, it can be challenging to motivate yourself and your team. Set a simple goal such as, reach out to 10 dormant accounts then reward myself with a coffee break.
Having to generate momentum during a lockdown can be hugely daunting. If you can generate enough momentum through your proactive approach and mindset you stand the best chance of increasing sales and even growing your business. Some of the greatest businesses of our time such as Airbnb, Slack and Uber were built in the tough times of the Global Financial Crisis. We too can turn this into an opportunity.
