Smart Sales Strategies for Niche Markets
Selling to Grace Brethren Churches
As the market recovers, Grace Brethren churches are gradually bouncing back from the economic downturn and are starting to reinvest. Don't forget that Grace Brethren churches aren't easy sales marks -- here's what you'll need to convert prospects into customers.
Technology and technique are important. But in a B2B sales environment, they may be less important than other critical resources.
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.
Hiring Staff
People are your most important sales asset. A first-rate sales strategy is ineffective if your sales team lacks the expertise and resources to perform at the highest levels.
Most Grace Brethren churches appreciate the value of sales professionals who are informed and prepared. When a customer has a problem with an order, they typically reach out to their sales contact so it's imperative for your team to be trained in the processes that are required to maintain the customer relationship after they have closed the sale.
Direct Marketing Strategies
Direct marketing is an effective way to sell to Grace Brethren churches. The benefit of direct marketing is that it provides a cost-effective resource for reaching qualified prospects with targeted messaging. From a sales cycle perspective, direct marketing establishes a baseline for relationships with Grace Brethren churches that can benefit from your products or services.
The tricky part about direct marketing is lead generation. Since finding leads is time-consuming and difficult, we recommend using lead lists supplied by established third-party vendors. Over the years we've found that Experian is one of the best in the business with a reputation for supplying consistently reliable lists of Grace Brethren churches that generate sales revenue and repeat business.
How to Sell to Grace Brethren Churches
After you have qualified a lead, how do you close the sale?
Like many of us, Grace Brethren church business owners are busy professionals operating on tight schedules. As a rule, be respectful of your customers' time constraints and adjust your pitches to accommodate their schedules.
In some instances, your initial contact at Grace Brethren churches you call on may not even be the decision maker, so you'll need to quickly identify key staff and be prepared to sell to office managers or others in the organization.
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