Talk “Dirty” to Me

By Steve Harris

One of our passions, and really our core purpose of Gorgeous Business Solutions is freeing entrepreneurs that employ their craft or skill to primarily focus on that.  Some of the most burdensome aspects of being a small business owner is having to work ON their business, when really all you want to do is work IN your core passion (aesthetics, hair, dentistry, craft brewing, etc.).  After all, that is what drove you to start your business! Of all the solutions we provide and coach on, sales (or client acquisition) seems to be the most daunting.  Many people we talk to even think sales is a dirty word or process.

In the coming newsletters, blogs, and with many of our clients, in their private coaching sessions, we will address some of the skills to sharpen in order to continually acquire new clients, but for this edition I want to focus on what sales truly is as it has developed a bad wrap, partly due to some bad experiences, but in my opinion, mostly due to a lack of understanding of what it really is.

So what is sales?  Done right, and providing you are offering an excellent product or service to your clients, sales is a very noble service.  The process of sales, very simply, is uncovering a client’s need for your product or service, informing them why your solution meets the need, and agreeing on a price to exchange for your services.  Sounds basic, right?  Here’s where the honor is lost in sales, and something to continually evaluate in your own business.  First, do you provide an excellent product or service?  I can honestly say, every one of our clients does, but it’s your duty to keep that excellence up over time.  Second, does your product or service meet your prospective client’s needs?  If the answer is no, please be straightforward with them.  On many occasions I have been very forthwrite and suggested another product that was not mine that would better meet their needs.  I didn’t get that sale, but on almost every occasion I did earn their loyalty and ended up getting future business and referrals from them.  Lastly, price.  People will not exchange money for your product or service if they believe their money is more valuable to them than your offering.  People often won’t even exchange their money for your offering if they feel it’s an even trade.  People will exchange their money if they believe your offering has greater value than the money they are prepared to spend.  

It is so difficult to pack this process into one little post, so we will continue this in next month’s newsletter.  But don’t forget, we are always available to work with you to develop a personalized plan to move your business sales to the next level.