Brian Tracy, president of Brian Tracy International in Solana Beach,
California, is the author of several books, including Advanced Selling Strategies and Great Little Book on Successful Selling.
His sales secrets for first-time entrepreneurs are:
1. Sell benefits, not features. The biggest mistake
entrepreneurs make is in focusing on what their product or service
is. Rather, it's what it does that's important, says
Tracy. "A health-food product contains nutrients that are good
for the body. That's what it is. What the product
does is make the customer thinner, more energetic, and able
to accomplish more with less sleep," he explains. "Always
concentrate on how your product will benefit your
customer."
2. Sell to the people most likely to buy. Your best
prospects have a keen interest in your product or service and the
financial resources to purchase it. They are the ones who will buy
most quickly. "If you're selling photo-copy machines,
don't try to sell to people who have never bought one
before," Tracy suggests. "Sell to those who already have
one, or to those you know would be interested in buying one. Show
them how yours is superior."
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3. Differentiate your product. Why should a customer buy
from you and not from your competitor? Tracy suggests coming up
with at least three features that will give a customer reason to
buy from you. "People don't like to go out of their
comfort zone to try something new. So, give them three good reasons
to try your product," Tracy explains. "Your product or
service, for example, works faster, is less expensive, and has a
higher-quality level of ingredients."
4. Get face to face. Spending huge sums of money on
print-media advertising or direct mail is one of the least
effective ways for first-time entrepreneurs to build up their
business. There is no shortcut to the personal approach. Get
one-on-one with your customer--if not in person, at least by
phone.
5. Focus on the second sale. Nearly 85 percent of all
sales are produced by word of mouth. "They're the result
of someone telling a friend or associate to buy a product or
service because the customer was satisfied," says Tracy.
Therefore, concentrate on developing future and referral business
with each customer. "Everything you do must be aimed at the
second sale. Ask yourself: Will this be such a satisfactory
experience that my customer will buy from me again or tell his
friends?"
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