Sales are the lifeblood of business, especially small business. Many entrepreneurs have never made a sales call and expect their audience to find them to make a purchase.
The act of selling has changed, and business owners need to embrace the changes that have taken place.
Traditional sales calls
Cold calling: In the past, sales professionals relied heavily on cold calling, contacting potential customers without any prior interaction. It wasn’t unusual to make more than 100 such calls in a day.
Calls to landlines: A list of landlines was used as a way to reach out to individuals to gauge interest in a service or product. Landlines were the primary mode of contact, and sales strategies were built around talking to people at home. Calls were also made to business phone numbers.
Scripted pitches: Telemarketing involves using a sales pitch that is often scripted and aimed at delivering a generic message to a broad audience.
New sales strategies shift to mobile and online
With the decline in landline usage, sales calls have shifted to mobile phones and online platforms.
Target market calls: Modern sales tactics involve researching potential customers to create more personalized and relevant outreach.
Social selling: Utilizing different social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, to connect with and engage prospects.
Adapting to today’s sales
Decision-makers: Identify and target key decision-makers within organizations.
Warm leads: Focus on individuals who have shown interest in your product or service through channels such as your website, email list, or through white papers or other content downloads.
Email campaigns: Develop personalized email campaigns to nurture leads and grow your sales.
Webinars and virtual meetings: Host webinars and virtual meetings to demonstrate value and engage with potential clients.
Use of LinkedIn and other social media
Profile optimization: Ensure your LinkedIn profile is professional and complete, and that it showcases your expertise.
Content sharing: Share relevant content to establish yourself as an industry thought leader.
Direct messaging: Using social media with direct messaging is a great way to personalize messages to your prospects. It is important to tailor it to the individual rather than sending the same message to everyone.
Engage with posts: Comment on and engage with posts from your target audience to build relationships. Reply as your business when you can. When not selling, give something free — like advice — to your target market.
By adapting to these modern sales strategies and utilizing online tools and social media, entrepreneurs can effectively reach and engage their audience, leading to increased sales and business growth.