The toughest sale is selling new products to new customers. New customers must be convinced that they need your product or service and then you must convince them to buy from you. It’s much easier to sell more of the same product or service to people who already know and trust you. How can you do that?
Take a moment to make a list of people that you know. Friends, neighbors, relatives, acquaintances, business associates, and people you buy from. Do they know what business you are in? Contact them and let them know what you are doing. Offer free consultations, evaluations, or samples of your products and services. Ask them for leads and referrals. Ask for more business.
The second easiest sale is selling new products and services to existing customers. Develop some new products or services to offer your current customers. And also consider partnering with other companies that might have products and services that your customers could use. They might also have customers that want your products and services for their customers. Here’s how.
Make a list of companies that have complementary products and services. For example, if you offer accounting services but not tax advice, whom do you know that is offering tax advice that you could partner with? If you are selling or installing kitchen equipment could you partner with an interior decorator?
What are your competitors offering that you don’t? Could you offer their customers something that they don’t offer? Could your own customers use something that they offer? Instead of competing against them why not figure out a way to partner with them? Often competitors are not really selling the exact same product or service to the exact same customers or geographic area. Could you subcontract with them for overload work? Could you both expand your markets by selling to each other’s customers? How?
Offer fees and commissions for leads and sales. Prepare a joint mailing or advertisement. Sell each other’s products or services. Participate in joint seminars or trade shows. Develop a joint product or service. Offer discounts to each other customers. It’s much easier to work together than to compete in a price war.
What about your suppliers? Could they use your products and services? They might be in the market for the same products and services that you currently offer. Why not contact them and find out?
In today’s economy it’s important not to just go it alone. Many other companies are having the same problems getting customers that you have. Why not try to partner with them to find common solutions?
