Three quick fixes to get your sales back on track

Sure, it’s easy to blame the economy for low sales volume and decreased revenue, but even as the economy limps along, companies still have to buy goods and services.

They may buy a bit differently, they make take a little longer, they could even buy less, but they still have to buy. If your customers are not buying what you sell and they can’t see the value in what you offer, the problem might be easier to solve than you think. This might be rough to hear, hard to admit and a tough pill to swallow but, it’s not the economy — it’s you!

If that excuse is not enough and you need another one, here goes. I listen to women business owners who regularly tell me that they blame their customers and potential customers for being too money focused or cost conscious. Customers are attracted to VALUE not “the lowest price or the cheapest in town.” It has nothing to do with price — it’s you!

The women business owners I currently work with saw the writing on the wall and realized it’s do or die for their business. They are now acknowledging this and saying “maybe it is me,” “maybe I need to be more efficient when I sell,” “maybe my selling is off,” or “maybe I should get sales coaching.” These established business owners are admitting that selling is “no longer what it used to be” and new business owners are realizing that selling is “not at all what they thought it would be.”

So what can you do to close more business in a slowing economy? Here are three ways to avoid, or stop playing the blame game and start making things happen, now!

1. Stop making excuses. Excuses are nothing more than roadblocks to progress and change and making excuses strips you of your power to take control. Blaming the economy or blaming your customers is like blaming the sun for your sunburn because you decided to go to the beach without your sunscreen and a hat. Take personal responsibility and blame no one or nothing but yourself. When the economy changes, we adapt not blame.

2. Create your own economy. If you are looking for better business results, take a look inside your business instead of blaming the outside economy. Find out what is missing, what went wrong and how you can fix it. That’s the only thing YOU have control over and the sooner you identify and fix what’s wrong, the sooner your sales and revenue will improve.

3 Invest in yourself and your skills. Sales skills are an essential part of doing business and are critical to staying in business. If you don’t have sales skills; get them, if you have skills; hone them, if you are not sure where to start, ask a coach. When you arm yourself with efficient and effective sales skills, you increase the chances for your business to thrive in this new and here to stay economy.

It’s time to stop blaming everything but yourself. Start doing what you need to do, and accept the fact that you can’t control the economy but you can create and control your own! This is your business we are talking about.
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