You are not a salesy person and yet you are an entrepreneur and whenever someone asks you what you do for a living, off the cuff you give them a description of your company and what it does, but you walk away feeling like you sold yourself and your business short because you just aren’t ’that’ guy – the one who has his sales pitch down to a fine art and is ready for any opportunity to use it. Most entrepreneurs have found themselves in this position at some stage, but part of being an entrepreneur is being your own best fan, completely understanding what you do and packaging this into a non-salesy ‘pitch’ so that you don’t walk away with that feeling ever again.

There definitely are some practical and effective techniques that you can use to make sure that you don’t come across badly when you are trying to sell your brand. It is better to understand effective sales techniques rather than just memorise a script. When you take the time to learn these techniques, you will introduce your company in a way that will make it irresistible.

By mastering the techniques highlighted in this article, you will be able to:

• Give a persuasive introduction of your company
• Reinforce your branding throughout the conversation
• Inhabit a niche in your prospect’s mind
• Get them interested in your offerings

These are techniques that successful salespeople use to charm their customers and get them to buy. They will also work for you!

Don’t Tell Them What You Do, Tell Them Who You Are

When you’re introducing your business, it’s not time to talk about the products or services that your company offers. Chances are, your prospect already knows what services you provide. Instead, you need to let them know who you are, and you need to do it in a way that differentiates you from your competitors. The last thing you want to do is introduce your company as another “me too” brand. Make sure you point out in the conversation why you are unique.

Find a way to set yourself apart from your competition. Don’t tell them what you do, tell them who you are.

Focus On Outcomes

When positioning your company, it’s important to remember that it’s the outcomes your services provide that are important, not the services themselves. Your prospects only care about the services you provide when they know what these services will do for them. This is why it’s important to focus on the benefits your services offer. Focusing on the outcomes of your services will help your prospects understand why they need them.

Give Them Evidence

Your claims, while certainly compelling, will not be able to stand on their own. Back them up with some evidence.

No, this doesn’t mean you need to show them all of the data and analytics that prove that your services work. It just means making a short statement about things your company has done.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some examples:

• My last client experienced a 50 percent increase in sales
• We helped a client reduce their costs by R100 000 a month

Not too hard, right? A quick example of the results your product or service has produced can strengthen your positioning.

Tell Them What You Stand For

Nowadays, consumers want to know what a brand stands for. You have to be about more than just your products or services.

Your brand has to have an actual personality. Yes, it is important to have a unique selling proposition, but it’s even more important to have a purpose.

If your company is going to attract customers, you need to stand for something they can believe in. What problems can your product or service solve? When you identify your brand’s purpose, you can show your company’s human side. This will make it easier for prospects to relate to you.

Don’t Just Say It Once

When it comes to positioning, repetition is key. If you only use these techniques once, don’t expect the prospect to remember it. You have to reaffirm your position in each interaction.

Whenever there’s an opportunity in a conversation to reinforce your position, take the opportunity! Just make sure you do it in a way that isn’t awkward or pushy.

If the prospect makes a statement that is favorable to your position, use it.  In every interaction you have with your prospect, you should look for areas where you can reaffirm your position.

If the prospect starts talking about an issue they are having that your services could solve, it might be a good time to provide some evidence of how you have solved the same problem. You could also take the opportunity to reaffirm the outcome that solving this problem will provide.

Conclusion

For the non-salesy entrepreneur, the idea of being persuasive can be daunting. Many are intimidated by the prospect of having to influence others. However, it doesn’t have to be scary.

The same techniques that salespeople use can work for you. Effective positioning of your company will help you set the tone for your interactions with your prospects. If you do this right, you will impress your prospect and make it easier to get them to say “yes.”