Most small business owners, and even many entrepreneurs, are not natural born sales people. Can you be successful in business if you can’t sell? Sure, understanding the nuances of sales, learning how to do it, and applying it in everyday practice, will be one of the best investments you can make in your self and your company. However, what if that just isn’t feasible for you? Can you do things, especially with online sales and marketing, that will make you successful even without the requisite sales skills?
- Sales can be a huge challenge especially for the introvert. If you can’t learn to sell, or don’t have the resources to hire on experienced sales people, you can still go after business and be successful. The first thing you can do is to create great content. Research shows that sites with over 400 pages can generate six times the sales of those with only 100 pages or so. Content drives more traffic and increases conversions more than any other marketing strategy you can employ. Can’t write? Don’t know anything about SEO? That’s OK. There are plenty of professionals out there who do know how and are more than willing to help you get to where you want to be.
- Re-examine your landing pages. They must be optimized to sell. This is critical. Your calls to action must be everywhere. One of the greatest failures of online marketing strategies right now is that businesses are not creating enough opportunities for visitors to buy. Also, A/B test those calls to action and landing pages. Hone them until you discover a formula that will generate the sales numbers you want and need.
- You must be building an email database all of the time. This is your gold mine for future sales. When your emails are structured properly, they will not really have any sales message at all. You are helping. You are always providing information and solutions to your future customers so that you are bringing added value to their lives. Finally, get out on your social networks and start helping and building relationships. Make actual friends, not fake “friends”. Friends like doing business with their friends and will, of course, tell their friends. All of these strategies can be combined into an effective online marketing and sales strategy even for those who lack the ability or the skill of the seasoned sales rep.
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
SearchPro Systems
2024