Getting Sales Results in Your Business: The Real Secret

I spent many years both as a corporate communications manager and as an independent consultant advising organizations on marketing, crises and facilitating all kinds of change – reorganizations, product launches, new markets, and so on.  After more than 20 years immersed in this, I see the patterns in a vivid, glaringly clear way. Change is often blindingly and fundamentally simple…yet, not easy.

When I work with small business owners to help them design and market effective businesses, I see the same principles at play, and although the scope is different, the symptoms and diagnoses are very often the same: to build a strong business, you need happy, engaged staff; clients who are looking for and are willing to pay for your services; and effective marketing and operations.

It’s also clear to me that the desire to achieve these things, and even spending a lot of time and money on them, doesn’t make it easy to do what we know is needed and good for our businesses. Figuring out what you need to do and actually doing it consistently over the long term are two different things entirely!

There are actually four key areas that have to be addressed for real change (and real results) to occur in any business or organization. These four essential ingredients are constant no matter what your goal is – introducing a new customer service process, launching a new product or service or building a virtual or employee team.

Systems – you need systems that support your intended results, and they need to be monitored  and followed. They also need to be rewarded! Whether you work solo, or have a team in place, celebration and a feeling of accomplishment is very important.

Attitude – you and your team need to buy in and commit fully for any new goal or new way of operating to work. It is impossible to delight your clients if you are not sincere and happy.

Knowledge – you need to know how to do the things that you need to be able to do, in order to create change and results. The desire to do it isn’t enough, although it’s the right place to start!

Skills – beyond creating an environment and systems that work, demonstrating your positive attitude and knowing how to do something, you need the skills to be able to do the actual work!

Here are some symptoms that one or more of these areas are out of sync:

• You’re too busy focusing on today and your day-to-day busy-ness and so you put “it” on the back burner, thinking it can wait since it’s a longer term plan (systems)
• Your team members don’t see this as a priority (systems), that it’s optional (attitude) and they don’t understand the connection between their roles, and the long term importance of  “it” (knowledge)
• You know what you should do, and even how to do it, but you or your team members are simply not good at “it” (skills)

So what’s the secret then? In my opinion, you need a balance in place of the right people, the right skills, and the right strategy in place.  You need to create a foundation for your business that includes a clearly defined market, carefully selected choices to offer them, products and services that allow you to put only your best foot forward.  Then you need to make life as easy as possible for yourself, your team members and your clients. Creating a simple strategy and systems that are easy to follow, so that you are consistent, is the best way… because it’s the only way you will stick to doing what you know is good for you, your clients, and your business.

Want to use this article? You can as long as you include this footer: Sherri Garrity is the Chief Corporate Fugitive and creator of the Five Keys Success System™  for ex-corporate employees and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to break free from the confines of their corporate experience and live outside of the ordinary. The Corporate Fugitive system demystifies the business of setting up, managing, marketing and growing a successful and extraordinary business. Visit www.corporatefugitive.com for information and step-by-step resources to take you from overwhelmed employee to extraordinary entrepreneur.

Break Free Tip! Look through a window

It’s really difficult to get perspective on your business when you are the business. But this is so important, especially when it comes to developing your marketing material, because you need to be able to talk to your potential customers from their vantage point, not yours. A great way to get perspective is to look through the window of your clients, instead of in the mirror. Ask them what they value about you, and even how they would introduce you to someone they thought may benefit from what you have to offer. If you don’t have clients yet, you can still do this – talk to past employers, business colleagues and even very good friends who understand the business you are planning to create. I guarantee that you’ll get an immensely valuable, very different message than the one you would come up with by yourself. To hear more tips, watch the video below.