1) Discover a NEED
For you to make sales you must be sure that people need the product you intend to SELL. It could be physical/digital products, service rendering etc.
Illustration:
Most of us go to the market because we want to buy a particular product and our expectation is to always meet someone who is selling what we want to buy but we get disappointed if we don’t get the product.
Before you SELL anything be sure people will need/buy the product as at the time you want to sell it (very important)
During the yuletide season some mini-importation marketers always visit the market to see what people are buying before they pitch their products to the market place.
There must be a demand before you SELL: this is when you can say you want to solve problems for people .
To help you out on how to spot if there will be an high demand:
Check if you have existing persons in that niche selling profitably or something related.
This is a sign that there is a market place for your products /services.
Another Illustration:
I only wrote this article because people indicated interest. I wouldn’t have done that if nobody indicated interest at first.
This will help you save yourself from unnecessary stress.
2) Understand Your Customers
Now that you have discovered a NEED, you need to understand your customers.
Human temperament (Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholy and Phlegmatic.) has a lot to do with how they buy. People buy for different reasons.
Some persons buy quickly while other persons will like you to give them more details about your products and enough time to make their final decision (future clients/customers)
When you know a lot about your customers, it will help you know where you will find them, how you will SELL to them and how you will analyse your advertisement campaigns.
Other details to know about your customers are; Age, Marital Status, Occupation, Religion, Interest, Hobbies, Location Etc.
My Personal experience:
Whenever I want to pitch my digital products on “job search preparation materials”, I try to focus on fresh graduates, job applicants, unemployed in towns and cities between the ages of 22-35 etc on job vacancy websites/platforms/forums etc.
Apply this to your business too.
3) Draw A Sales Funnel
A sales funnel is the process at which you take your clients/customers through, before you introduce your products to them.
Most people always like to view samples of the product before they buy. A free insight/ sample of your product will help you build more credibility in the market place.
Take for instance, the “suya” seller always like you to taste before buying.
This “suya” illustration is a good example you need to start implementing especially if you are new in the market place where the competition is high.
People are only interested in what they will benefit from your products/services, they are not concerned if you want to make profit or not.
If the free “suya” I was given taste bad, I wouldn’t want to spend my money. So, ensure you are giving something of quality even tho it’s free.
Give out free stuffs, build relationship and if people are satisfied they will buy from you without forcing them – this is the best sales funnel:
If you can do this you are indirectly attracting money.
4) Determine the number of products you want to SELL
Be realistic with your target. I smile when I see a lot of people who want to make 7-figures in their first sales online.
You need to start from realistic targets and scale up. AND in order to make meaningful sales, you need to reach out to a large number of people, most especially via online ads.
5) Give out an irresistible offer
An irresistible offer covers the weakness of most marketing errors.
This tactics works if the competition in your niche is fierce. Give additional irresistible bonuses that will make the customer want to buy from you without forcing him or her.
Psychologically, people like additional/free stuffs and they will prefer to buy from someone that’s offering additionally freebie than her counterpart or competitor.
Imagine you are hungry and you decide to eat in a restaurant by the roadside. You discovered there are two shops before each other.
On the sign post of SHOP A you see that a can bottle of coke and 1 meat will be added to any food you buy from them. Meanwhile *shop B’s* sign post only indicates the name of the restaurant and “food is ready” on it.
Which one will you go for??
My guess was as good as yours.
So, in your offerings, in order not to force prospective customers from patronising you, offer freebies.
6) Build Relationship
Relationship is very important when it comes to selling to people.
People always like to do business with people they know and trust.
Try your best to show the customer that you are more interested in making them happy.
N.b.: Make more people happy, make life more easier for people, take people from a problem zone to a solution zone etc.
7) Branding
The world is changing and most people are now building personal brands around their products.
The way you present yourself and your products can go a long way in the minds of your customers.
For example, your brand name, logo, delivery style, product packaging, customer service, consistency, speed, availability, website, online awareness etc all has to Ben unique to your own style.
You need to come out and tell people what your services/products are, with different branding concepts that suits your customers.
Check what other people are doing in the market place and do it better.
You must be known for something unique that makes you stand out among others.
8) Learn how to PERSUADE your customers
You must learn how to use facts, testimonials, irresistible sales copy, credibility, personal experience with your products/services, demonstrate how your customers will benefit from your products/services etc to persuade them to buying from you in the competitive market.
by Adeboye D. Vincent (modified)