Basic Selling Resources for Small Business Owners

You love to sell, right? Probably not. Most of my clients know how to run a business, but when it comes to actual selling, there’s a knowledge gap. Many of them feel overwhelmed with the thought of how to approach prospects and don’t have any idea where to start. These business owners will find anything to keep them busy and away from selling.

As a small business owner, the biggest mistake you can make is stepping away from sales. Hiring junior-level salespeople will help, but it will not be what takes your business to the next level. This business is yours - your customers want to hear from you.

So, where do you start? You start with some basic sales knowledge and forming a business plan. Your plan will not only include the financial side, but investments needed for sales and marketing.

Here are 7 quick tips/resources to get started:

1. Subscribe to newsfeeds. I personally like HubSpot, Pipedrive, and The Sales Group of course!
2. Perfect your 30 and 90 second elevator pitch. Unsure how to write your pitch? Try this method. Or this one.
3. Be a good storyteller. Donald Miller’s Building a StoryBrand book and resources is an excellent guide.
4. Identify who your ideal target market is to tell your story to.
5. Join or create a network of like-minded business owners. This could be a paid membership, such as Vistage, or a free business-related social media group on LinkedIn or Facebook.
6. Subscribe to online sales tools to push out your message to the market. LinkedIn Sales Navigator is my top pick.
7. Invest in a data source to gather monthly insights for new people to add to your prospect list. This is something The Sales Group excels at - we provide our clients with actionable sales data.

Sales doesn’t have to be scary. With a little knowledge and planning, you and your team are sure to be successful. Be prepared to outsource your sales and marketing efforts to trusted experts. With a little bit of help you can improve your own selling skills, while also focusing on what you do best--running the business.

The Sales Group assists businesses by providing the right selling resources, as well as actionable sales data to effectively reach desired target audiences. If you’re interested in learning more, let’s start the conversation. Email me at Donna.Gliha@salesgroup-global.com.