Sales Techniques By Market
Selling to Fabric Shops
The word is out that many fabric shops are experiencing growth trends, and smart vendors are striking while the iron's hot. For businesses that market to fabric shops, the streamlined sales strategies discussed in this article can be important for breaking into the industry.
Penetrating the world of fabric shops can require complex sales and marketing strategies.
Don't be intimidated by the speed of the marketplace. Although speed is important, solid business principles and common sense will make the biggest difference in the success or failure of your selling efforts.
Customer Profiles
New companies in the fabric shop market are advised to create customer profiles before they invest in a specific sales strategy. A little industry knowledge can go a long way toward equipping your team with the tools required to sell to high value fabric shop leads.
In this industry, it is especially important to develop a customer-focused approach. In general, fabric shops are very skilled at spotting B2B companies that don't have industry awareness and many will hold out for more knowledgeable suppliers, even if it means paying a slightly higher price.
Sales Team Considerations
Many businesses that sell to fabric shops take a team sales approach.
Although your team may be comprised of individual sales reps, each rep has to recognize their role in the team strategy. There is simply no room for solo sales in this industry! Team-based training programs and other initiatives can be beneficial, but the best strategy for encouraging buy-in to a team sales model is for owners and managers to become role models for teamwork.
Reaching Prospective Customers
Prospecting turns names into promising leads.
Networking can dramatically improve your team's prospecting abilities and conversion ratios. However, it's important to make sure your sales force isn't so focused on conversation that they miss the point of prospecting, i.e. the identification of likely buyers, key decision makers and high value industry contacts. In other words, the type of people you meet is just as important as the number of people you meet when prospecting for fabric shops.
Lead lists are useful because they narrow the field for your team. Third-party lists from reputable vendors (e.g. Experian Business Services) provide a database of likely conversion targets, making it easier for your company to balance the quantity and quality demands that are prerequisites for effective prospecting.
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