Personal Selling for SMEs

Being an entrepreneur or a business owner is more than just attracting customers and making sales. It also involves customer relationship building and managing – Personal Selling. The United Kingdom has 5.9 million SMEs in 2019. SMEs are Small and Medium Enterprises with less than 250 employees. Some SMEs are thriving, some are struggling in the current conditions, but nonetheless, they are the backbone of the British economy. In fact, SMEs account for three fifths of employment in the UK private sector. With such an impact in the economy, SMEs are important but what if a business fails because it isn’t getting any more customers? What could’ve gone wrong? We could think of many reasons but one vital factor to consider too is if the business is providing the right relationship for its customers. Personal Selling is also known as face-to-face selling in which one person who is the salesman tries to convince the customer to buy a product, invest in a service or to pay for what the company offers. In short, you are convincing a person to part with their money. Many mistakes in personal selling are made because the sales staff are too focused on getting money, hitting targets and earning their commission. In fact, good personal selling is when you address the buyer’s needs without making them feel pressured. If you experienced being followed around by a salesperson inside a store and it makes you uncomfortable, just imagine how it would be for your customers too! An effective sales strategy that every SME should apply to their businesses and train their employees in, is to prioritise the welfare of the consumers. How? Offer advice and information in an objective way, give recommendations, and help buyers save money and time. Focus on the benefits, the product and what the situation is that needs to be fixed. There are probably other companies out there that offer the same solution as you, but they don’t have your personal touch, your attitude and your personal selling strategies. It is not about how much money your business earned in a day. If customers experience a negative sales strategy, a pushy salesperson or have a bad experience during their time in your store, they would most likely not come back again and would probably tell their friends, family, or even post on social media about their negative experience. Positivity and positive reviews builds business – how to get them? Be Positive.