STAPLES BizTIPs: This year, expect to sell a little to a lot

By Small Business Expert Roger Pierce, BizLaunch


With so many customers cutting back during this recession, small business owners must alter their sales strategies. There’s still plenty of money to be made during these tough times, but getting it will require a different approach.

To keep your sales climbing, follow these suggestions:

• Sell in smaller amounts. Nervous about big purchases, your customers will more likely say yes to lower-dollar commitments. That means you’ll be selling smaller deals to a larger number of customers, so free up your time to see as many prospects as possible.


• Sell more frequently. Because your customers are buying smaller amounts of what you sell, you’ll have to sell to them more often. Stay on top of their needs and schedule your next pitch sooner rather than later.


• Encourage trial. Help prospects to become customers by making it easy to try you out. Offer a free trial, hands-on demonstration or risk-free sample of what you sell. Create a really affordable taste of your business. Once they buy something, you can work to increase the amount of money each new customer spends with you.


• Be flexible with payments. Consumers and businesses alike are worried about cash flow this year. You’ll close more sales by presenting flexible payment terms and options such as delayed billing, installment payments or by accepting credit cards.

You can learn more about this and other how-to topics in a free STAPLES BizLaunch Webinar. To find one near you, please visit http://www.staples.ca/bizlaunch today.

ROGER PIERCE is passionate about helping entrepreneurs achieve success. Co-founder of Canada’s largest small business training company, BizLaunch.ca, he’s launched eleven small businesses of his own and personally experienced what he calls “the good, the bad and the ugly” sides of entrepreneurship.

BizLaunch advises thousands of Canadian startups through its popular how-to seminars and webinars delivered with partners such as STAPLES.