How 10 Simple Fundamentals Of Grassroots Sales Helped Me Scale My IT Services Business

Innovation How 10 Simple Fundamentals Of Grassroots Sales Helped Me Scale My IT Services Business Manish Gupta Forbes Councils Member Forbes Technology Council COUNCIL POST Expertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based) Jun 17, 2022, 09:15am EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Manish Gupta, CEO, TestingXperts .

getty Salesmanship, I believe, is a fine art. You may be a genius in innovation, in writing complex code or in disrupting the world with mind-blowing technology, but if you are unable to effectively present and sell your idea, your business will fail to grow. You have to sell to scale.

Technology hardwires you to only think in tech, but to positively impact a business, you have to don the hat of a salesman, too. I still love taking over sales pitches and meetings and connecting personally with clients. What you learn in the school of life is unmatched, and all the humble progress we have been able to make as a company has been possible, to quite an extent, because of the skills we’ve developed from practicing effective salesmanship.

Here are 10 fundamentals you, too, can apply to your business: 1. Be Genuine MORE FOR YOU Google Issues Warning For 2 Billion Chrome Users Forget The MacBook Pro, Apple Has Bigger Plans Google Discounts Pixel 6, Nest & Pixel Buds In Limited-Time Sale Event This is something I’ve always believed in and ardently practiced. You are here to help people and help clients genuinely, not only to make money off them.

The first step is to move from being just a salesperson to being a partner, helping customers sincerely understand their problems and offering them the right solution. Clients can sense fakeness a mile away. You must act like an extension of their business.

2. Establish Trust Exactly how does one build relationships from scratch? You first establish trust. Your team and your clients have to trust your instincts, your skills, your vision and your product.

If you are honest in your approach, you will gain their trust and undivided attention. As a rule, I have always stayed in touch with clients and teams, even if they’ve left us. This continuous connection is the bedrock of forming long-lasting relationships.

True salesmanship lies in empathy—in striking a chord, building a rapport and understanding what your clients need or want. 3. Be The Master Of Your Subject Not everyone can comprehend the complex world and jargon of technology.

This is where your salesmanship comes in handy—know your subject inside out. The language of communication is essential—you may not possess the greatest language skills, but if you know what you are presenting/selling and can share it with others in a manner they understand, then you can win their trust and business. Believe in yourself and your product and/or service.

4. Laser Focus We are fast inhabiting a super-specialized world with tailor-made solutions for everything under the sun. In this limitless digital universe, we are able to stand out because of our specialized service.

Too many things can make you lose your purpose. Narrow down your area of expertise. Pick one that you excel at and be one of the best at it.

Focused innovation will always keep you ahead of the curve. 5. Energy, Passion, Vision Businesses do not scale alone on funds and ideas—your driving force is your energy, your passion and the spirit you bring to the table.

Organizations look up to leaders who instill pride and provide direction, motivation, incentive and guidance and have a strong emotional awareness. From having a cheerful disposition, even temper and well-groomed personality to being patient and persevering, salesmanship teaches you many essentials. 6.

Teamwork No one can close multimillion deals on their own. We call it “whale hunting. ” There is a book too on it: Whale Hunting: How to Land Big Sales and Transform Your Company .

The authors Tom Searcy and Barbara Smith use the ancient whale hunt as a metaphor for big sales. According to the book, the Inuit people risk it all while hunting because a single whale can provide a village with food and oil to last an entire year. A company needs to bring in the troops necessary to win big, for it takes the might of an entire expert team to hunt the biggest game of all.

7. On The Move I enjoy traveling, and in the process, I’ve learned so much, from different cultures, people and social ecosystems about the way the world operates. Travel not only broadens horizons and introduces you to a million possibilities, but it also makes you dynamic in your approach and fearless when it comes to challenges.

It also acts as a facilitator and a conversation starter—one that can open doors to new business partners and opportunities. 8. Read, Read, Read Read anything you can get your hands on.

Books are gateways to infinite wisdom and knowledge. Authors like Jim Collins, Jack Welch, Dale Carnegie, Shiv Khera and Deepak Chopra, to name a few, have enlightened me and helped me hone my skills and scale my business. Reading Jack Welch taught me to put the right people on the bus and then decide the direction you want to go.

Go deep into whatever you are doing and give 200%. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is a timeless book of advice I’ve referred back to for years. 9.

The Social Network No, this is not just on your Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn profile. Get in there and be a part of live circles for interactions with peers. This boosts one’s confidence and opens doors.

Being on the top can be lonely, and what helped me was a friend’s recommendation to join the YPO, the Young Presidents Organization. It was a life-changing decision because, as a CEO, your learning sometimes diminishes. To keep yourself learning and up to date, groups like these are immensely helpful.

10. Get Sporty Salesmanship is about going out, connecting, convincing and comprehending, and it cannot happen on a phone call or in a boardroom or Zoom meeting. Great sales take place on sporting grounds, too.

So, pick a sport. This not only helps you develop a sportsman spirit, but it’s also constant exercise and learning, and it will help you put yourself out there. In my case, it’s golf.

It’s a meditative, rejuvenating and social sport. With these fundamentals in hand, you’re well on your way to scaling your sales and growing your business. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives.

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