Sometimes you have to go out and get drunk: 8 ways to become a sales star

Look to help your customers in other ways besides providing them your product, reports Tech in Asia

Lucep co-founder Zal Dastur’s the one who’s sent the room into stitches. He’s joined by Shekar Sahu, co-founder of HealthcareMagic (he sold the company for $18.5 million to Ebix in May 2014), and global marketing head Puneet Chhahira, who works with Infosys subsidiary EdgeVerve. Together, they point out eight tips for startups struggling to sell well.

1. On social media, keep your content consistent

A stronger following on social media tends to grow your company and ultimately close sales. That doesn’t mean pelting your users with posts, but it does mean keeping up a steady stream of posts.

2. Know your social media platforms

Keeping updated on social media platform policies can also help make sure you reach a greater number of people. For example, posting articles too often on your company’s Facebook page can decrease its reach because the site will flag you as a potential spammer.

3. Know where you’re doing business

“Australia, for a lack of a better word – they don’t like bullshit,” Zal tells the room. People doing business in the country should make sure they give straight, direct answers. That’s not always the case around the world.

4. Know who you’re doing business with

The trick is to go as specific as you can. The clearer idea you have about your audience, the more you’ll know about how to reach it – and how to make a product that it needs.

5. The customer’s POV comes first

Know that you’re going to have bias – your company’s product is most likely a labor of love on your part. Your customers are not going to have the same affection for what you’re seeing, so you need to meet them where they are. Instead of trying to get them to do what you want, you must first find out what they want, then tell them how your product gives that to them.

6. Respond fast

A company that responds to a potential sale within the hour – as opposed to an hour later – is 7 times more likely to get the lead, and 60 times more likely than companies that waited a day or longer.

7. The human touch and authenticity win trust

Don’t rely on your company chatbot to make your customers feel like giving you business – keep human interaction in the sale as much as you can. Look to help your customers in other ways besides providing them your product. 

8. Take it easy on the events

Events are as much of a time and money calculation as other business decisions.

This is an excerpt from an article published on TechInAsia. You can read the full story here