Welcome to the first in my Entrepreneur Skills Series! Each post will cover a skill required to be a successful Entrepreneur. Now on to our first MUST HAVE skill…
Sell, Sell, Sell!
Yes, this may be hard to swallow, however in order to be in business for yourself, you must be able to sell anything!
This is one of the most important qualities an entrepreneur can have. As a business owner, you are selling a lot. You will have to sell your ideas to customers, investors and potential employees. Everyone you come in contact with will see your confidence, leadership, and values – so it is crucial you have the ability to SELL YOURSELF first so that the sales of your product or service will come later!
We have all heard the saying “People do business with those they KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST.” I have found this to be very true in the business world today. Get to know others in your community by attending networking events, joining your local chamber, and getting involved in your church or your child’s school. As you meet people, try to build your relationships on some commonalities rather than trying to simply sell to them. No one likes to be SOLD to, right? There is nothing wrong with exchanging business cards and explaining what you do, but leave it at that. If someone you meet is interested in what you do, they will tell you, I promise! They will ask questions and continue the discussions. If they don’t need what you have, but they like and trust you, it will be easy for them to refer business to you when they meet someone that does need your services. Building rapport should come first, and the sales and referrals will follow!
Have a sales tip or experience you would like to share? Please tell us in the comments! And make sure to stay tuned for the next post in the Entrepreneur Skills series! Have a great day!
I highly recommend you must read the eBook on what you need to have for starting a business in Tampa, I believe you’ll get a lot out of it. If you haven’t claimed yours, go and grab it now for free! See you inside – I can’t wait to start working with you! We’re better together!
Definitely something I need to work on. Seems like I don’t self promote so much that people don’t know I’m selling anything. Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks for the comment Michael. I find that so many small business owners are either one end or the other end of the spectrum on this topic… All sales all the time OR never talk about business. It can be a challenge to find the right balance, but you can do it!!
I have found this to be sooo true “People do business with those they KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST.”! Good article, Holly!
Appreciate the feedback, Kim, especially coming from you! 🙂
Most of the people I have built relationships with tend to be the ones that may not necessarily ever need my products but definitely refer a lot more business to me. Clearly they have come to know, like and trust me.
Yes, true Beth. I remember meeting you at a function last fall and ordering brownie bites for my wedding on the spot! Not a traditional way of relationship building but they were a big hit and I continue to refer people to you. You have a great product that sells itself!
I love the idea that you brought up. As an entrepreneur, we must be able to introduce ourselves and tell others what we do. And yes, if people need what we offer, they will definitely contact us. What’s important at the end of the day is the quality of the relationship because it’s true, people only do business with those they trust.
Well Said Edmund – thanks for commenting!
I never thought I was a good salesman until someone in the business looked at me like I had three heads! To me, being effective in sales is about believing in the value of your product or service. Closing the sale then becomes a natural outgrowth.
Well said Jackie!
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