Some entrepreneurs despise selling – which is a problem for a new business that needs revenue. Thankfully, there are workarounds to bring in sales.
BY ROGER PIERCE
Not all entrepreneurs are natural salespeople.
You’ll bring your own talents to the business, and those talents may be something other than selling skills. And that’s okay. However, without customers and revenue your new business won't last long.
If you aren't comfortable selling and wince at the idea of approaching prospects directly, consider these workarounds to bring in the sales.
Bring in a partner who can sell. This is where business partnerships can work well. You may decide to take on a business partner and share company ownership in order to leverage that person’s selling skills, while you play to your strengths – such as focusing on operations, or financial management.
Hire salespeople. If you’re not a super seller, consider hiring one or more experienced salespeople to do it for you. You can compensate these sellers through a services contract arrangement or simply hire them as employees and make commission a big part of their overall compensation.
Sales are what make or break your business – but unless you’re a natural at selling, the process can be intimidating.
Form a strategic alliance. It’s possible to team up with another organization that is targeting the same customers as you are. Think a movie theatre and a restaurant working together to sell to each other’s customers. By working with a strategic selling partner, you can reach a lot more customers than you may on your own.
Sell online. The internet makes it incredibly easy to sell almost anything online. By 2022, retail e-commerce sales are predicted to grow to 5.4 trillion US dollars. You can set up an e-commerce website and focus your efforts on email marketing and social media to engage prospective customers. Or, if you sell products, you can sell through marketplaces such as Amazon or eBay.
Affiliate marketing is another option if you don’t like direct selling. You can accept affiliates who are people or businesses willing to resell your product or service in exchange for a reward, which is usually money. Affiliates will promote your offering to their customers online.
However you go about sales, during the start-up phase of your business be sure to focus most of your time on getting customers. Creating revenue and cash flow is essential for survival and growth.
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