You have a product that you are convinced everyone will love, but how do you convert that into a sale? Five business leaders share what they've learnt about making a successful sale.
“Making a sale is important, but not as important as making my customers look good and feel the part. So if I don't think a particular design suits my customer's body shape, I will suggest alternative styles or colours that may be more flattering. Customers appreciate advice and honesty. Where possible, I try to make my customers, whether online or in person, feel important because I cherish every one of them – even if this means going out of my way to handle their requests. At the end of the day, being genuine and sincere towards customers, regardless of whether they make a purchase or not, goes a long way.”
~ Melissa Shen, founder, Ms Soignée
“There’s always a mad rush for presents on Christmas Eve, where we usually see more than our fair share of men in the store buying last-minute gifts. We always listen to our customers and ask questions, and nothing illustrates this point better than on this occasion, as the men usually look a little lost seeing the variety of styles available. Asking questions also allows us to help steer them towards choices that might be more suited to their partners. Never recommend more than three items; in my experience, too much choice can prove confusing and we have lost customers because of that. We tell them upfront about our exchange policy, which always seems to elicit a sigh of relief.”
~ Shareen Wong, owner, Embrace Jewellery
“People like to shop, there's always a sense of satisfaction in that, but they want to do it on their own schedule, so don't rush it. Also, check if they already have a history of paying for your product. Otherwise, they might be very interested, but they might never make the transaction. Lastly, don't try to sell cheeseburgers to a vegetarian; they'll get annoyed and you'll be frustrated. This applies in every field.”
~ Don Bosco, founder, Super Cool Books
“Never sell something you don't believe in. I am a firm believer in creating or representing a product you believe in. If you don't believe in your own product, you can't be authentic with your customer and, worse, you can't be authentic with yourself. I believe we exist to add value to other people's lives. This belief has helped me create and represent products the market truly needs.”
~ Jonathan Chew, CEO, Absolute Collective
“Sales is a very difficult job and one always feels questioned on whether today, tomorrow or in a year from now, people will believe in your service. When starting out, I used to test our competitors' delivery services and take notes at every step, from point of sale to receiving the delivery. What I learnt was that getting to know your customer personally helps a lot. You have to take time to understand their needs and deep dive into who uses your services and why they use it. This was crucial to our success, so that we could personalise our stories and solutions for a better delivery process.”
~ Katherina-Olivia Lacey, co-founder and CMO, Quincus
The right mindset and strategy go a long way when it comes to selling a product, as these entrepreneurs have shown. So take a leaf out of their books and improve your sales strategy.