Learn how to grab attention before your online readers click away from your site
People surf the web at an amazing pace, clicking through pages in milliseconds. And those precious seconds are all the time you have to grab a buyer’s attention with your blog headline.
Newspapers know readers scan each page for material that interests them and use headlines very effectively. Now it’s your turn to learn their tactics!
Use these options to create a great headline
Your blog headline should ideally be limited to 6 to 8 words. It should ask a question, solve a problem, or make a bold statement. Remember, the purpose of a headline is to get the reader into your article, where they can consume your blog content and absorb your message.
Use mystery: “Wonder how billionaires spend their work day?”
Offer a list: “5 reasons bankers want to lend you money”
Make a promise: “Magical words to convert prospects into customers”
Be controversial: “Why your employees should be fired!”
Your headline must cut through online clutter to grab a reader’s attention right away. Write it down, leave it for a while, and return later to edit and sharpen it up. Eliminate unnecessary words to make it as short as possible.
You can learn a lot of best practices when it comes to writing catchy headlines by browsing other blogs, daily newspapers and magazines. Look at the words used in their headlines that get your attention.
Don’t forget to attach a relevant image to your blog article. A great photo or image can help to express to the reader what your article is all about. Many online readers simply scan headlines and images for content that interests them.
It will take some time to perfect your blog headlines. Experiment with different headlines and assess reader reaction, and don’t shy away from asking your colleagues for their input.
Use a teaser to explain your headline
A teaser (also known as a summary or subhead) is a short, one line summary about your blog that tells readers what it’s about. It also provides some context to your headline – it gives you a chance to offer a bit more information and move the reader into your blog article. Here’s an example of a headline with a teaser.
Headline: How accounting software creates new sales
Teaser: A regular review of customer sales reports can help you spot revenue opportunities
Once you have written a teaser line for your blog article, you can also use it in your social media channels – it’s a nice and short summary of your content that works well on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
[Image courtesy of Flickr]
Small Business Expert Roger Pierce has written thousands of blog articles to help leading national brands attract small business customers.
Roger Pierce is one of Canada’s top small business experts. He’s the founder of 12 businesses, co-author of the book Thriving Solo, and a writer for leading business publications such as Star Business Club, PROFIT online, YouInc and CBC’s Dragons’ Den website. Articles, blogs and videos produced by Pierce Content Marketing are used by national brands to win small business customers. LinkedIn
Among digital best practices is a powerful way to promote your business: blogging.
However, if you’ve ever tried to blog, either personally or as part of your company’s marketing strategy, you’ll know it’s not always easy.
It's challenging to come up with a topic, write it up, attach an appropriate image, and post the whole thing.
Why bother blogging?
The answer is simple – it works.
Consumers may tune out your online or offline advertisements, but they are drawn to the helpful content of your blog.
Blogging provides an opportunity to really shine a spotlight on your company and the solutions it supplies. If you’re wondering what to write about, consider talking about issues or problems confronting your audience. For example, if you run a home renovation business you can offer renovation tips to save money and time.
The secret is to share something valuable: a customer experience, a tip, some industry news, or your own expertise. Avoid the tempation to push your products or services. Once a viewer engages your blog, they will be drawn to your website where the selling happens.
Cheaper than advertising
There are few better methods of presenting a compelling narrative than blogging. Compared to traditional advertising, blogging is also inexpensive because the cost usually involves only the time to write an article or tip. if you are uncomfortable writing a blog, consider hiring an expert to do it for you. Positing it to your blog platform can take mere minutes.
Blogs are like a kitchen table conversation. They are a place for you to share ideas and thoughts and tips and suggestions. They are a place for you to demonstrate your expertise and thought leadership on weightier issues. And, most importantly, they are a place to show your customers that you understand what’s important to them and how your business can assist them.
Blog regularly
It takes time to attract attention amongst all of today's online clutter. So stick with your blog schedule. Try a monthly blog to start.
You'll get to enjoy blogging because it gives you a platform. You can develop an online personality, work to differentiate your business from your competitors, and engage an audience. You can help people. It's very exciting to see people responding to your blog and sharing it on social media.
Just as you've built other areas of your business, you can start blogging by taking one step: try producing one post. And grow from there.
Roger Pierce is one of Canada’s top small business experts. He’s the founder of 12 businesses, co-author of the book Thriving Solo, and a writer for leading business publications such as Star Business Club, PROFIT online, YouInc and CBC’s Dragons’ Den website. Articles, blogs and videos produced by Pierce Content Marketing are used by national brands to win small business customers. LinkedIn
Ask an entrepreneur what they worry about the most and they’ll likely answer sales.
The fear of running of our cash always looms large. We need cash to pay our team, keep the lights on, buy supplies and feed our families. Without the cash that sales generate, we’re out of business and out of the game. The dream dies. The very thought of being unable to do what we love to do is terrifying.
And so we go out to sell. Every day. And it’s exhausting.
Mental Fatigue
The long hours associated with running a small business are one thing (Canadian entrepreneurs work an average of 60 hours a week), but it’s the after-hours thinking we do that’s so exhausting. It’s hard to turn off a mind.
We think about a quote sent a recent customer. Why haven’t they responded? Was the price too high? Did a competitor scoop the deal?
We think about keeping current customers. Will they renew? Is it just me, or did I sense a chill in the room during our last meeting? What happens if we don’t keep their business – will we survive?
Thinking about the business all the time wears us out, and can potentially ruin our chance of a personal life because we are constantly preoccupied by most things concerning money.
Physical Effects
Stress can manifest itself in some ugly ways.
Doing whatever it takes to manage the demands of a busy small business, it’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to develop stomach ulcers, back pain, headaches, muscle fatigue and even heart conditions – to name a few problems. We often eat on the run, making poor food choices along the way. And exercise suffers because we’re out of time (and energy).
Emotionally Drained
They say a positive attitude is the key to success, and entrepreneurs try to live by that mantra.
B2B selling is often a numbers game and it may take 10 quotes to land one deal (that’s an optimistic ratio). So that means a lot of pitching and proposing and selling – and the rejection and scrutiny and doubt that returns when prospects say ‘no.’
There’s an emotional impact to that rejection. Business owners are very passionate about what they do, so it hurts when someone turns us down.
Yet we get up and do it all over again every day: contact a prospect, contact them again, try to get a meeting, manoeuvre a proposal, revise the proposal, answer questions, and follow up and follow up and follow up. And pray.
Better Way?
Is there a way to feel better about selling? Sure.
You can try to choose your best-bet prospects to increase your likelihood of closing a deal. You can raise your prices to help reduce the number of customers required to reach revenue targets. You can hire some sales help to relieve the pain and routine of day-to-day selling. And, you can schedule healthy breaks from your sales activities by taking a few hours off every so often – and maybe even a vacation now and then.
Selling is exhaustive and will take everything you’ve got if you let it – so don’t. Figure out a personal system that lets you enjoy the sales success you deserve, but on your terms.
Roger Pierce is one of Canada’s top small business experts. He’s the founder of 12 businesses, co-author of the book Thriving Solo, and a writer for leading business publications such as Star Business Club, PROFIT online, YouInc and CBC’s Dragons’ Den website. Articles, blogs and videos produced by Pierce Content Marketing are used by national brands to win small business customers. LinkedIn
An accountant is an important advisor to your business so selecting one should be done with care. The right accountant or accounting firm can save your business some money, reduce your stress levels and make your life a whole lot easier.
Understand you may need both a bookkeeper and an accountant. While many small business owners try to do their own books, it’s often difficult to stay on top of changing tax rules, filing deadlines and all that record keeping – so a firm that can handle your bookkeeping as well as complete your annual returns may be ideal. Delegating tasks is essential to business success.
Follow these tips to find your perfect accountant.
1. Decide how much service you want
You want an accountant or accounting firm that can meet your business needs. Consider these questions:
Will you do the bookkeeping, and hand files to your accountant to prepare year-end tax returns? Or, will you hire an independent bookkeeper to manage your monthly record-keeping in house, and file government remittances such as GST/HST returns?
Would you prefer your accountant handle it all? That level of service may affect price, but you may end up paying less money than you would by hiring a separate bookkeeper.
Will your business benefit from an accounting firm with specific experience? For example, if you’re planning to export your products or services to the United States, it may be best to work with an accountant who has experience working with exporters.
Do you want to meet with your accountant throughout the year to obtain business advice?
Focusing on what’s most important to your company will help you narrow the field so that you can get on with your accountant search.
2. Strategies to reduce taxes
A good accountant will find deductions to lower the current amount of tax you must pay. A great accountant will develop a tax reduction strategy for your business.
In addition to proactive long-term strategies, your accountant should be available to you to provide advice on short-term decisions – such as understanding the cash flow impact of a customer seeking account credit.
3. Experience with your industry
Every accountant will be familiar with standard business expense deductions (like rent, payroll and utilities). But your perfect accountant should be aware of tax credits that are geared towards your industry or type of business. For example, agri-businesses may prefer to work with an accountant or firm that understands the myriad of tax-incentives available to farmers and companies in the agriculture industry.
4. Ask for references
Don’t be shy about asking for references from your short list of accounting firms. Speak to their clients to understand the experiences of other business owners with that professional.
Tip: ask business owners you know to introduce you to their accountant.
And pay attention to your own first impression – you’ll be working closely with your accountant, so you want to make sure you feel comfortable with the individual or firm you choose.
5. Understand fees & billing
An accountant will actually save your business money because he or she knows how to reduce your taxes. But that expertise will naturally come at a price – so be sure to understand how much your accountant will charge for:
Year-end returns
Bookkeeping services (if you will outsource that function)
Business consultation & advice
Tax planning.
You may prefer to set up a monthly fee schedule with your selected accountant or firm to avoid a big invoice at tax time.
Lastly, start searching for your accountant well before tax season to avoid feeling rushed into making a decision. Now is a good time to start your search.
Need a small business laugh? Enjoy more Sully's Startup here. Attract business owners to your blog, website, or newsletter with our slice-of-small-business-life comic strip.
(Image courtesy of Flickr)
Roger Pierce is one of Canada’s top small business experts. He’s the founder of 12 businesses, co-author of the book Thriving Solo, and a writer for leading business publications such as Star Business Club, PROFIT online, YouInc and CBC’s Dragons’ Den website. Articles, blogs and videos produced by Pierce Content Marketing are used by national brands to win small business customers. LinkedIn
Patience and planning are required for small business success
By Small Business Expert Roger Pierce, Pierce Content Marketing
Over the past 22 years and through the course of my 13 small businesses, I’ve been very fortunate to work with thousands of start-up entrepreneurs.
Naturally, new entrepreneurs have plenty of questions and I do my best to answer them. But the most common question is, “How do I know if my business idea will work?”
I don’t have a crystal ball, so my response isn’t what these new entrepreneurs want to hear. I tell the novice business owner that a start-up idea won’t work – unless they do.
If you are planning to start a new business, you can make it a success by following these roll-up-your-sleeves tips:
Work smart
Any fool can sit behind a desk for 12 hours a day. It’s not the amount of time you spend at your business, but rather what you do with that time. Do things that add value to your business – like building customer relationships, sourcing amazing products to sell to your customers, or developing systems for your future employees to run for you.
Start cheap
If your idea requires you to spend tens of thousands of dollars before you make one dollar, it’s probably the wrong business idea for you (unless you have money to burn). Most service-based businesses can be started for less than $1000. Aim to build and launch a “minimum viable product” – which means a business with bugs – and work quickly to make improvements. Just launch.
Be patient
Despite the best plans, your new business will take longer to succeed than you had originally hoped. Set aside some extra funds to weather any delays. And take a deep breath and keep going.
Be great
It’s not what you do in business but how you do it. Beat your competition by offering a twist on an existing business idea, or doing something really innovative with your marketing. For example, Toronto menswear retailer Harry Rosen offers free lifetime alterations so your suit will always fit perfectly.
Test it first
Too many entrepreneurs get over-excited about their idea (saying, “I just know this will work!”) and jump in without doing any customer research or completing a simple feasibility study. Before you spend one dollar or one hour building your new idea, test it with your prospective customers.
Admit you don’t know it all and find advisors
It’s impossible to know everything about running a small business. Reach out to your personal or professional network to find an experienced entrepreneur willing to volunteer an hour a month with you.
To succeed your business idea must be written up in a proper Business Plan – that’s a step you don’t want to skip. Keep your plan simple and to the point, with no more than ten pages. By committing your idea to paper you’ll be forced to think about what you need to do to make it succeed.
Need a small business laugh? Enjoy more Sully's Startup here. Attract business owners to your blog, website, or newsletter with our slice-of-small-business-life comic strip.
(Image courtesy of Flickr)
Roger Pierce is one of Canada’s top small business experts. He’s the founder of 12 businesses, co-author of the book Thriving Solo, and a writer for leading business publications such as Star Business Club, PROFIT online, YouInc and CBC’s Dragons’ Den website. Articles, blogs and videos produced by Pierce Content Marketing are used by national brands to win small business customers. LinkedIn
Winning out over your competitors requires a combination of creativity, bravery, and perseverance.
Creativity means looking for innovative ways to out-smart and out-manoeuvre your competition. Bravery is required to stand up against competitor attacks on your product quality, product pricing and, sometimes, your business or personal reputation. And perseverance is that all-important “never-say-die attitude” helping you to find a way through the battlefield.
Consider these strategies to help edge out your competition.
Add crazy value
Price competition is a slippery slope for business owners who typically don’t trade in sufficient volume to significantly reduce input costs. But profits reside in higher prices, so that’s where you want to be.
To get that higher price, you’ll need to add crazy value to your products or services – and crazy value makes it difficult for customers to compare your offering to a competing offer.
Fortunately, as creative minds, adding value comes easily to entrepreneurs.
Offer 24/7 support. Be available to support your customers anytime – it’s easy to do with a virtual help desk service. Heck, just answer your phone in the middle of the night!
Do more. People expect so little from suppliers these days – creating an opportunity for you to “surprise and delight” customers. Offer free installation, help your customers find customers, create training videos, use a real human to answer helpline questions – it doesn’t take much to go the extra mile.
Remove the risk. Offer a no-strings-attached return policy, easy payment terms, and lifetime warranty. Promote confidence in your product or service by removing any hesitation to buy from your company.
Double down on a niche market
There’s always a temptation in business to be a “generalist” and try to serve different categories of customers. That’s a mistake.
Unless you are a very large company (think Walmart) with endless marketing dollars to spend, you must allocate your scarce marketing resources and energies to serving a very specific market.
Become a specialist. By focusing on a very narrow market (I know one accounting firm serving only family-owned pet stores) your business will get very good at helping a specific type of customer – and build a reputation for excellence within that market.
Let your competition target everybody while you sell to somebody.
Communicate clearly - and often
Everyone talks about after-sale support but very few people actually do it well.
By simply following-up with recent customers who have purchased something from your business, you can create a distinct competitive advantage.
Within 24 hours, call the customer to answer their questions about a purchased product or service.
Send a thank you note (yes, by mail) to acknowledge a major purchase.
Offer a short survey to assess customer satisfaction and use the results of that survey to address any customer dissatisfaction.
Here’s the best one: fulfil any promises made to your customer. That may be as simple as showing up on time, returning a phone call, or sending some requested information.
Chances are you’re the only vendor smart enough to communicate with your customers.
Like Sully, being creative is a sure-fire strategy to beat your competition. Think outside the box to discover strategies for your business to out manoeuvre those obtuse, slow-moving competitors.
Need a small business laugh? Enjoy more Sully's Startup here. Attract business owners to your blog, website, or newsletter with our slice-of-small-business-life comic strip.
(Photo courtesy of Flickr.com)
Roger Pierce is one of Canada’s top small business experts. He’s the founder of 12 businesses, co-author of the book Thriving Solo, and a writer for leading business publications such as Star Business Club, PROFIT online, YouInc and CBC’s Dragons’ Den website. Articles, blogs and videos produced by Pierce Content Marketing are used by national brands to win small business customers. LinkedIn
It's a headache every business owner suffers: customers don't always pay on time.
That money is important to your business. You depend on timely receivables to pay your employees, stock the shelves, and keep the lights on. You likely need that money to pay yourself, too.
So it can be incredibly frustrating -- agonizing, really -- to wait and wait on a customer payment when so much is riding on that cash.
Try these simple tips to get your money quickly:
Call accounts payable and be nice. Unlike Sully's feisty grandmother/bookkeeper in the above cartoon strip, it's best to avoid calling your customer rude names. But she had the right idea: pick up the phone and try to get a response from the person responsible for paying your overdue invoice. It doesn't hurt to invoke a little sympathy, so feel free to explain how your business is a small organization without much cash and can't afford payment delays. Try to get a firm payment date or at least a status update as to when the money will come.
Call the customer. Chances are the person who placed the order with your business is quite removed from the accounts payable department. Ask your customer politely to see what they can do to prod payment. The accounting department will likely jump higher for an executive or someone within the company making the request more than they will jump for a vendor.
Talk to your bank. Most financial institutions will work with you to bridge a cash-flow gap caused by an overdue customer invoice. Explain the situation to your banker, disclose the amount of the expected invoice, and ask what he or she can do. If your business credit is good, some banks will advance you the funds (for a fee and some interest) and simply withdraw the advance from your account when the payment arrives. If you are desperate for the money, it may be worth it to pay a small amount for this factoring service.
Be diligent. Stay on top of invoices that are 60, 90 or more days overdue. It could indicate financial trouble within your customer organization. Like a sales call, it may take you several attempts to get a response from someone who can issue your payment. Make it clear on any voice message you leave that you will be calling again tomorrow.
It's no fun chasing overdue accounts but it's a fact of small business life. Nothing runs smoothly! You can better accommodate a few late-payers by designing generous receivables timelines into your cash flow forecast so that you aren't sweating late payments -- as much.
Need a small business laugh? Enjoy more Sully's Startup here. Attract business owners to your blog, website, or newsletter with our slice-of-small-business-life comic strip.
Roger Pierce is one of Canada’s top small business experts. He’s the founder of 12 businesses, co-author of the book Thriving Solo, and a writer for leading business publications such as Star Business Club, PROFIT online, YouInc and CBC’s Dragons’ Den website. Articles, blogs and videos produced by Pierce Content Marketing are used by national brands to win small business customers. LinkedIn
If you’ve embarked on a content marketing strategy for your business, you are likely wondering how to get people to read your blog article, download your whitepaper, see your infographic or watch your informative video.
Follow these suggestions to produce content that will engage your preferred audience.
Get to the point
The first thing to remember is that people are busy. Few people have time to read lengthy articles or watch 5 minute videos – so it’s important to get to the point.
Figure out your main message, lesson, or tip and build the content around that.
What do you want to say? What information is essential for the visitor to consume? Boil it down to a few key points wrapped in a short introduction and summary.
For example, your 90-second video or 400-word article can help a viewer to understand one key message – like how to reduce heating costs in wintertime – by presenting 2 or 3 quick tips.
Be relevant
Make sure your content is appropriate to your target audience. Give them something that matters to them – and to you, because great content connects the reader to your business in a natural, logical way.
For example, if you are selling business security systems, it would make sense for your business to offer tips to improve office security or eliminate inventory leakage.
Offer quality content
Pressed for time, some business owners post inferior content to their blog, website, or newsletter because they feel “something is better than nothing.” When the content is poor quality, posting no content is actually better than releasing garbage.
Examples of quality content:
Your easy-to-read position paper on a recent industry announcement or trend.
Helpful, well-thought-out tips to improve your customer’s business.
Interesting customer stories.
An eBook offering helpful instructions on a complex strategy or process.
Short solutions presented in an infographic, blog post, or article.
A downloadable tool or spreadsheet you’ve developed and want to share.
Quality content elevates the way people perceive your brand when your audience begins to think of your company as the helpful, trustworthy organization that it is. So spend a little more time or a little more money to produce content that makes you proud to post.
Post consistently
Build an audience by delivering content according to a set schedule. A consistent content schedule will help people to anticipate your next post – you’ll only disappoint them by posting sporadically. Present your blog post, newsletter, advice video, or other content at the same time every day, week or month.
For example, a clothing store might publish a ‘Fashion Fridays’ weekly blog.
Don’t forget social media
It’s not enough to wait for people to find your content online – you’ve got to be willing to share it, and make it easy for readers and viewers to share it, as well.
Most publishing platforms include social media share buttons to make it easy for you and others to post your content to channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Get in the habit of sharing each new piece of content on a few social media channels and you’ll soon catch the attention of prospects and customers.
Great content starts a conversation. Over time, consumers of your content will feel comfortable enough to reach out and make contact – and that’s when the selling process begins.
(Image courtesty of Flickr)
Roger Pierce is one of Canada’s top small business experts. He’s the founder of 12 businesses, co-author of the book Thriving Solo, and a writer for leading business publications such as Star Business Club, PROFIT online, YouInc and CBC’s Dragons’ Den website. Articles, blogs and videos produced by Pierce Content Marketing are used by national brands to win small business customers. LinkedIn
Empowering technology, access to financing, and low-start-up costs facilitate new business starts
We are living in the era of the entrepreneur.
Interest in starting and running a small business is the Zeitgeist of the new millennium. Everywhere you turn it seems more and more people are starting a small business – or at least thinking about it.
Here in North America, popular television shows like Dragons’ Den, Shark Tank and Silicon Valley provide dramatic and entertaining insight into the start-up process, serving to encourage people to take the jump. In the news, one-time start-ups like Canada’s own Hootsuite, Freshii, and 1-800-GOT-JUNK get well deserved media attention because people love a good success story. And brands everywhere are marketing to small business owners through both online and traditional media, bringing to our attention to the many products and services available to assist entrepreneurs.
According to Statistics Canada, there are over 2.7 million self-employed people in this country.
And, in every family, there’s an entrepreneur or two who gets us thinking we could do the same thing – be it an uncle who starts a restaurant, or a cousin doing well-paid consulting work.
Clearly, the idea of being an entrepreneur is part of our societal fabric. But what exactly enables aspiring entrepreneurs to begin? Here are a few factors at play that are facilitating starting-up.
Easy, empowering technology
Powerful, affordable, and easy-to-use technology facilitates starting up.
Take a smartphone, for example. In addition to storing data, a smartphone gives an entrepreneur multiple options for communicating with customers, prospects and suppliers via text, email, or good old-fashioned voice calling. Go online through the device and marketing platforms become available, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
The Internet
Years ago a local small business was confined to doing business in its local market. The Internet, of course, has changed all of that.
Today it doesn’t matter where an entrepreneur chooses to live or set up shop: he or she can do business pretty much anywhere in the world via the Internet. It has opened up faraway markets previously unavailable to micro-businesses – customers in New Zealand can shop products or services on a website just as easily as Canadians.
Online applications are powering small businesses too, providing entrepreneurs with ready-to-go business solutions without incurring development costs. PayPal, for example, makes it possible for a start-up to instantly begin accepting credit card payments from customers. That’s a huge convenience for any new business owner.
Business expenses are minimal
It doesn’t take much money to launch a micro business. Thanks to affordable technology and anywhere access to the Internet, most service-based start-ups can get going with just a laptop computer, mobile phone, and a website. For a few dollars a month, a new business owner can open a business bank account, subscribe to bookkeeping software, and sign up for an affordable business data plan.
Designing a logo and ordering business cards can be done for less than $100
Access to cash
An increase in the number of small business owners worldwide has pushed traditional lenders to embrace the start-up customer. Banks and credit unions today are clamouring over each other to secure the business of small businesses, offering reasonable rates and flexible lending criteria for commercial bank accounts, credit cards, and lines of credit. Online lenders such as Kabbage.com in the United States are also picking up steam by offering quick approvals on micro-loans.
An attractive lifestyle
If someone with a job knows someone who is self-employed, that person might admit to envying the entrepreneur's boss-less freedom and schedule flexibility. While the hours worked by an entrepreneur may be long, the joy comes from being able to control that time.
Just take the leap
Given the ease of access to these and other helpful resources, the barriers that may be holding you back from starting a business may be all in your head. The evidence suggests that everything else you need to get going is available to you.
- Entrepreneurship Expert Roger Pierce talks about the issues associated with starting and running a new business.
[Image courtesy of Flickr]
Roger Pierce is one of Canada’s top small business experts. He’s the founder of 12 businesses, co-author of the book Thriving Solo, and a writer for leading business publications such as Star Business Club, PROFIT online, YouInc and CBC’s Dragons’ Den website. Articles, blogs and videos produced by Pierce Content Marketing are used by national brands to win small business customers. LinkedIn
There are two reasons small businesses struggle with B2B selling.
The first problem is a weak (or non-existent) sales strategy.
The second problem lies with ineffective communication.
If you've got an effective sales strategy in place but your sales aren't picking up, you may need to look at your interactions with each prospect – otherwise known as your sales skills.
Approach your next sales call with patience, preparation, and these tips.
1. Anticipate objections & prepare answers
There are only so many reasons a prospect won't buy from you. Very rarely are those reasons personal. Here are the most common reasons a buyer won’t buy:
They don't need what you've got.
They need it but they're not ready.
They perceive the price is too high.
Being ready for these common objections can help you react strategically. In some cases you'll walk away. In other situations, you may find the prospect simply needs more information in order to proceed.
If the prospect doesn't need your product or service right now, schedule another call to see if anything has changed in three to six months.
If they need it but they're not ready to buy, ask what can help them to make a decision now – and give it to them. It might be something non-monetary, like a longer warranty or a trial period.
If they can't afford it, the prospect may simply need more information (or different information, like a customer testimonial) to fully understand the value of your offering. By probing you may discover it’s a cash flow issue, which allows you to review payment options.
TIP: Good people skills are the key to sales success. Accomplished salespeople steer clear of classic turn-offs – like coming on too strong, talking too much, failing to listen, and ignoring opportunities to build a relationship with the buyer.
2. Use a sales script
Many successful salespeople use a script to guide their conversations. When used correctly, a script can help you avoid being stumped with a tough question and keep you on message.
Using script doesn’t mean you must sound ‘scripted.’ It isn’t supposed to be followed to the letter. The goal of a script is to keep you on track so you reach your destination by the end of the call – which may be a specific offer, a follow-up appointment, or an order.
TIP: Practice vocalizing the script in advance. Use your script with a colleague and respond to the questions and objections you anticipate during a real interaction. Rehearsing will give you confidence, and after a few calls you may feel comfortable enough to lose the script altogether.
3. Follow Up
An overwhelming number of sales never happen for one foolish reason: the seller fails to follow-up with the prospect.
Sellers get distracted by other noise or the next opportunity and never return to the prospect.
Recall for example an engaging conversation you may have enjoyed at a trade show both with a seller who promised to be in touch. You likely exchanged business cards with that seller but never heard from him or her again.
Don’t commit the same sin. Schedule a follow up in your calendar and make it your priority for the day. Set aside enough time in your day to initiate new sales as well as follow-up calls, emails, or activities related to previous prospect opportunities. If your business will participate in a large sales event – like a trade show – be sure to commit sufficient follow-up time in your calendar after the event.
Chances are you started your business based on a particular talent or passion and selling skills wasn’t one of them. So don’t feel bad if you didn’t arrive with killer sales abilities because very few business owners have them. Remember that entrepreneurship is journey; every one of us gets the chance to develop new skills along the way.
(Image courtesy of Flickr)
Roger Pierce is one of Canada’s top small business experts. He’s the founder of 12 businesses, co-author of the book Thriving Solo, and a writer for leading business publications such as Star Business Club, PROFIT online, YouInc and CBC’s Dragons’ Den website. Articles, blogs and videos produced by Pierce Content Marketing are used by national brands to win small business customers. LinkedIn
People surf the web at an amazing pace, clicking through pages in milliseconds. And those precious seconds are all the time you have to grab a buyer’s attention with your blog headline.
An accountant is an important advisor to your business so selecting one should be done with care. The right accountant or accounting firm can save your business some money, reduce your stress levels and make your life a whole lot easier.
Patience and planning are required for small business success
Winning out over your competitors requires a combination of creativity, bravery, and perseverance.
It's a headache every business owner suffers: customers don't always pay on time. 
If you’ve embarked on a content marketing strategy for your business, you are likely wondering how to get people to read your blog article, download your whitepaper, see your infographic or watch your informative video.
Empowering technology, access to financing, and low-start-up costs facilitate new business starts
The first problem is a weak (or non-existent) sales strategy.
