I often get asked for a top list of tips to help people sell to small business owners and thought it would be a useful exercise to put together such a list based on the advice I have given out in this blog. So here goes - the top 7 things you need to know to sell to small business owners (in no particular order).
1) Give something away for free
2) Become a trusted business adviser
3) Be environmentally friendly
4) Have a strong online presence
5) Tap into your entrepreneurial nature
6) Offer financing
7) Hire staff who have direct small business experience
1) Give something away for free
2) Become a trusted business adviser
- Get Involved In The Community To Build Trust Inste...
- Sell SMBs By Sharing HR Best Practices
- The Big Business - Small Business Disconnect
- Relationship, relationship, relationship
- How To Win Small Business Loyalty
- Big Business Strategies For Small Business
- Gain a SMB Competitive Edge
- Developing Trust With SMBs
- Get Involved In The Small Business Community
- Teach Entrepreneurs What You Know
3) Be environmentally friendly
4) Have a strong online presence
- Build An Online Community To Support Your Products...
- AT&T Launches Small Business Website
- Verizon Continues Small Business Marketing Success...
- Get Your Customers Talking About You!
- Content Based Marketing Trend
- How Is Your Online Presence?
- Get Your Message Out Online
- Small Business Turns To Online Training
- Promote Your Business Online
5) Tap into your entrepreneurial nature
6) Offer financing
- Are You Relationship Lending?
- Cisco Going After Small Business Market
- Have Credit Card Financing Options
7) Hire staff who have direct small business experience
- Make Your Business Small Business
- It's the People, Not the Product
- Hire Sales Reps With a SMB Mentality
Labels: entrepreneurial nature, environmentally friendly, give something away, hire staff, offer financing, online presence, small business experience, top 7 tips, trusted business adviser
2 Comments:
I notice you focus heavily on online presence. Have you found it useful to focus on traditional public relations (seeding stories in the press)?
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for the comment. While one of the tips was online (and it should be a major focus of yours if you are trying to sell to SMBs), the other 6 focus on alternative ideas that can work.
I think targeted stories could work in the press. Focus on the publications that target SMBs instead of the general public. For example, look at the Inc and Business 2.0 (my two personal favorites).
Good luck!
Evan.
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