Best way to make new sales??

JynxIRL

Hi,

I'm have started a business, my idea will involve selling mostly to other businesses just wondering how to or what is the best way to approach a business to try make a sale??

What way do you think is the best or what way do you use and you find works?

Cold calling and telling them about my product and services???

Get in my car drive around and just walk straight in there front door unannounced with sum brochures?

Randomly picking the ones i think my products and service would suit and just mail them info with out contacting them?

Also who would I ask to speak to, just the manager? Whats the best way to start off a cold call or if i was to walk into a store - "Hello my names James im from ABZ Ltd would it be possibile to speak to the manager about my companies products and services"


I know it sounds like i haven't a clue about sales and that's because i don't, the product and services i could offer i know inside and out!!!

Please don't mention the recescion - this is the entrepreneurial section of borads.ie and I'm willing to take a risk!!

Thanks in advance.

allthedoyles

Many companies don't like sales people calling round .
you could ring the business first and ask them for an email address , to which you can send your brochure .


Advertising is important .................

Google 'enterprise boards ireland ' and join one of their courses for a day .They should be helpful

JynxIRL

allthedoyles wrote: »

Many companies don't like sales people calling round .
you could ring the business first and ask them for an email address , to which you can send your brochure .


Advertising is important .................

Google 'enterprise boards ireland ' and join one of their courses for a day .They should be helpful

Thanks for a quick response, I know i don't want to be some sales guy that calls in to a business to interrupt there day, but i know if I want to make sales im going to have to push for it.

Culchie

allthedoyles wrote: »

Many companies don't like sales people calling round .
you could ring the business first and ask them for an email address , to which you can send your brochure .


Advertising is important .................

Google 'enterprise boards ireland ' and join one of their courses for a day .They should be helpful

I think it depends on which companies you are calling to.

If they are large corporates, then you'll need appointments ... if they are SME's then I think you'll receive a warm enough resposne if your product is of any interest.

I like sales people calling into me, and I have yet to receive any rudeness on any call I have made to another business either.

I think of them as 'dropping by for a chat' or 'one business owner speaking to another;.... rather than being a 'sales call'.

The most important bit you have nailed i.e. you know your product inside out! That's the most important bit.

If I were in your shoes, I'd try get as much information on the companies you are selling to, find out who the people that matter are, try your best to avoid receptionists, customer service reps as they don't have the power or the inclination (in most cases) to deal with you.

I think the method that works depends on you as a person. I'm a confident person and face to face is by far and above my ideal method of dealing with people. I'd avoid doing what the likes of Car Buyers Guide do and cold callling in general. I hate the idea of cold calling.

Is this a new product? You seem to be an expert when it comes to what you are selling and we don't know what it is but what do you think is the best way get people to buy your product? Should you start a blog? Should you try publish a piece in the media about it? What do you think is the best way for you to target the people who will use what you are selling and then drive them to your product?

When you are selling your pitch to someone, tell it like a story, something different that will grab peoples attention and make them affiliated with the item you are selling or something that will make them want to be affiliated to the item you are selling.

If it were me, I'd want to do a presentation and to prepare a presentation (key slides only - no bs, bullet points 2 or 3 key lines per slide in big enough font that everyone can see, ask for 10 minutes of their time to present it to them and go for it.

JynxIRL

Thanks for the reply's,

This is not a new product but in Ireland its only been around a few years, nor am i the only one doing it, but i want to get my foot in the door so to speak.

I plan on doing presentations and demos of the products, that to me would be the best way to sell my product and give ppl an idea of what my company will be about.

I seen an Ad recently in the buy and sell - it was someone or maybe it was a company that would i guess be some sort of sales dep for your business, you would breif them on what you were selling and they wud do the calling and make the appointments, I gave that idea a taught for sec but then I knew who best to sell the product then the guy who knows it the best me and also i rather have my own sales team with in my own company.

But its that first move , first contact, first impression of me i want to nail !!

I don't want to be a sum random person who turns up talks about a product and is gone and forgotten. I need to make an impression.


Thanks for all your reply's so far I know its late.

JynxIRL

JynxIRL wrote: »

This is not a new product but in Ireland its only been around a few years, nor am i the only one doing it, but i want to get my foot in the door so to speak.

Ok well you need to do a business plan up and do a competitor analysis and realise what they are doing and how you can do it differently or better.

What points are you going to do to differentiate yourself? A few years is a lot of time for the competitors to get in there and develop relationships with the people they sell to. Is your product different in any way ?

shoutman

I think the most important thing when pitching to a potential customer is getting across to them as succinctly as possible why your product is essential to them.

Does it save money?
Does it save time?
Does it make the company look good in the public eye etc....

For example say your product will save 10% on the customers electricity bill, you can say it like that but it might also be worthwhile saying something like "for the price of two boxes of pens you will save 10%, this product will pay for itself within x amount of years, so its a money saving investment"

Best of luck with it.

diydan

Well done Jynx, glad to see there is still a bit of entrepreneurial spirit out there.

Don't know your target market so can't advise on your approach.

What I would say though is try not to dive in and make as much contact with as many people as possible. You could find that you speak to a lot of people but don't follow through on many of those leads.

In current conditions with fewer leads out there it is important to maximise the return from each.

The other point is a very simple one but carries a lot of weight in my book. If you say you'll ring some one on Friday 1.15 then ring them on Friday at 1.15. Punctual people are a rarity these days. If a potential client sees you following up correctly on your first commitment (as small as it is) it is a good indicator of what they can expect from you going forward. It's a sign of character too.

JynxIRL

Thanks for the advice, yes i guess i shouldn't dive into it and try make as many leads as i can.

On time keeping, i think there is sumthing wrong with me, if i have to be sum where at a certain time or even say a B'day party at 8pm im there 7.45, lol maybe im a little compulsive as i have all my clocks synronised with one another down to the second!! Bit odd I Know!

diydan wrote: »

Well done Jynx, glad to see there is still a bit of entrepreneurial spirit out there.

Don't know your target market so can't advise on your approach.

What I would say though is try not to dive in and make as much contact with as many people as possible. You could find that you speak to a lot of people but don't follow through on many of those leads.

In current conditions with fewer leads out there it is important to maximise the return from each.

The other point is a very simple one but carries a lot of weight in my book. If you say you'll ring some one on Friday 1.15 then ring them on Friday at 1.15. Punctual people are a rarity these days. If a potential client sees you following up correctly on your first commitment (as small as it is) it is a good indicator of what they can expect from you going forward. It's a sign of character too.