Getting new restoration, renovation, remodeling, construction, or building leads is one thing, but turning them into bottom-line revenue for your business is another.
Creating a sales strategy that is efficient, effective and easy to follow is a successful way to increase sales. In this article, we will hammer down 5 sales tips to help build a solid foundation for your business.
What To Know Before Creating a Sales Process
Selling starts with understanding what your potential customers want to buy and why they should do business with you. You should be able to answer these questions with clarity, so your confidence is apparent to every customer.
Start by making a list of benefits you provide for your customers and reasons they should choose your company. Here are some things this list should include.
- Ways you solve customers’ problems
- How you can save them money
- How your services can help them
- How you can help them achieve what they want in an expected time frame
- How you can reduce their stress
Tips to Improve Your Sales Process
Once you understand what your customers are looking for and how you can help, it’s time to move your focus to sales. Follow these steps below to build on your sales strategy from beginning to end.
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1. Establish a Sales Cycle Process
A sales cycle is a series of steps or phases that happen during the selling of a product or service. A sales cycle can differ in the number of steps needed. But your goal should be to shorten the cycle and close the deal quickly to maximize profit. The simplest sales cycle to follow is to prospect, pitch and close.
The ultimate benefit of a sales cycle process is a steady revenue stream. Here are some additional benefits.
- Building consistency among your sales team to create predictability for your business.
- Providing transparency to the number of active opportunities that may turn into revenue.
- Identifying successful repeatable tactics to increase the number of deals closed and shortens the time to close them.
- Provides streamlined process to follow for newly onboarded employees.
2. Always Be Prospecting
Prospecting is part of the initial stage of the sales process. It helps to create leads, which identifies potential customers. Prospecting can be anything from cold calls to email campaigns. Below are some easy ways to improve your prospecting tactics.
Get Listed Online
Your potential customers are online. Consumers searching for the term “home improvement” had an increase of 21% versus pre-COVID-19. People are interested in home renovation projects, now more than ever.
Be sure to create business listings with Google My Business, Bing Places, Yahoo, Yelp, Yellow Pages, NextDoor, your Chamber of Commerce and local niche directories.
Start Content Marketing
Start a blog or a social media channel to help create trust and credibility with prospects. Customers can get a glimpse into your brand and what it represents.
For content, publish helpful topics like “X Things to Ask When Getting Renovation Quotes.” Try and post something new once per week.
You can repurpose your blog content on social media channels for additional marketing. Be sure to include a call to action to get in touch with you with specific contact information. Always guide the potential customer to exactly where they can connect with you.
Respond to Inquiries Immediately
It’s been found that the probability of reaching a lead drops after the first hour. With 35-50% of customers choosing the first vendor to respond, it’s important to have a process in place for responding to inquiries.
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3. Don’t Pitch to Everyone
While prospecting is important, remember that 50% of prospects may not be a good fit for your company. When speaking to potential customers, be sure to ask open-ended questions to understand their needs. It is equally important to disqualify time-wasting leads as it is to qualify good leads.
If you don’t have the time or the workforce to speak to potential customers on the phone, you can develop a quick intake form. Include areas for detailed answers from customers on what they need, their timeline and their budget. You can include this form on your website, social media channels and in emails.
4. Don’t Be Too Salesy
People will buy from people they trust who can help them reach their goals with minimal risk. Part of landing a sale is being real, upfront, and trustworthy. Don’t make false promises or talk poorly about competitors. It’s important to focus on what you can control to close the deal.
Build Trust
Trust starts by being courteous. Answer the phone professionally and promptly. Be knowledgeable but honest if you don’t know the answer.
When in discussions about the project, be transparent about anticipated problems. Become a collaborative advisor by using terms like “we” instead of “I.” Be first to bring up objections and offer solutions. Enable the customer to believe “This company understands me!”
Remove the Fear
Your customer called you because they need help. Remind them that their issues will not fix themselves and that your services are needed. Do this by providing solutions that address their fears, such as fluctuating supplies prices. Instill confidence in your customers by being confident and honest.
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5. Repeat the Cycle
When a project is completed, it’s time to collect payment. At this time, you can ask how your customer’s experience was with your services. You can also ask for a referral from anyone they know. This starts your sales cycle over with a new prospect.
As your business grows, consider using a CRM tool to automate the repeatable tasks of this process and help streamline your customer experience.
Wrapping Up
Setting up a sales cycle can be an easy and effective process if done correctly. Start with these easy-to-follow sales tips and refine as you learn what works best for your business. Then look forward to a steady stream of opportunities.
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