Selling The New Rules How To Get The Business And Keep It

Writen by Diana Horner

Find your inner salesperson.
Most women are natural communicators, but we seem to assume that the brash, masculine, hard close approach is required to get new business. Rethink your approach and attract business, instead of chasing it.

The Badger, Ruth Badger that is, from the last series of the Apprentice was renowned for her sales technique, closing more individual deals than any candidate in task after task. Fellow finalist, Michelle Dewberry has a softer style, but was equally tenacious and ultimately, came out on top. If you are keen to attract new business, you need to identify your own selling style. Changing personality when you walk into a sales meeting, or a networking event, will not work. A confident manner is the result of preparation, combined with focus on the customer or potential customer.

If you know you have a strong personality and tend to lead in conversation, or perhaps dominate:
Practice active listening – hear what people are saying to you and pause before responding. Become conscious of how many times you hear yourself saying "I" in any exchange, and find ways to replace it with "you".

If you feel uncomfortable imposing yourself in a social and a business setting.
Practice selling conversations with someone you trust to give you honest feedback. Let them take the role of indecisive client/prospective client, and maintain a conversation that leads to you asking for and getting an order, or a meeting to discuss opportunities to help them.

Be charming, use your personality to sell, but be effective at the same time. Many a friendly female has come out of a sales pitch asking saying to herself "Well that was all very pleasant, but did I achieve anything?" A successful sales person is anyone who can have a series of conversations which result in a resolution of a problem with a solution.

The other key factor, is the importance of completing the process in an efficient manner. This means keeping the client in touch with progress and dealing with admin quickly. You can make a sale, or land a new client, and then ruin a relationship very quickly, by failing to maintain your initial enthusiasm throughout.

Get ready to act
Focus your efforts on making you and your business known, in order for potential clients to seek you out, and to think of you first when they are in a buying mood. This can be achieved in a variety of ways, including advertising, networking and PR.

Sahar Hashemi from Coffee Republic has spoken at high profile events, co-authored a book about Coffee Republic with her brother Bobby, making sure that her name, and therefore her brand, is well recognised, and remembered. Become an expert in your field. Volunteer to take workshops, dispense free advice, write press releases responding to news stories in your sector etc.

Helen Agutter, Chartered Accountant, based in Brighton, sends out an email periodically to her mailing list, which talks in a very easy to understand way – about financial issues that affect businesses and individuals. I may not always need to know about the specific legislation mentioned, but I always think of Helen first when someone needs accountancy advice.

Be Prepared. For all opportunities to talk about your business, if someone expresses an interest. However, don't be tempted to go on about it all times - I know one new business owner who took this principle a little too far at times, spreading her business cards around at family gatherings, and generally boring for England on the subject.

Imagine yourself in unexpected conversation with your ideal new client. Can you talk about your business easily and succinctly, or is it likely that you might ramble on. What do you do? Who do you work with? How can you be contacted? Smile, slow down and speak clearly. All good rules for life, but essential for creating the right impression in business!

About the Author Diana Horner has been interested in helping women run successful businesses since she started her first business in 1999. As well as establishing a highly successful woman's networking group and organising a series of events aimed at women in business, Diana now runs Enterprising Woman - an online magazine aimed at helping and motivating women starting and running their own businesses. Enterprising Woman is a growing community for finding information, sharing experiences and collecting tips from other women entrepreneurs. To read the latest issue of Enterprising Woman, packed with interesting articles and practical tips, visit http://www.enterprisingwoman.co.uk!