Grow My Small Business | Sales, Marketing and Business Growth Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs

31. Tracking Sales Growth - The way to figure out what's growing your small business

Sales Growth Tool - A way to track what’s actually growing your business (BONUS EPISODE)
 
Hey Sales Squad!  Welcome back to Sales & Business Growth for Entrepreneurs Podcast. I’m your host Lindsay Fletcher, and this podcast is the place for small business owners to learn and implement sales skills, business growth strategies, and figure out how to better manage your time!
 
If you haven’t already, be sure to hit the “follow” button on your podcast app so that you don’t miss anything!
 
I’m so excited to share a tool with you that has helped us grow our business from $0 to multiple six figures (like inching toward our first $1M in revenue) in 2 years. It’s my Sales Growth Tracker!
 
To get my Sales Growth Tracker, go to my website lindsayfletcher.co/free-resources.  Or Lindsayfletcher.co and click on the free resources tab. Enter your email address and I’ll send you the link to download my Sales Growth Tracker.  
So here’s the deal.  You don’t know what works and what doesn’t work if you don’t track what you are doing and what revenue you are bringing in.  It’s Pearson’s Law.
 
Pearson’s law states this:
When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported back, performance improves exponentially.
 
I know it’s true. I did this as a part of my corporate america sales career as a rep and as a manager, and I’m giving you the exact tool that we use in our small business and what I’m using now in my Sales Consulting Business to know what works.  
 
I use this tool as a game for myself too - to see if I can beat my score from last month and increase my revenue even more.
 
So here’s how you use it:
Go to https://lindsayfletcher.co/free-resources and enter your email to get the link to download it. Then download the Sales Growth Tracker and save to an easy to find location on your computer or cloud. Mine is saved on my google drive.  Hit pause on this podcast right now, and go do this. I’m that serious about this.  Go do it now. I’ll wait.
Open it up and take a look at the list of activities on the left hand side. Each month has it's own tab along the bottom and all of the data you enter will be compiled into the "Stats" tab. This is a sample or example list of sales and marketing activities that you can do to set up your business for Sales Success.  You can change this list to whatever suits your business, but definitely look to see what you are doing that’s already on there.  There might be items you could or should be doing and then there might be some items that don’t apply to your business. Take a look at the list. You can also change the number of points that you get for each activity. For example, going to networking meetings is something that drives revenue for both of our businesses.  So I give myself more points for doing that activity…because I know it works, so I incentivize myself to do more of those activities.
Go back through your calendar or your task list from this week to find what sales and marketing activities you completed. If you are listening to this episode at the beginning of the week you can start with last week or you can just start with today, and give yourself points for the sales and marketing activities that you did. 
The Sales Growth Tracker will add up your points for each week. That total will be in the darker yellow box at the bottom of each week.  Then, at the end of the week or beginning of the next week, put in your revenue from that week.  The tracker will then add up the totals of activities completed AND your revenue from each week, and those totals will be in the “STATS” tab of the tracker.
You can use this tracker in 3 ways:
I like to track weekly revenue and weekly activities so that I can see if something new that I’m doing or not doing is quickly impacting my business (both negatively and positively). 
 I like to track month to month to see if consistency in marketing efforts is paying off. Did I do a whole lot of activities and get a bunch of points in June and I’m seeing increased revenue into July?
Then I like to look at the whole year to see where my biggest months in activities and revenue are - you’ll start to see some trends. For example, maybe you hit 50 pts in activities in July and you saw a big jump in revenue in August.  Or maybe you only did 20 points of activities in July and you saw it immediately impact your revenue in July.  
You have to use the tracker for it to help you.  Don’t let this be another file on your computer or in your Google Drive that sits there and never gets opened. Block 5 minutes at the end of your week to fill this out!  I promise it will help you hone in on what’s actually working.
 
Again, if you haven’t already - go to Lindsayfletcher.co/free-resources to download your free tracker to figure out what’s working so you can do more of those things and save yourself time!
 
--> Have sales, business growth or time management questions?  Leave me a voice message at https://speakpipe.com/lindsayfletcher. 
 
With that, I send you on your way wishing you more sales, more time and lots and lots of of business growth! Talk to you next time!
 
XO,
Lindsay Fletcher
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I'd love to connect with you and give you more FREE RESOURCES!  
*Check out my website - https://lindsayfletcher.co/free-resources
*Join our FREE community of like-minded women who are stepping into their full potential and going BIG in their businesses: https://www.facebook.com/groups/367731782244780
*Please send questions, comments, and feedback to hello@lindsayfletcher.co.
*Leave me a voice message at https://speakpipe.com/lindsayfletcher 
Sales Growth Tracker | Sales Training for Entrepreneurs | Business Growth Strategies | Sales Skills Development | Business Coaching for Entrepreneurs | Women in Business | Sales Confidence | Entrepreneurship Tips | How to Grow My Business | Sales Growth for Small Business Owners

30. Sales Tips: How to sell without being "Salesy"

6 Tips on Selling without feeling “Salesy”
 
Hello and welcome back to Sales & Business Strategy for Women Podcast. This is the place for female entrepreneurs to learn and implement sales skills, business growth strategies, and figure out how to better manage your time!. 
I’m Lindsay Fletcher, your host for Sales & Business Strategy for Women. Thank you for joining me for another episode THIRTY.  If you haven’t already, be sure to hit the “follow” button on your podcast app so that you don’t miss anything!
Today we are going to talk about selling without feeling “salesy”.  We’ve all experienced it…being pressured to buy something, or feeling like you are letting someone down because their product doesn’t fit your needs or wants.  That’s when the “ick factor” shows up in sales.
 
It is human nature to want to be liked and accepted…and that applies to both sides of the sales transaction.  Buyers don’t want to disappoint or offend you and you don’t want to use high pressure sales tactics to get someone to buy because it feels pretty terrible.
 
Trying to avoid being “salesy” is something we should all do and what the vast majority of us want, right?!? I believe in selling with integrity - being kind, helpful and respectful…just like I tell my kids: “Kind. Helpful. Respectful.” when they go to a friend’s house.
 
So how do we keep that from happening?  Here are 6 tips to avoid being “salesy”: 
Ask yourself about your product - do you believe in what you are selling?  Is there evidence that your product or service does what you say it will do?  If there is a disconnect in what we have to sell versus how it performs, that can cause you to feel icky and like you are taking advantage of people.  Believing in what you are selling is a big deal.
Qualify your leads. Know your ideal client or customer.  Their problems, needs, wants, and wishes - will keep you from wasting your time or your prospect’s or customer’s time. So, Who is your ideal customer?  What problems do they have? What price range can they afford? Where do they shop? What level of service do they expect? What are their needs and wants?  What is on their wishlist?
Listen more often.  If you are an OG listener of this podcast, you probably know what I’m going to say.  A&L - Ask questions and then listen. Ask and listen.  So, what do you need to know about your person to make sure they need or want what you are selling?  Can you identify or start to identify their buying style so you can start to develop how to ask better questions and how to present information.  Ask open ended questions and then shut your mouth. Let them talk. Then ask clarifying questions on anything you aren’t 100% on. 
Build credibility for yourself and your offer by showing social proof. Talk about outcomes others have experiences, share reviews, discuss how you’ve supported those successes.
Sell with integrity and be of service. Don’t oversell or promise something you can’t deliver.  Be truthful.  Be helpful. Be respectful. Your reputation is on the line, so make sure you are giving to give and not giving so you can take.  Serve your customers. Remember that they are spending their hard earned money with you.  Deliver an excellent product or service.
Don’t bash your competition. There is enough room in the market for all of us and every one of us is in a different part of our journey. We don’t need to compare ours to theirs. Know their product or service the best that you can, so that you know what they do well and what they don’t do well.  And know where your offer shines and where it lacks.  You can compare and contrast but don’t bash their product. 
 
Trying to avoid being “salesy” is something we should all do and what the vast majority of us want, right?!? I believe in selling with integrity - being kind, helpful and respectful…just like I tell my kids: “Kind. Helpful. Respectful.” when they go to a friend’s house.
 
I hope these tips are helpful to you as you grow and improve your sales skills. 
 
Thank you again for joining me for this episode of Sales & Business Strategy for Women!  Please follow this show where you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss an episode!
 
XO,
Lindsay Fletcher
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I’d love to connect with you!  Here are 2 ways to do so:
 
Join our FREE community of like-minded women who are stepping into their full potential and going BIG in their businesses: https://www.facebook.com/groups/367731782244780 
 
I’m excited to hear from you!  Please send questions, comments, and feedback to hello@lindsayfletcher.co.
How to build rapport | How to sell without being salesy | Ways to avoid being salesy | Sales Training for Women | Business Growth Strategies | Sales Skills Development | Business Coaching for Women | Women in Business | Sales Confidence | Entrepreneurship Tips | Client Relationship Management | How to Sell Services | How to Sell Products | How to Grow My Business | Sales for Small Business Owners

29. 5-minute Sales Tip - Using Role Play to Improve Sales Skills

Hello & welcome back to Sales & Strategy for Women Podcast!  If you want to learn sales skills, sales strategy, and time management so you can focus on what matters, you are in the right place! 
Today, my 5 minute sales tip is to role play and do it regularly! Role playing
 
How to improve sales skills | How to increase sales | How to grow business Role Play to Improve Sales | Role Playing | Role Play for Sales Growth | Sales Training for Women | Sales Skills Development | Business Coaching for Women | Women in Business | Sales Confidence | Entrepreneurship Tips | How to Sell Services | How to Sell Products

28. How to Identify Objections in Sales Conversations | Sales Tips for Small Business

Episode 28 - How to Identify Objections in Sales Conversations
Hello and welcome back to Sales & Business Strategy for Women Podcast where we talk all things Business Growth! If you are wanting to learn or uplevel sales skills, business growth strategies, and how to manage your time while doing it, you are in the right place!  
 
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I’m Lindsay Fletcher, your host for Sales & Business Strategy for Women.  I’m a mom, wife of 4, dog mom, Jesus follower and multiple six figure small business owner.  If you haven’t already, please follow this show so that you don’t miss an episode!  
 
In today’s episode, I discuss what sales objections are and how to identify them.  
 
Many people view objections as points in the sales process where the prospect or customer says no.  I hope to widen your view of objections. Objections are really anything that stalls or halts the sales process from closing. This could be the prospect’s or customer’s timeline, budget, their inability to make a decision, or their inability to move forward. They can also be hurdles that you will need to overcome.  Many times the things that I just mentioned are actually smokescreens that people use to avoid high pressure salespeople.
 
Just a friendly reminder, that objections are buying signals, and they are signs that you have built trust with this prospect or customer.  Until this person says no to you and or purchases from someone else, they are still in your pipeline.  Objections are also not personal.
 
I was recently in a sales coaching session with a client where I identified that he wasn’t properly labeling objections in his mind during his sales conversations.  He was categorizing actual objections from the customers as “just facts” about them.  When we started the session, he told me that when a customer says that they have a timeline to purchase his product in 1.5 to 2 years, he was taking that as fact rather than an objection or an obstacle or smokescreen.  I want you to start thinking of these types of “facts” as “objections”, because they are simply hurdles that might be able to be overcome rather than just facts.  
 
Now, I understand that this could actually be their timeline and that their sale won’t actually close for 1.5 to 2 years. However, there is so much to be done in the meantime, and an excited buyer will often speed up their timeline if they are excited about the purchase, if they really really want it. Buyers will actually look for information that goes along with their want or need for your product or service so that they can convince themselves they should move up the timeline.  Timeline is just one example of an objection or hurdle.
 
In my client’s industry, there is a significant timeline that they need to follow from the time the customer signs the contract until the time that they actually receive the product - somewhere between 10-12 months.  And in his case, there is a lot to be discussed, choices to be made, and customization that takes place. So the particular customer that has a 1.5-2 year timeline isn’t actually too far off.  There is a lot of selling and closing that can happen between now and the time of signing the contract and closing the sale.  There is a lot of time to build a relationship.  There is also pricing to lock-in.  Again, don’t let something like a timeline detour you from going after the sale.  Everything is changeable. Is that even a word?  And when a customer wants something bad enough, I mean everything is changeable.  
 
So now that you know what objections are and how to identify them in your conversations, I want you to go back through your recent sales conversations and identify the objections that you might have missed. This might give you a reason to follow up with this prospect or customer to learn more about their situation and objection(s).  Use this to help you identify them better in the future so that you are prepared to handle these objections and move your sales process forward.  
 
Thank you again for joining me for this episode of Sales & Business Strategy for Women!  Please follow this show where you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss an episode!
 
XO,
Lindsay Fletcher
—-------------------
 
I’d love to connect with you!  Here are 2 ways to do so:
 
Join our FREE community of like-minded women who are stepping into their full potential and going BIG in their businesses: https://www.facebook.com/groups/367731782244780 
 
I’m excited to hear from you!  Please send questions, comments, and feedback to hello@lindsayfletcher.co.
Objection Handling | Sales Objection Identification | How to identify sales objections | Overcoming Objections | Sales Training for Women | Business Growth Strategies | Sales Skills Development | Business Coaching for Women | Women in Business | Sales Confidence | Entrepreneurship Tips | Client Relationship Management | How to Sell Services | How to Sell Products | How to Grow My Business

27. Five Small Business Lessons from the Paris Olympics 2024

5 Business Lessons from Paris Olympics 2024
Hello and  Welcome to Sales & Business Strategy for Women where we talk all things Business Growth! If you are wanting to learn or uplevel your sales skills, business growth strategies, and how to manage your time while doing it, you are in the right place!  
We just wrapped up watching the Olympic games and there were so many business lessons that I was reminded of throughout watching these elite athletes!  Today, I’m talking about 5 business lessons from the Paris Olympic Games 2024!
It was truly an amazing couple of weeks watching these athletes compete at the highest level and come out on top.  You can find lessons nearly anywhere you look and there were so many takeaways that I can relate back to business and what success can look like.  
Progress over perfection. While women’s gymnastics was competing, Simone Biles’ extremely difficult tricks reminded me that it doesn’t have to be perfect. Simone’s landings on the most difficult vaults in women’s gymnastics were not perfect.  In fact, one of the announcers said that on one of her vaults she actually plans for a step at the end to ensure that she lands safely. Her landings weren’t perfect, but the degree of difficulty for the skills that she performs is astronomical. She is the greatest of all time. You are doing something that is so hard: you are in business. Just like Simone, you don’t have to stick every landing or close every deal.  It’s ok to prepare for that extra step if you will.  We need to imperfect action in our businesses so that we make progress.  Progress is the GOAT in business.
Don’t be afraid to show your enthusiasm for your work! Snoop Dogg was a highlight of the Olympic games for me. His enthusiasm and excitement for the athletes was authentic. He has successfully “rebranded” himself from Gangsta Rapper to America’s Favorite Grandpa and his light is shining!  Be a Snoop D-o-double G - be authentic and show your excitement for what you do, and don’t even look the direction of the naysayers - we don’t have time for that!
Use what you’ve got. We don’t need the fanciest technology. We just have to do the work. Take it from Turkey’s shooter Yusuf Dikec who won silver wearing regular glasses with his non-shooting hand in his pocket.  I think so many times we get caught up in having the fanciest website, technology, and gear, but the truth is we don’t need that stuff most of the time. We sometimes spend too much time comparing ourselves to “what everyone else has” (insert eyeroll because if you are watching social media, remember that those are highlight reels, not actual real life.) We should use what we have and get to work.
Boundaries and mental health are important.  Back to the GOAT.  Simone Biles suffered from some mental health issues in 2021 driving her to make the difficult decision not to compete in the Tokyo Olympics.  She openly discussed how she took time off from gymnastics, focused on her mental health, and sought out therapy. She prioritized her health, a boundary we all should have in place, and came back better than ever.  Ladies, especially you moms, it is easy to get in the grind of always working, always grinding, always putting everyone else first.  But this proof is here - when we rest, prioritize our health, and put good boundaries in place, we will be able to perform and compete in our businesses at a higher level.  Simone proved that.
Being yourself is the best. Ilona Maher is the perfect example.  She skyrocketed to social media fame after she and her teammates won Bronze in women’s rugby.  She is a beautiful, strong, powerful woman who is sensitive and so hilarious.  She has candidly talked about body image and assumptions people make about her.  She’s made us laugh and she’s made us cry.  She’s an excellent reminder to be YOU and to do business your way.  Your business doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s, just like your body doesn’t look like everyone else’s.  If social media isn’t your thing and you don’t feel called to show up there, then don’t.  Your business can look however you want it to look. If you want to be online only, then do that. Build a strategy that is in line with your values and goals. Building a business that is authentic to you, your family, your values is most important.
There were so many lessons from the Olympics but these were my top 5. They were such good reminders for me, and I hope that they are good reminders and lessons for you too.  We have to keep our eyes looking at the big picture and it’s so easy to get caught up in the minutia of owning a business and/or leading a team that we often forget there is a forest because we are stuck inspecting the trees.  
Thank you again for joining me for this episode of Sales & Business Strategy for Women!  Please follow this show so you don’t miss any episodes!
 
XO,
Lindsay Fletcher
I'd love to connect with you! Here are two ways:
1. Join our FREE community of like-minded women who are stepping into their full potential and going BIG in their businesses: https://www.facebook.com/groups/367731782244780
2. Email me at hello@lindsayfletcher.co with questions, comments, suggestions, or to schedule a coaching call!
 
Women Entrepreneurs | Small Business Owners | Sales Training for Women | Business Growth Strategies | Lead Generation | Time Management for Entrepreneurs | Sales Skills Development | Business Coaching for Women | Women in Business | Entrepreneurship Tips | Work-Life Balance for Business Owners | Client Relationship Management | Sales Skills | Learn How to Sell | How to Grow My Business | How to Sell Services | How to Sell Products

26. Creating Margin in Small Business

Hi friend! Today's episode is all about creating margin in our small businesses and in our personal lives so that we can create, problem solve, and continue growing our small businesses.   In this episode, I discuss the symptoms of constantly being in a state of hustle, hurry, or busy, and why we feel that way.  Once we've identified the symptoms of hustle culture and why we feel the need to stay there, we can begin to evaluate how to create this seemingly elusive margin.  It's going to take some work and consistency, but I know that you can do it!  I know that once you've created some boundaries and have figured out how to get some things off of your plate, you'll feel much more peaceful and productive in life and in business.  
Don't forget to join my free Facebook Community here!
Do you have questions about small business ownership and how to grow while maintaining a great work-life balance?  Email me at hello@lindsayfletcher.co  - I can't wait to hear from you!!!
My Best,
Lindsay
 
P.S. I forgot to mention it in this episode but it will be the last one before I break for a bit.  I'll be back with more sales and business strategy content in September 2024!

25. 5 Ways to Grow Your Small Business God's Way

Hey Friends! Welcome back to Small Business Sales & Strategy Podcast!  Today's episode is a faith-based on where I share 5 ways to grow your business God's way.  Even if you aren't a Christian, I hope you'll take a listen because these things are applicable to all of us as women in small business - building community, serving, breaking up with busy, focusing on who not what, and sharing your vision.  
Please join my free facebook community by clicking here!
Have a question about sales, marketing or business strategy?  Email me at hello@lindsayfletcher.co
Thank you so much for listening! 
XOXO,
Lindsay

24. How to Prepare for Your Next Sales Call in Small Business

Welcome back to Small Business Sales & Strategy Podcast!   One of the biggest mistakes that I see business owners and sales reps make is going into meetings or calls unprepared. You want to walk away from your sales calls with more information and ideas on how to move to the next steps, but you can't do that if you don't walk in prepared. In today's episode, you will learn how to prepare for your next sales call.  You need product knowledge and customer knowledge and I break down both in this episode.
I reference Episode 3 where we talk about buying styles so be sure to go back and listen to that one!  In fact, put it on your favorites list so you can go back and reference it often!
Don't forget to join my *FREE* Facebook Community for Female Small Business Owners by clicking here!
 
What questions do you have about sales?  Email me at Hello@LindsayFletcher.co! 
 
XOXO,
Lindsay

23. Micro Niche Your Marketing in Small Business with guest Geovanna Burgess White

Thank you so much for joining me for today's episode!  Have you ever wondered why people don't know what you do in your business?  You've told them all of the things that you do, your social media says all of the things that you do, and so does your website.  Well, that might just be the problem.  If you are talking about all of the things that you do, it is likely you are confusing your audience and potential customers. 
Today, Geovanna Burgess White of YG Collaborations joins me to discuss how to micro niche our marketing and why it's so important to be crystal clear on what you do and who you do it for! 
 
You can find Geo & her business partner, Yvette, on all social media platforms - their IG is https://instagram.com/ygcollaborations.  
 
You can also find Geo inside of my *FREE* Facebook group for Female Small Business Owners here --> https://www.facebook.com/groups/367731782244780
 
Have sales and marketing questions:  Email me at hello@lindsayfletcher.co 
I want to hear from you!!!
 
XOXO,
Lindsay

22.How to Provide Excellent Customer Service in Small Business

Hey there! Welcome back to Small Business Sales & Strategy podcast!  I'm so happy you are joining me for our 22nd episode!  Today, we are talking about customer service as a part of your sales process. 
 
How many times have you called a company about a bill or a problem and you are sent through an automated system only to end up frustrated because you can't actually talk to a human?  Many times, right?  
 
Well, I believe that being a small business has it's advantages and providing excellent customer service is where we can thrive!!!  Providing excelling customer service can turn prospects into new customers and later into long-term customers. Small businesses have this opportunity to build the like-know-trust factor quickly!  Today, I talk about two ways to provide excellent customer service as well as a couple of bonus tips too.
 
Don't forget to join my *FREE* Facebook Community for Women in Small Business --> https://www.facebook.com/groups/367731782244780
 
Join my email list for my *FREEBIE* to improve communication with your customers and within your team --> www.lindsayfletcher.co
 
Need sales training or a speaker for your business event?  Have a question about sales?  Email me at hello@lindsayfletcher.co! I look forward to hearing from you!
 
My Best,
Lindsay