11 Ways to Improve Your Sales Performance
For service-based creative and wellness entrepreneurs
Want to improve your sales performance and increase revenue? There are so many pieces to this puzzle, from website copy, to whether you’ve identified your ideal client, to your actual sales process.
Below is what I find helps increase the probability of a sale based on research, and what has helped me close deals in my own website design business.
*Full disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post, but I only recommend services and software that I use myself, have used, or like and can recommend!
Display reviews, testimonials, customer success stories and/or case studies on your website.
People aren’t going to buy from you if there’s no proof you’ll get the job done.
They need to see that other customers are satisfied. A survey from Fan & Fuel Digital Marketing Group said that:
“92% of consumers hesitate to make a purchase if there are no customer reviews”
“97% say customer reviews factor into their buying decisions”
“94% typically read written reviews”
“32% say written reviews are the one element that makes them believe a site’s reviews are relevant/useful”
The more you can prove that your service is a winner, the more likely it is you’ll get the sale. Check out my testimonials page if you need some inspo.
Video testimonials are also going to help you close the sale—even better than written testimonials according to Yell Business, because “seeing a genuinely happy customer talking about their experience can be perceived as more believable and realistic than a written testimonial.” (But there is still a place for written testimonials when people don’t want to invest time in watching a video).
Client success stories are going to show how the investment in your service translated to the client getting their desired result.
If you have an e-commerce store for online courses or digital products, make sure to implement a star ratings widget so people can rate and review your product, and use software like Pulse from Proof* that shows others purchasing your product.
Improve your offer and make it irresistible.
Your service or product must match the needs of your ideal client—at the right price—in order to make the sale.
If you have a service-based business where you have an initial consultation with a client, make sure to listen deeply to your clients’ needs. This is your client’s first impression of you in person.
Repeat back to them what you hear, both to show them you’re listening and responsive, and also to make sure you understand what they’re looking for.
Make sure that your prices match both your ideal client’s ballpark price point, and also what you need to make to thrive, feel motivated, and more than make back your expenses. It’s not about surviving, but thriving, people!
Be generous, but don’t give too much that it hurts you.
Listen to your intuition—if your services are at the top end of your client’s budget, and you aren’t sure if your client is going to go for it, be generous. Throw in something that will make them really happy and clinch the sale, but that isn’t going to take a ton of your time or effort.
It’s all about both parties coming out of the negotiation feeling that they are both getting what they need.
One way to make it good for you and the customer is to create bundles.
Offer an incentive if they purchase more than one session or product at once; this incentive can either be a discount or an additional complementary service.
It’s best if you can throw in things that don’t require your presence or time, such as a valuable cheat sheet, checklist or mini-course. That’s how you make your business sustainable.
Identify and speak to your ideal customer.
“When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one.”
“Everyone is not your customer.”
Who is your ideal customer? What do they think, feel and need? What are their problems that you can solve? Are you addressing those problems within your website or email copy?
Speak directly to your ideal customer and let them know you understand them and can provide a solution. Provide resources and content that addresses their needs. And when you have a paid service or product offer, they’ll know, like and trust you and want to buy!
Tap into your existing customer base.
Your existing customers are more likely to buy from you, and are more likely to spend more than new customers (existing customers spend 31% more than new customers!). That’s because you’ve already proven yourself to these customers, and they see your value.
Here are the probabilities:
Selling to an existing customer: 60-70%
Selling to a potential customer: 5-20%
Source on the above statistics
It also costs more to attract new customers (5-25 times more!), so make sure you’re providing value and offers to your existing customers who already know, like and trust you!
(As an aside, it’s nice to work with existing customers because you’re creating a longer-term, mutually beneficial relationship with a human. It’s not all about sales 😉.)
Ask for or incentivize referrals.
Leads that come referred by a friend are more likely to close (4 times more likely according to Nielson)!
They are also:
more qualified
already have a good impression of you
are more likely to close for a higher amount (i.e. a higher package)
Also, companies that have referral programs experience 86% more growth over two years than businesses that don’t have referral programs (this is exactly why I have one!). Referrals and word-of-mouth is how I personally get the majority of my business.
So where do referrals come from?
Referrals from customers.
If you have happy customers, simply ask them to refer you—and they will! People LOVE to refer their favorite service providers. And they especially like to receive discounts or gifts for their referrals. Consider an affiliate program for your digital course, or a service credit/cash incentive for referrers.
Referrals from complementary service providers.
Referrals can also come from complementary service providers—not just customers! So start to reach out to other service providers who work in your field, but aren’t competitors, and who may have clients that need your services.
Referrals from competitors.
In addition, it can sometimes work to make friends with a competitor so that you can refer clients when you don’t have bandwidth, or if it’s not a good fit for some reason.
Focus on the benefits of what your clients will receive.
Always focus on the needs of your customers.
Your business is not about you, it’s about what you can provide to others. Your copy and your offerings should remind your customers about the end result—when they use your service, what will they gain? What will they learn? How will their life improve? Will they have a transformation?
Remind them about how they will benefit from your services and ultimately be in a better place than they were before.
During the sale, ask your potential client if there is anything stopping them from moving forward.
If they say no, you can go ahead and move forward. If they say yes, you can address any objections.
Address any potential objections to purchase.
This is true for products or services. If you’re selling a product, be ready to address objections proactively on your sales page.
If your clients tend to have concerns or objections, be empathetic and validate their concerns, and also be ready to speak to those objections to allay any fears.
For instance, my clients are sometimes concerned about making an investment in website design. I tell them that I understand (I do!) and that they should ultimately do what they feel is best for their business.
However, I add, if they know that a website will help them make money because:
it shows a level of investment in their business
communicates their brand, values, story, personality, beliefs, approach, products and service descriptions
speaks to their ideal customer’s needs and offers a solution
and contains opportunities to capture emails or have clients purchase a service or product
…..but they’re just scared to pull the trigger, I remind them that it’s an investment that can pay off.
During the sale, ask for the client’s business.
Once you’ve gotten to the point where it sounds like the customer or client is in, ask them if they’re ready to move forward.
This can sound like an uncomfortable thing to say for many, but it’s important to close the sale, otherwise the potential client is left hanging and doesn’t know where she stands. It’s important to get to the “next steps” phase of the sale. If they need more time, they’ll say so. If they say yes, then you can move to next steps.
On the sales page, you could say, “Ready to move forward and achieve this transformation? Buy Now.”
Set expectations for what happens next.
When you have an actual process and let people know that they will receive an email with next steps, and you follow through on that process, it increases customer trust.
Trust is a huge part to making the sale.
There are so many service providers who are flakey, disorganized, unprofessional or scared to lead. Show your clients that you have it together and will take care of what they need, and you’re more likely to make the sale.
Discuss when you’ll get started, what package they want to go with, when you’ll send over the contract or invoice, whether they need a payment plan, and what needs to happen before they start work. Make sure all the logistics to getting started are discussed and buttoned up, so when they receive the contract or invoice, it’s a go!
This is also true on sales pages! Let them know what happens after you purchase a product—what will they receive, how and when?
Believe in yourself and your ability to provide massive value to your ideal client.
Not gonna lie, mindset matters most when it comes to attracting leads and making a sale.
If you think you can’t make the sale, you probably won’t.
If you don’t believe that you can provide value to your client, it will be hard for them to believe it.
If you feel bad, guilty or gross about the sales process or “taking people’s money,” if you feel it’s unspiritual or wrong to sell services or products or market yourself, read my article about marketing as a spiritual entrepreneur.
However, when you know you can provide massive value, your actions and words will communicate that. And it 100% translates to your sales. If you’ve released any past blocks to providing the service, and the price and offer match up with the customer, why wouldn’t you get the sale?
Having belief in yourself is one of the BIGGEST factors to your sales performance. So do the work to figure out why you feel unworthy or not good enough to provide this service or product (yes, imposter syndrome is a thing, but you can beat it!).
And if you’re needing a little inspiration to gain confidence in making a sale, consider this quote from author and motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar:
“If you believe your product or service can fulfill a true need, it’s your moral obligation to sell it.”
