Sarah Bennett-Nash’s Post

Are you actively growing your business? Wishing is great. Motivation helps. Planning is required. But, action is essential. It's Tuesday - look at your to-do list for this week. Be honest: what sales actions did you take yesterday? What will you take over the next four days? So many things in business suck up your time but do not contribute directly to your revenue. Yes, they need to be done - but as an entrepreneur or business owner, you must dedicate and invest time in revenue-generating activities. Revenue-generating activities include: * Prospecting: cold calling, asking people if they have the problem you solve. * Asking customers for recommendations and introductions.  * Setting up sales calls and meetings. * Having sales conversations. * Asking prospects to make decisions. * Inviting prospects to commit and work with you (#askforthesale) If you feel stuck, know your weeks pass, and don't get to spend time on revenue-generating activities, please consider joining my new weekly accountability group. We meet every Tuesday from 10 am ET to discuss and commit to specific actions that will drive your business forward and ensure you stay focused. Sign up at hazelbutters.com/focus Because sales will only happen if you're taking action. #askforthesale #sales #entrepreneurs #askingstrangersformoney #takesalesaction #smallbusinesssales

Are You Missing Out on Sales Growth? Two weeks ago, I spoke at an event on Sales and Scaling to 14 business owners. During the session, I asked a simple question: “Who here has ever made a cold call or done any cold outreach?” To my surprise, only two people raised their hands. I get it—every business is different. But if you’re serious about growing and reaching your business’s full potential, I firmly believe a sales function is non-negotiable. Whether you’re B2B or B2C, having at least one person actively smashing outreach is critical for keeping your pipeline busy. Yes, cold calls and outreach can be daunting. Reaching out to strangers, facing rejection—it’s not easy. But it’s part of the growth process, and it can actually be fun! Selling your business should energize you, not feel like a chore. So, here’s my challenge: If your pipeline isn’t where you want it, dedicate just one day a week to cold outreach. Give it a try. Push past the discomfort and see what happens. Need help getting started? Let’s talk—message me! #Sales #BusinessGrowth #Scaling #ColdOutreach #Entrepreneurship

Quick PSA: Your prospects are NOT psychic. 🔮 They don't know about your business, product, service, or expertise - until you let them know. 🔮 They don't understand the problem you solve, the benefits of your product or service, or the opportunities you can help them step into - until you let them know. 🔮 They don't know that you have availability to help them, products for them to embrace into their lives or work, and solutions to stop them worrying - until you let them know. 🔮 In short, they don't know you exist. You have to prospect. Spend time on sales. Have sales conversations. Engage. Ask questions. Demonstrate expertise. Engage. Feeling stuck? Dreading the thought of prospecting or having sales conversations? Sign up for a free 30 minutes chat with me, and let's figure out how to get you in front of your prospects and having sales conversations. Link here (https://lnkd.in/ez2WACeF) or click 'Book a call' on hazelbutters.com #sales #salescoach #salestrainer #prospecting #hazelbutters #salesadvice #entrepreneurship

Spoke to someone recently that said they wanted more customers but couldn't do sell because it was too difficult 🤔 I explained to them it shouldn't be difficult but I'm not going to lie it can feel extremely uncomfortable when you're starting out But this is the same as anything new that we learn, we don't dive straight in to new things with ease😄 Generally it can take time to build up the confidence and skill to do something you haven't done before And the longer you leave it the harder it becomes😔 If you are one of those entrepreneurs that wants more customers and can see the value in sales calls then don't hold back👊 Get a plan together and get cracking, it doesn't matter if you mess up, say the wrong thing or even bottle it 🤪 The main thing is to get prepared then give it a go 😃 Seriously what's the worst that can happen? ❌You feel silly ❌You may feel shy ❌You may say something daft Not too bad is it? Now, what's the best that can happen?😁 ✅You get through to the decision maker straight away ✅You get someone who is interested in what you're selling ✅You make a sale! Feels pretty good eh?😁 So be brave and book those sales calls, like the saying goes, "shy kids don't get sweets" If you want to start actively converting more clients but aren't sure where to start then DM me, I can help! --------------------------- 💛 I help business owners who are great at what they do but need more sales 💛 I use my 25 +years of sales and business experience to help my clients get results 💛 Ready to grow your business? DM me to find out more #sjastral #leadstosales

Slow sales? It's not a sales problem. Sales is all about serving and helping. What you might have is an engagement or questions problem. When you do speak to a prospect for 30-60 minutes, learn these four things: ➡️Their primary (surface) challenge. ➡️What they've already tried to fix it. ➡️How quickly they'd like to address it. ➡️One important upcoming date for them (personal or professional). There should be some time for small talk and sharing a little back story. But if you want to help someone, learn those four things. And if you realize the person you're speaking with isn't a prospect right now? You're still helping them! You're affirming for them that they ARE on the right track and currently don't need your product or service (but they'll be aware of you in the future). DM me if you feel like you have a sales problem. I'm happy to review the above at no cost and make suggestions to help you get back on track. #support #sales #smallbusiness #entrepreneurs

Why Do Entrepreneurs Need To Learn How To Make Phone Calls? In sales we call it "Cold Calling" and this is why it is important for your business especially when you're just starting out in business and don't have any salespeople or consultants - it's just you. And I get it, many say that calling people for business doesn't work because they know you're trying to sell something. But actually, cold calling still works well for sales, and here's why I believe as a entrepreneur you needs to learn how to make effective phone calls. These are my 6 reasons that I have learnt throughout working in sales since I was 18 and my entrepreneurial journey. 1. Direct Connection: Cold calling lets you talk directly to potential customers, skipping digital clutter. 2. Opportunity Creation: It helps find new leads, partnerships, and business chances. 3. Builds Resilience: Handling rejection toughens you up, making you stronger in business. 4. Market Insight: You learn what customers need, helping tailor products better. 5. Personal Growth: Cold calling improves communication and negotiation skills. 6. Sales Control: You lead the conversation, making sales more predictable and scalable. Getting really good at cold calling can make a huge difference for entrepreneurs. It helps you find new chances, opens up possibilities, and makes your business grow faster. So, don't hesitate to learn and use it to succeed. Be blessed, hope this helped #coldcalling #entreprenuership

I’ve met a lot of service business owners and entrepreneurs who are smart, hard-working, willing to push through any challenge, except maybe for.... ...sales! Whether it’s hating parts of the process, a bit of fear and anxiety, or both, any resistance you have to selling can end in business failure. I want you to succeed in your small business. If you're shying away from prospecting and pitching, you must change your mindset. Sales is not a dirty word. Let me ask you a few questions: - Do you enjoy helping others? - Do you give friends advice? - Do you recommend services and products you believe in because someone expressed a need? The answer to these questions is probably yes. And when you helped them, you probably didn’t feel stressed, icky, or manipulative. Authentic selling is the same: providing real value for your prospective customers and existing clients. As sales master Brian Tracy famously said, “Approach each customer with the idea of helping him or her to solve a problem or achieve a goal, not of selling a product or service.” It's about helping others, period. Now, you might think, “But Feras, I’m not a gifted conversationalist. I hate small talk!” Wherever you are on the introversion/extroversion spectrum, selling is not an inherent skill people either possess or don't. Talking has little to do with it. Asking questions and listening serve you better than trying to talk someone into a sale. Honest and effective selling is about understanding the lead’s pain points, needs, and wants, and then matching them with excellent solutions, without trying to be slick and sounding good. In sales with integrity, you are coaching your lead toward a decision. Read the full article for more about selling without being fake or icky. https://lnkd.in/dZntSa8F #Sales #Entrepreneurs #BusinessOwners

How to do sales in your 20s: Growing up as an introvert cautious about money, selling ANYTHING felt extremely nerve-wracking for me. After starting my Social Media Marketing Agency @V-Factor Social, I have been in countless “sales calls” with business owners 2-3x my age looking to work with us. Here’s what I learned about selling: 🚀 Sales isn’t selling. It’s talking. Most sales calls I’ve been at as a customer came off desperate and, well, sales-y. I did not like that. In my sales calls with potential clients, I have a genuine interest in helping their business grow, whether that’s with us or without us (with us will be better 😉). Alignment is very important, so if I know we can’t help the potential client, we refer them to someone who can. Successful sales calls have the client doing most of the talking. 🚀 You don’t need a script I used to have a strong impression that I had to be super “convincing” in a sales call because of a memorized script, etc. But my strategy tends to work pretty well! I have a very general guideline for the call, but I let the conversation flow naturally. The most effective sales is you believing in your product and in your potential client. Any sales tips? Drop them in the comments - let's help each other out. #SalesTips #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #SalesStrategy #MarketingAgency

We all get ghosted—I've been too. In my last 10+ years in sales and entrepreneurship, Countless prospects have shown interest, gotten on calls, and requested quotes only to go MIA after. It's a challenge for most service providers—getting their hopes up only to never hear back from the client. It makes us question if we should continue following up or drop the customer. My sales mentees face similar situations and often ask me what the right thing to do is. Is it to be persistent and continue following up? Or is it to anticipate they're not interested and move on? But the true sales spirit lies in never giving up and persistently trying to improve and strengthen the relationship with them. I have seen a few such clients awarding me shipments considering my persistence and way of approaching clients. Here are a few things that have helped me win a few such clients. 🔷 Understanding their needs by engaging in conversations, asking relevant open-ended questions to uncover their requirements in a service provider. 🔷Sales is more about building relationships than just closing a deal. Regular check-ins, sharing industry insights, and wishing them on festival days or birthdays help build the relationship. 🔷Many prospects take time to decide. Educating them about your offerings and value additions as to how it is better than competitors. 🔷Take feedback on why they are not choosing you and improve next time. 🔷Showcase your testimonials to win trust. 🔷Be persistent, positive, and hopeful at every interaction with them. Each interaction is an opportunity to strengthen the bond and build the trust essential for conversion. As sales professionals, our goal should be NOT just to sell but to create a partnership that thrives on mutual success. And once you've successfully built the relationship, sales will be a byproduct. P.S. How do you approach clients who ghost you? #entrepreneurship #business