While so much press and emphasis seems to always surround large corporations, nothing would exist if it weren’t for entrepreneurs. After all, all of those ‘big’ companies had to start with an idea, someone to believe in it and then make it happen. The mind of an entrepreneur is an amazing thing. The speed, depth, and creativity at which their brain processes things are fun to watch.
We have all seen the rags to riches success stories of companies like Under Armour whose founder started selling clothes out of his grandmother’s house. But with every successful entrepreneur, there are thousands who fail. One of the pitfalls that often occurs with struggling entrepreneurs is not having a sales mindset. The business is usually centered around a great product or service but the mindset around sales takes a backseat to design, implementation, and marketing. While those other things must happen, the same amount of emphasis needs to be placed around prospecting and sales. You can’t deliver your product or service unless you have someone to deliver it to.
To avoid this pitfall, here are three key things to focus on to boost your chances of success.
- Develop a prospecting awareness – It doesn’t matter if you are going to the grocery store or out to dinner, every person you interact with has the potential to be your customer. Identify what your ideal customer looks like and find the most efficient way to get in front of as many of those people as possible.
- Have a system for selling – The world revolves around processes and systems; it is everywhere you turn. You must have a process for selling. It gives you clarity, confidence, predictability, consistency, and repeatability and we follow systems because we know it works.
- Keep the pipeline full – Prospecting should never stop. The more you have in your pipeline, the more consistent your results will be. The more consistent your results, the more you can rely on performance which minimizes stress, emotions, and anxiety.
While there is a lot to consider when starting a business, it is imperative to keep a strong mindset around sales to maximize your opportunity for success.
