Start My Own Computer Business, without Being a Sell-Out
If you are in the IT field and trying to find clients to help you build a new company, perhaps you’ve said to yourself, “I want to start my own computer business … but I HATE to sell!”
Sales calls are an art form. Many new to the computer business have never had to sell anything before and will see sales calls as intimidating. But with right anti-sales approach, and if you get the right perspective and understand the most likely outcomes of your prospective client appointments, you are already on your way to becoming a sales call expert.
The following 3 tips can help those that say, “I want to start my own computer business … but I don’t like sales.”
- Don’t Sell. How can you “sell” yourself without selling yourself? With sales calls, you need to get creative. The trick is, guide the prospect’s decision. Ask him/her questions that seduce the person into hiring you. When your marketing activities are highly-targeted and your leads are highly-qualified, your prospective client appointments become more about a mutual interview than any kind of traditional selling. An effective sales call does not involve standard selling at all. In fact, approaching this meeting like a mutual interview will typically end with prospects pushing YOU to take them on. On the surface, this may seem like a minor difference, but it can be a very powerful positioning strategy.
- Know What a Bad Sales Call Looks Like. Often, there are two negative situations that can arise from sales calls gone wrong with new prospects. However, these negatives can truly be a blessing in disguise. Why? You should view these mis-steps as warning signs of a potentially bad if not disastrous client … or simply someone that will waste your time and is not actually interested in your services. The first negative outcome of a sales call will be a prospect that is just picking your brains and has no intention of paying for services. In this situation, the prospect is viewing the sales call as an opportunity to get free advice. This type of prospect has probably never had professional IT service before and is not about to pay for it. The other bad outcome of a sales call is a prospect that is just shopping prices and views the sales call as a solicitation for bids. This prospect will not be interested in your services either and will just want to know what it might cost for you to do what he/she thinks needs to be done. Look for warning signs of either of these scenarios and cut these prospects loose as soon as possible.
- Be Prepared for Successful Sales Calls. Many that say “I want to know how to start my own computer business” don’t have a clue about what to expect when it comes to sales calls, either bad or good. Once you’ve weeded out the time-wasters, look for signs of prospects that are interested and will make good long-term clients. One common scenario is that you get a call from a prospect that needs emergency service. Many new to the business mistake these types of calls for one-shot-deals that have no long-term potential. This can be a big, short-sighted mistake, as many new client relationships start with emergency service and fixing something that is broken. These emergency service opportunities help you prove yourself as you fix the problem right away, calmly and professionally, and show you know what you are doing, and are like-able and trustworthy. You end up with a couple hundred dollars in service revenue. But more importantly, you now have a new paying customer who may very well become a loyal long-term client in the future. The other positive result of a good sales call is an IT audit, sometimes called a technology assessment. So be prepared to clearly outline the benefits of the work you do and “seduce” your prospects into getting the ball rolling with something small to start. Look for these two signs of success and start to build relationships with prospects that are willing and able to pay for your professional services and solutions.
In this article, we discussed 3 tips for those that say “I want to start my own computer business, without being a sell-out.” Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients now at http://www.StartMyOwnComputerBusiness.com
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