Two things have struck me in the past few days about sales. One, do not pursue sales aggressively until you are prepared. Two, sales is about the other guy not you.
Sales equals growth which is great. However, growth prior to preparation and/or capacity is not so great. Depending on your size the not so great can be major or minor. I’ve recently been working on updating some materials. I know I am not at a place where I want mass expansion so building marketing list and finding a way to touch large numbers anticipating a response would not be good for me right now. It goes back to the classic, you only have one chance to make a good impression. Six months from now, totally different story. Know where you are. Know what you can handle. Know your timeline and capacity (or desire) for growth.
Sales also equals giving your client/customer what they want. It is about making them comfortable. Sales is about engaging on a level that speaks to your customer, not to you. If you are involved in multiple markets this means having a base that you can morph to fit their needs. Again, their needs, not yours. There may be some play here, depending on your target market. If you are looking at attracting like-minded individuals, build your tools and pitch around you. If you are looking on going wider than that, give your tools a neutral feel and individualized message.
Someone recently shared a pitch they gave. I was shocked. The pitch had nothing to do with the company they wanted to do business with. Not surprisingly, the account was not landed.
Not many have time to sort through all that is ‘you’ to get to what you can do for them. Not many will.