10 Sales Tips For Early Stage Entrepreneurs

Robin Wang, Principal© 2013, Vibrant Future LLC / Sales4Entrepreneurs.com

True, but giving some attention now to sales will put you in a much better position down the road

when you’re really ready to sell.

“Sales?!? You’re kidding.It’s still just an idea.”

1Surprise!You’re Already Selling.

Even though your idea is still very formative, you’re selling your vision, idea, and concept now to prospective customers, investors, co-founders, and partners. Don’t talk about your idea, SELL your idea and welcome any feedback to refine your idea.

2Focus on the Value Proposition.

Generating sales is all about demonstrating and providing value to your customer.

So as you mull and morph your idea, give plenty of thought to the exact nature, scope, and amount ofvalue that you will be delivering.

3Put on Your Customer’s Shoes.

Chances are, you’re envisioning your idea solely from your side of the fence.

Hop over to the other side, pretend you’re a customer and see how they are going to view your company, pitch, and value proposition.

4Practice, Practice, Practice your Pitch.

Nothing turns off prospective partners, investors or customers more than a poor pitch.

You want that pitch to flow smoothly, genuinely, and elegantly off your tongue with confidence.

The only way to do that is to rehearse (but not memorize) your pitch over and over again.

5Pre-sell ThroughCustomer Validation.

At some point, you will need to validate your ideas with prospective customers. As you have these conversations, don’t just ask questions, but also build value.

Remember that they could be a future customer and by building value now, they will be more receptive to your offer down the road.

6Invest a Little Time Prospecting.

There are many reasons why building customer lists is worthwhile at this stage, but the most important one is that it is a “stumble upon” process.

When that information randomly presents itself, you want to be ready to collect it and you don’t want to have to scramble for it when you’re ready to sell.

7Build Personal Trust and Recognition.

People buy from those that they know, like and trust.

By starting a business you’re a de facto expert in your field so get your name out there in papers, presentations, webinars, etc.

When you’re ready to sell, transfer that personal trust and recognition to your business.

8Tap Into Your Emotions and Passion.

People are attracted to those that communicate with confidence and passion.

Tap into your core emotions when you talk to others about your idea. You’ll soon find yourself with a legion of followers and you’ll be well versed when it’s time to raise capital, land partners, and get customers.

9Incorporate Promotion Into Your Idea.

“Build it and they will come” has killed the dreams of many entrepreneurs.

As your idea evolves be sure to factor in how you’re going to promote it as it will become an integral element of your success or failure.

10Incorporate Packaging Into Your Idea.

The art of closing involves the ease of selling, the ease ofunderstanding, and the ease of using your offer.

When your idea begins to gel, start thinking about how you will package your offer and make it as simple as possible to communicate, understand and decide.

Happy Selling.

Robin Wang

Sales4Entpreneurs.com

robin@sales4entrepreneurs.com

All materials © 2013 Vibrant Future, LLC