Sales are the life blood of any business. Yet, sales is one of the most underdeveloped area of a small business. A lack of sales maturity – in part, caused by missing information or knowledge – can create extensive swings in sales. The sales surges can be fun, however, the sales slumps are stressful. Plus, a sales slump of any size in a small business can be catastrophic!
Sales slumps are caused by a variety of reasons. Some sales slumps are triggered by economic factors. Sales slumps can follow a sales surge. And, for some businesses, sales slumps are part of their natural sales cycle. There are, however, sales slumps created by avoidable circumstances that business coaching addresses. These include:
1. Poor time management, including waiting until the last minute to achieve sales goals. Today’s economy teaches us to shift from time to goal management to achieve greater performance. Business coaching clarifies your goals and places sales at the forefront of your business to ensure consistency in sales.
2. Pushing too hard. Small business owners with undeveloped sales skills easily come across as being “pushy”. And, who likes doing business with a “pushy” sales person? NO ONE! Business coaching develops the skills needed to prospect, qualify, overcome objections, and close sales properly to get the results you want without having to “push”.
3. Being unacquainted with measurables. Do you know your numbers? Metrics related to sales effectiveness provide the insight needed to know where to focus your efforts. Business coaching helps realize the activities to track – and the strategies to implement – to avoid a sales slump
4. Lack of an adequate network. Sales success is really about who you know, who knows you, and how they know you. Business coaching delivers the strategies to expand your brand into the right markets.
5. Easily bored. Entrepreneurs are idea machines. They love excitement and get tired of something quite easily. Boredom causes them to abandon plans that are achieving results. Business coaching helps the energized entrepreneur stay the course to keep those sales coming.
6. Fear of rejection. No one looks forward to the rejection that goes hand in hand with selling. However, business coaching puts rejection in perspective so you can move easily and effortlessly through the sales process.
No one is born a sales person. Sales is a learned competency. Business coaching hones your sales skills, creates natural sales conversations, and keeps your business out of the dreaded sales slump.
