Tip for increasing sales: stop trying to increase sales

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Here at Less Annoying CRM, we talk to a lot of small business who are looking to increase their sales. I’ve heard our customers describe all kinds of different strategies and seen all kinds of different results. There definitely isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to maximizing sales, but I’m pretty happy with the results we’re getting at LACRM, so I want to take a minute to talk about how we approach this.

To put it simply, the way we maximize sales is by not trying to maximize sales. This seems a bit counter-intuitive, but it really works, I swear.

Why does this work? Because when most people think about increasing sales, they think about their own goals. I need more customers. I want more money. I have to hit my milestones. Obviously these are all important goals for a small business where a few sales can make the difference between failure and success, but the problem is that it misses the whole point of what actually matters when closing a deal.

Closing a deal isn’t about you, it’s about the customer. It’s about making sure that they get what they want. So as long as you’re focused on your own goals, you’re not going to be in a position to help the customers accomplish their goals. This is what I mean when I say that we don’t try to maximize sales. We’re focusing on being outrageously helpful to each and every person we talk to, knowing that if we help them achieve their goals, they will in turn help us achieve ours.

In our case, we take this to the extreme by making a customer service rep (or “CRM Coach” as we call them) the main point of contact for a new lead. Our CRM Coaches aren’t paid to close deals, they’re paid to be helpful, and we’ve found that a really high percentage of our leads become paying customers because they love the experience they get with our CRM Coaches.

I’m not saying that everyone in sales should switch to customer service. What I’m saying is that if you’re a sales rep, or if you manage sales reps, you might find that you can grow your business by becoming a resource for your customers. Focus on helping them accomplish their goals before worrying about your own, and it’s possible that both parties will end up better off.

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