Traits of a Successful Salesperson in Startup

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B2B sales can be a tough road to pursue with more and more startups coming onto the market each day. The only way you are going to be successful in such a tough, competitive world is to be a stand-out in an otherwise crowded field.

If you are not a standout in a very competitive market, your startup may not go very far as others will be ready to jump on any opportunity in a heartbeat, even if you choose to pass it by. The good news, however, is that there ARE ways you can ensure you stand out and stand the best chance for success possible. We at Enterslice have developed a sales strategy, and we are crushing it. Here’s what we have to share!

Be a Hustler

One big key to being able to “stand out” in that tough B2B crowd is being able to be a “hustler”. Weird as that may sound, it’s a key. Sales positions are not a position for lazy people. Sales must be pushed onto others for them to buy your product, or there will be someone else pushing them to buy their product over yours. An active person is willing to push their limits, and is willing to use that motivation to turn their pitches into sales which result in cash and profit.

Be an Active Listener

Another key is being an active listener. Most sales pitches fail because the seller throws way too much information at the customers all at the same time. Some of this information is bound to get lost in the shuffle, and sales messages and pitches are going to go right past the customers.

That will be the case no matter HOW good those sales pitches happen to be. It is vital for the sales team to understand the pitches that are being made, and the problems at the core of the solution that your business provides. Propose your solution as the only solution to the problem they happen to have. Speak convincingly as if no other solution will work.

But listen to customers’ problems first before pitching your solution.

Build Rapport before you Sell

Be sure to build a rapport with your customers. It’s important that people buying products from you know that you can be thoroughly trusted. It will take time and honest communications, but you can build yourself a positive reputation of being not only well-known in the B2B business, but also well-trusted.

The more you are trusted and known as an honest and upfront communicator and seller the more likely clients are to recommend you to others. This helps to grow your startup.

We build rapport before we sell NBFC Registration at Enterslice.

80% of Conversions Happen in Follow Ups

Be sure to follow-up with the customers that you give pitches to. Customers are very busy people, and do not have time to chase you down and hound you, even if they are interested in purchasing your product. Make yourself easily accessible and provide multiple contact methods to the prospects (i.e. phone number, email, fax, business office address, etc.). Also, be sure to follow-up with the clients after the demo or meetings occur.

While Selling FSSAI License in India, We experienced 80% conversions in second follow up.

About 80% of conversions is shown to happen in follow-ups, so they are vital to customer acquisition. Continue to follow up until you hear a definite ‘No.'

A ‘No’ can be ‘Yes.'

Be sure to thank everyone warmly for their time no matter what the decision, and be graceful in accepting “yes” and “no” answers. They may not be able to purchase your solution yet, but someone they know might be interested. You want a good reputation that follows you everywhere you go. A ‘No’ can be a ‘yes’ later if you build a good rapport with your prospect.

Be Shameless

Be shameless is what you present. Be confident that your product, solution, or idea is the fix for the problem that is being solved. Make it clear that you believe in what you are doing, and others likely will follow suit. It may be uncomfortable at the beginning, but pushing yourself to sell the concept you have to offer is vital to making your startup successful. If you don’t sell things, you don’t make money. If you don’t make money, you start losing money, and your startup doesn’t survive.

Get used to pushing your ideas as that’s what it takes to create most sales. It may be uncomfortable, but your startup survival depends on it you must be willing to do it. It’s also vital that you sell reality and not a grandiose vision you have for the future. Be sure that you are convincing to the customers like. It’s vital to believe in yourself if you want others to believe in you as well. The more confident you are the more confident others will be in you. This means you will get more customers, and have higher success rates in getting people to believe in, invest in, and buy their specific product. You are your biggest believer, and best seller.

Hustle Harder, Crush it and Make it rain!

Image Credit: Deposit Photos