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Tips To Help Veteran Small Business Owners Slay The Sales Dragon

by Deanna

Veteran Owned Small Business1 Tips To Help Veteran Small Business Owners Slay The Sales Dragon

Good Morning, Active Duty, Veterans and Military Spouses. It’s Business Morning Monday and today I am hoping to help you “Slay The Sales Dragon.” For some people the thought of having to “sell” something leaves them “cold.” The mind conjures up pictures of “slick” confidence tricksters poised over little old ladies, ready to rob them of their last dime or the patent medicine snake oil purveyor that sold vinegar as a means to cure baldness, or maybe for you it’s a car dealer. Whatever your own personal little anecdote is, the very “thought of sales” leaves you feeling slimy and ready to head for the showers.

Think back to when you were in the military. Were you ever able to get your superiors to see things your way? Were you able to negotiate a compromise? Even in the military, good “sales” techniques helped you to lead your junior personnel and get the best out of them, helped you get what you needed from your superiors and DoD civilian employees.
 

Now, back then, we called it counseling, motivational interviewing, management by objectives or total quality leadership. But, really, all of these methods are just tools, just a way of selling ideas and getting people to “buy-in” to them. The truth is everyone is in sales. Whether you are looking for a job or looking for a mate, you are “in sales.” An interview is merely a sales presentation where you are being given the chance to “sell” your services. So, surely it would be of great benefit to you to learn how to present yourself in the best possible way?

Think about the day when you will be “pitching your business” to bankers and potential investors in order to gain capitalization for your start-up. That presentation, that pitch is part of the sales process. You are selling your idea to others in order to gain their financial support.

As a veteran business owner, you’ll attend networking events, Rotary Club meetings, Chamber of Commerce breakfasts, etc. When people ask you, “What do you do?” you’ll answer them. Even that answer, your 30 second elevator speech, is a type of “sales pitch.”
 
Even in the area of love relationships, we are “selling”, leveraging our attributes to attract the type of person we’d like to spend the rest of our lives in a permanent partnership with. Why do you think it’s called a marriage proposal? 

So, whether you’ve had really bad experiences with salespeople who were not professional or you’ve had really great experiences, when you are starting your veteran owned small business, getting a handle on the “sales” process is essential. Even if your intention is to hire a professional sales staff, you, as the business owner still need to understand the sales process and develop an approach.

That’s today’s post. Next week, I promise to delve more into the sales process. By the way, are we connected on LinkedIn? I have a group there for Veteran Owned Small Businesses where we team together to assist each other in growing our businesses. Click HERE to join us there!! We would love to have you!

 


Dblueshirtback2u Tips To Help Veteran Small Business Owners Slay The Sales DragonDeanna Wharwood’s passion is to help veterans, service-disabled veterans and their dependents create the systems they need to start and grow businesses from their first dollar to six-figures. Unlike other coaches, consultants, mentors and trainers, she is a veteran who successfully transitioned from military life to entrepreneurship. Learn more about Deanna – The Veterans’ Coach and how she can help you!

 

 

 

 

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