Bunmi Jembola
As a startup founder you are your business brand. The more visible you make yourself and identify with the business the better your chances to sell. The number one problem why start-ups are not selling is not product imperfection or competition or pricing, it is lack of visibility. I understand that you cannot afford so much in marketing and PR but how about the free tools of social media and networking?
Secondly if that start-up will ever have a chance you will have to embody it. People call me Sales ruby because I have made myself the brand. I see many young entrepreneurs trying very hard to make a distinction between themselves and their business. Well, that may work for Apple or Facebook. It doesn’t work for small starters. To be more visible you need to carry that brand everywhere you go. You need to where it. Rather than creating never-used Facebook pages you may have to use your personal profile more. You can even use company logo as profile picture. This way you humanise your brand. The likability factor grows particularly if you are great at building relationships because people are drawn directly to the brand like they are to you.
If you remain obscure you won’t sell anything. Because for you to sell, people must first know your brand and who is behind it.
Visibility is key to growing a start-up because people will buy YOU first before they pay for whatever you have to sell.
Par-adventure you were resist after you’ve tried your best especially if they do so for no reason tossing you around, you know the best revenge? Find their best competitors, sell to them and make sure the solution works for them. If that solution gives the company any advantage, they’d look for you. It then would be the best time to charge P.R.E.M.I.U.M.
HOW TO PROSPECT:
The most common reason for high drop rates is poor prospecting criteria. If you’d do well in sales criteria should be set high for leads qualification. You can’t be chasing every moving thing as prospect and expect to succeed. If you’re not pursuing the best buyers in your sector you’re not prospecting right.
If your prospects are not defined by specific categories you’re not prospecting right. If your prospects categories are very broad you’re not prospecting right.
Bunmi Jembola
CEO, SalesRuby | Sales Coach |Trainer | Speaker | Author | Product Launch | Sales Technology