So you want a job in sales, huh? In today’s economy, it’s just you and a couple of hundreds of thousands of other employment hopefuls. However, that doesn’t have to mean all is lost. Quite the contrary. While sales jobs may be comparatively scarce to, say, three years ago, this doesn’t mean that a well-prepared, good quality job candidate will not stand out, with or without previous sales experience, sales training or other prerequisites. Of course, the first, absolutely vital step in any job hunting process, irrespective of field and/or position entails the appropriate selection of the job itself. There is no point in applying for a Senior level position, if your experience can be described as Entry Level at best. Also, if your targeted employer-to-be is specifically asking for a given type of experience, be it with IT products, FMCG or cosmetics, make sure you actually have that experience prior to applying. There is no point in sending in a resume to a position for which you are blatantly unqualified. Worst case scenario, the company employee in charge of recruitment will take note of your name and you will be forever negatively pegged in their eyes. This article addresses those candidates who have the adequate level of experience in relevant fields, yet are still not getting the call-backs they’re waiting for. What to do? There are several simple strategies you can employ. [Read more...]
6 Sales Tips for the Absolute Beginners
If you do not actively pursue prospects, engage them and try to get their interest in you and in what you offer, you will never make it in self employment, sorry.
Selling is the most intimidating aspect of running a business. For most beginners is business even the thought of having to actively search for new clients and work hard to win them is terrifying. I bet they would all want the work to come to them, like we all in fact. This unfortunately is usually not the case.
Selling is also something every newcomer in business has to learn in order to survive. No company can grow without new work coming in, new clients and new challenges. In fact, a lack of proper sales is one of the reasons why many startups never make it. Sure, it’s great to be working for yourself and doing what you love but unless you get regular, well paying work in, you are gone. And, the only way to get it is by selling.
Is Taking On Too Much Work Killing Your Sales?
As bad as taking on too much work may seem, it is an unfortunate reality for many small companies. Quite often it is their only way to survive, especially if they constantly reduce price to win new work. On the other hand, a lot of small business owners use this to show off their position on the market. In both cases, the situation is slowly killing their businesses.
I am often being very critical about small business salesmanship, I admit it. I openly criticize many small business owners for not actively selling their services and products and I think I am right in doing so. Most small business owners don’t do so at all, which in my opinion is more than crazy. However, there is the other flip of the coin, there are many who forget what selling is really all about and go out there trying to win as many new clients as possible. Just as if selling was a race.
I can understand some of them (I cannot justify them though). Reducing their prices in order to get a job seems like the most logical solution for many, however, once they do so, they need large volume of clients and jobs in order to make profit and survive.
On the other hand, many consider being flooded with work as a sign of a healthy and thriving business and deliberately create a situation in which they have too much work on.
Is Uncertainty One of Your Sales Problems?
Sales is about uncertainty, it’s true. Just ask anyone who’s been in this game for a while. Prospects, appointments, quotas, un-returned calls, meetings without any follow ups from the prospect and many other things just add to this overall feeling of “I have no idea where my next job will come from”.
Yes, uncertainty is definitely one of the sales problems many small business owners experience. The trouble is though, most of it is self inflicted.
I very rarely write about things that do not closely relate to the actual mechanics of selling. Today however I want to talk about something that’s related but not entirely a part of the selling process, it’s still quite important though.
The fear of what will happen tomorrow.
Reducing the Price is Not Selling, It’s a Slow Business Suicide
Income is one of the most overlooked aspects of running a small business, especially at a start-up stage. New business owners worry about the actual number of jobs they get, the clients, where will the next one come from and so on but it is very rare that they think about how much money they actually make. It’s as if in their minds, having no work equaled a failure.
Don’t believe me? Well, how often do you reduce the price to get the job?
The scenario is usually quite simple, a prospect comes in and gives you the brief. You offer a quote, they make a face telling “hmmm, I really don’t know…” and you immediately drop your price down so that you can secure the job.
Sounds familiar?
Only last week I was talking to my neighbor, a new car garage owner who told me that at least half of the jobs he gets he does for nearly half of the price. Just to get the work in. As crazy as it sounds, this is a quite common situation for many small business owners. And a fear of having no work in is one of the reasons. Insecurity about asking for a higher price is another. However, in many cases, they simply panic the minute the quiet times kick in. In the eyes of many, reducing the price is the only way to overcome low sales and end those dreaded quiet times in business.
The problem is however that by doing so you secure the job but not the income.