Most small businesses owners are not career sales people.
For owners who are not trained or experienced sales people, they often see sales as an aggressive pursuit to strong-arm potential customers into signing a contract. This tactic ultimately hurts your business and is far from what sales should be.
Sales done right means finding a mutual fit between the seller and the buyer after a transparent conversation and due diligence. A "good deal" represents added value for the buyer and a positive exchange overall. Taking the time to understand what your client needs and then providing it to them will create satisfied customers, which will ultimately help your business grow. If that sounds obvious to you, that’s because polished sales practices follow common sense.
Owners should be pursuing that sort of sale regularly, not just waiting for a referral to come in, volunteering to buy their services. In fact, having sales skills is a sure way to control your own destiny, which is a major reason why many people start a small business in the first place.
If you are able to open cold conversations with strangers and solve their problem via a sale, you will be able to bring in revenue yourself, being beholden to no one. These same skills will also do wonders for the referrals you receive and help you feel confident in selling additional services.
Many owners are worried about sounding salesy. Be genuine. Learn how to face rejection. The more you refine your sales abilities, the more you will also identify opportunities to match consumer demand, pushing you to evolve your business over time.
Become an owner who knows how to do sales right. By mastering these skills, you will increase revenue, help more customers, and add a layer of security to your income stream.