Heritage

Three quick tips for accelerating sales

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A business meeting. FILE PHOTO | NMG

I wish to share three quick practical tips that can accelerate your sales.

Tip one: Discount does not have a currency attached to it. Stop attaching one when negotiating. The average seller dreads the words, “Give us a discount.” In fact, some businesses have even acquiesced to this prevalent demand by buyers and have set discount ranges. “For all our pumps, you can go down by 30 per cent,” for instance.

Maybe it works for the business but not for growing the seller. He sells by giving discounts not by showing value. The seller and business have attached a currency to discount, and for both selling is a price war. So, what should I attach to discount, you ask? Well, you can attach any of the other six Ps in marketing. That is, product (for that price, let me give you this other pump); promotion and process (instead of that extended credit period we will give you this marketing merchandise for free); place and people (to meet that discount will mean you will have to organise collection of the transformer and installation yourself, not our technicians. Is this ok with you?).

The word price is not spelt d-i-s-c-o-u-n-t. Here is one more tip on, “Give us a discount”. Confidently ask the buyer, “Why?”

Two: You’ve called and called until your fingers are numb. Still, the prospective buyer doesn’t respond. You shift to emailing. Still, nothing.

Admittedly, calling every single day can be tiring and frustrating. So create variety. Show up at his premises unannounced. Do not be surprised if he agrees to see you and after an engaging hour says, “Thank you for coming. It’s been hectic around here which is why I’ve not been responding to your calls. Send me a proposal on what we’ve agreed.”

Or, if you are selling specialised equipment or such products that are not quick purchases but long-term investments, then ask prospects to subscribe to your mailing list or videos. Overdone? Then treat the prospect as you would an existing client, so as to get in his face.

Offer free, non-obligatory but useful tips for his business. “I notice the link you gave in your advert opens to your home page and not the specific page that you want your customers to see. This will limit your hit-rates and conversion-rates.”

Three: Even if it happened three years ago, sincerely apologise to that customer who’s sworn never to do business with you again, and with good reason.

They missed their flight and therefore a breakthrough business deal because you booked them on the wrong flight, blamed them for not having checked the ticket before accepting it and you still collected! Try this:

“I’m sorry. We made a mistake. We are only human. Please judge us not by the mistakes we make but by the way we handle them. And that can only happen if you give us a second chance. Is this ok?”