How to Sell for Entrepreneurs

Updated: October 16, 2024

Originally Published: June 22, 2020

Live Twitter #StartupChats discussing how to sell for entrepreneurs

Q&A with Startup Canada Guest Advisor Christine Whone

What does every entrepreneur need to know about how to sell? Sales funnels, tools, technology, and software to streamline sales operations, e-commerce and point of sale for entrepreneurs.

The event had 45 contributors, 29.7 million impressions.

Q1 Why does every entrepreneur need to know how to sell?

A1 It doesn’t have to feel like selling! When entrepreneurs are passionate about their business it doesn’t have to feel like sales, think of it more like sharing and educating others about your products or services and how it will benefit them.

Q2 What are the basic tenets of sales for entrepreneurs?

A2 Mindset, intention, goal, action. Set your mindset for success. Know your intention to serve others is for the good of others, have a target or goal to achieve, and then take action!

Q3 What is a sales funnel and what tools, technologies and platforms are available to streamline the sales process for entrepreneurs?

A3 Your website platform choice is key for a hub or start point. Quickbooks Online, WordPress or Squarespace, MailChimp, Acuity, Zoom, Stripe, PayPal, Salesforce. There are so many tools (too many to list) that entrepreneurs can integrate to streamline the sales process.

Q4 What advice do you have for entrepreneurs on moving clients through their sales funnel?

A4 Use a chat app like Chatra to build rapport and help customers or clients move through your sales funnel. They have targeted chat triggers to help customers move through complicated web pages. This chatra.com app is so easy to add to your website.

Q5 What are some of the best approaches to selling online that entrepreneurs can implement today?

A5 Publish video content. It’s easy to use Instagram to connect with your followers to provide education about your business services. With that said, it’s best to have a marketing campaign with target goals to achieve.

Q6 What are some of the best approaches to managing a remote point of sale?

A6 Use online payment methods such as PayPal and Stripe. QuickBooks Online will collect payments for you and at the same time manage your accounting books. Quickbooks transaction fees are slightly less than PayPal and Stripe fees, with quick direct deposits to your business banking account.

Q7 How can entrepreneurs leverage trade shows and other temporary sales approaches to sell? What are the benefits?

A7 Trade shows visitors are looking to buy, network, and make business deals. With that said, you may have to establish rapport to go beyond the trade show meeting to benefit. Think about long-term business opportunities as a target goal to achieve.

Q8 How can entrepreneurs sell to different levels of government? What tools and programs exist to help?

A8 Network and build relationships with persons at different levels of government that you would like to work with. If you are searching for ideas or ways to meet different levels of government, join a board of directors or volunteer for a cause you are passionate about and care about.

Q9 How can entrepreneurs improve their pitch to improve sales?

A9 Watch other successful entrepreneurs pitch their business for speaking techniques, sales strategies and language used. Practice your public speaking by recording yourself with a camera, watch the video for feedback.

Q10 Where can entrepreneurs go to learn more about sales, to improve their sales strategy and to drive growth?

A10 I am a huge fan of a walk while listening to business podcasts. I perceive it as a literal step forward toward meeting my goals. My favourite podcasts are StartupCanada Thrive, NPR How I Built This with Guy Raz, HBR IdeaCast, and Creative PepTalk with Andy J. Pizza.

I have an online course and business coaching program to help business owners learn how to start a business using the Startup Lean Method. Establishing trust, building rapport and having a deeper understanding of how experience, professionalism and money are essential to entrepreneurs to know how to sell better are discussed in the course. There’s actually no selling involved when you learn the steps to transform your client relationships into mutually beneficial business relationships—the course shows you how.

Q11 What final piece of advice do you have for every entrepreneur on how to sell?

A11 Mindset is everything. Set yourself up for success with positive plans for your business.