Small Business Sales Tips - 3 Reasons Why No One is Buying

You are doing all the things you are "supposed" to do, but no one seems interested enough to buy. What's wrong?

When it comes to selling, many people believe you were either born a salesman or you weren't. All those negative stereotypes about pushy used car salesmen don't help. People tell themselves, "I would never want to be like that!" and continue to hold the erroneous belief that if they offer a superior product or service, business will just come.

Unfortunately, business doesn't work that way. Your prospects are too busy worrying about their day-to-day problems and to-do lists to figure out what, exactly, you do and why it is better than your competitors. If you don't provide clear reasons why they should buy from you, they won't take the time to figure it out themselves. Here are three reasons why no one is buying from you - and what to do about it.

1. They don't want what you offer.

This can be the hardest pill to swallow but sometimes what we offer isn't what prospects want. For instance, if you are an inventor or author, you have invested countless hours into creating your product, so you are obviously quite passionate and proud of it. It can be heartbreaking when no one buys it.

Sometimes, we get so passionate about our own products and services that we believe everyone needs them when the truth is, we are the only ones who find the idea interesting. If this is your problem, unfortunately, there is no magic bullet solution that can fix it.

If you suspect this might be the case, do some market research. Ask prospects what they think about your product or service. Do prospects understand the benefits? Does it sound like something your prospects might want? Would they pay for it? If so, how much? What other options do prospects see as potential solutions? What makes these other options better choices?

If you find that prospects don't want what you offer, you have two choices: (1) offer something else that people do want or (2) find a way to explain your product or service in a way that bridges it with what your prospects do want. It is far easier to sell someone what they want than to convince them to buy something they find irrelevant or just aren't interested in.

2. They don't understand why your offerings are the best choice for them.

Another potential reason why they aren't buying is because they are confused. Every day we are bombarded with thousands of marketing messages from companies that want our attention. We have too many choices and suffer from information overload.

If we can't see what the next step is or why one choice is clearly better, we put our purchasing decision on hold until we have more time to process all the information we have collected. Unfortunately, that time never comes unless we have a firm deadline in place and we have no choice but to make a decision.

To solve this, clearly explain the benefits and reasons why prospects should do business with you. What does the end result look like? What emotional benefits will they receive after they use your product or hired you to work with them? Paint a detailed picture about what they can expect and what the next step in the buying process is. How can they purchase your product or service? What action step do they need to take next? Why should they do it right now?

3. They don't believe you.

Your prospects may want your product or service, clearly understand how it will enhance their lives, and know what the next step is to complete their purchase, but if they don't believe you can do what you say or your product is as good as it sounds, they will hesitate.

To overcome this, work at building great relationships and providing testimonials and case studies of happy clients. Show how your product or service has helped people just like them. If possible, give them a free sample or trial offer to let them test it out before they buy.

Sales isn't rocket science. It is simply a way of educating and communicating the benefits of your products and services in ways your prospects can relate to. The good news is its a skill you can learn and master with a little practice.

To learn how to create a comprehensive marketing and sales plan to convert more prospects into customers, download your free copy of our 45-page strategic marketing plan guide today at http://www.getclientstoday.com. This hands-on workbook covers the 6 steps for creating your marketing strategy and includes a fill-in-the-blank marketing plan template you can use to craft your monthly marketing plan.