Sell to Your Target Market

Selling to Storm Shelter Contractors and Dealers Businesses

You'll need a strategy that incorporates innovation and hard work to sell to storm shelter contractors and dealers businesses. Don't forget that storm shelter contractors and dealers businesses aren't easy sales marks -- here's what you'll need to close sales in this niche market.

Despite robust demand for products sold to storm shelter contractors and dealers businesses, penetrating the market can be daunting.

Young businesses need to develop a comprehensive sales plan that is built on industry fundamentals.

How to Evaluate Sales Staff

Regular sales force reviews are necessary for companies that sell in this industry. Businesses that achieve significant market share recruit the cream of the crop and routinely evaluate them against performance goals and benchmarks.

Although annual reviews may be acceptable for other business units, sales units should be evaluated quarterly with monthly or weekly reviews of sales totals. Training, coaching and sales incentives can be useful for improving performance and revenues. In some instances, it may be appropriate to team underperforming sales reps with reps that have more experience selling to storm shelter contractors and dealers businesses.

Product Knowledge Is Critical

In the real world, most storm shelter contractors and dealers businesses aren't interested in middle of the road products. Before they commit to a purchase, they want to know everything there is to know about your product.

In this industry, differentiation can be the deciding factor between a close and your prospect going with a competitor's product. It's critical for your sales team to be knowledgeable and informed. If you're selling a service to storm shelter contractors and dealers businesses, your sales force has to be educated in service features and be prepared to resolve customer concerns during the sales cycle.

Reaching Prospective Customers

Prospecting transforms contacts into qualified leads.

Networking can fine tunes prospecting performance and closing rates. 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 storm shelter contractors and dealers businesses.

Lead lists are helpful because they narrow the field for your team. Third-party lists from reputable vendors (e.g. Experian Business Services) arm your sales force with good leads, making it easier for your company to balance the quantity and quality demands that are prerequisites for effective prospecting.

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