How to Make a Successful Business

Success or failure of a business depends on the number and frequency of customers. The more customers, the merrier. So our goal is to gather not just many customers but loyal customers and buyers as well. If you are a starter in business or if your business seems not improving, this article is of great help.

How to sell a product?
I have witnessed many small scale businesses that operate maybe for decades and yet seemed not improving. While few are expanding and keep enjoying the big sale. There must be some necessary rules or dynamics on selling or else the business will likely to collapse or just gaining the minimum.

Here are the important dynamics in selling a product.

1. A seller must be cognizant of customer's expectation. It is important to know what should a customer want of a product, like color, taste, freshness, durability, warranty, authenticity, affordability, style, brand, etc. Failing to sense the expectation and the wants or needs of a customer may lead to misunderstanding, argument or disgust as I experienced with neophyte seller in a mall. In this case a seller must not insist on what he is selling but on customer's kind of product in his mind.


2. A seller should be knowledgeable of the product. It is easy to sell a product than without knowledge or a just have little information about it. It is shameful to be mute or say "I don't know" in front of the customers when you cannot answer their basic questions. Like selling cellphones, each model demands knowledge on how to use it, operating system, application, capacity etc. Being able to answer properly to their questions you are securing them to their expectation and wants and eventually satisfaction and sale.


3. Prove your reliability. Customers tend to be attracted to sellers who are reliable. Those businesses that have improved in our place have credible reputation as persons themselves. Once reliability is established through the years customers are keep coming back because they know that these kind of sellers are dependable and trustworthy. What happens when your reliability is shattered? People tend to avoid you and no customers will come to you, like the used to be rich businessman whom I know with a cheating weighing scale.
   
   Reliability takes in many forms, like reliability on low price, reliability on authenticity, reliability on correct weighing scale, reliability on good service, reliability on quality products, reliability on freshness, etc.



4. A seller must be fair with product for the buyer. In my case, I was selling baskets of mangoe fruits. Some mangoes were having scratches or deep cut so price must be lower than the flawless ones. And indeed after 15 minutes everything were all sold of which i did not expect. Fair could mean being transparent to the defect, limitation of your product. In this sense you may gain the loyalty of your customers.


5. A seller should know the buying power of different class of customers. It is easy to sell the product base on the buying power of each class. Buying power depends on abundance or scarcity of money available. In my previous example above, selling mangoes with some scratches were bought by middle class worth 20 pesos per kilogram. While the rich had bought flawless mangoes worth 50 pesos per kilogram. I had noticed that the expensive flawless mangoes were hard to sell because there were only few rich customers shopping around. So by knowing the buying power of the customers in a place, you will know what to sell and where to sell and how to sell.


6. A seller should do retail if possible. Since flawless mangoes were hard to sell in my case, it is good idea to do a retail in order to meet the buying power of middle class customers. By retailing I make the price seemed low but actually it is the same if bought per kilo or by bulk. It is a way of making the product affordable for your common customers.


7. A seller must know the price of his competing seller. Being at equal price with a competitor is a good step but a little lower is advantageous. Customers will surely come back especially if you have built the image as the lowest seller.


8. Good service. Welcoming greetings, quick and fast accomodation, orderly process of transaction, clean, cool and safe area are important ways and means to gain many loyal customers.


9. Unique signature or phrase. It is attractive to print a good quality of your product. In my case I put "Mangoes: Zero Pesticide". Be sure that the phrase is true to make your product reliable. It is a good advantage on my part that my product is healthy to eat.


10. Great accessibility. It is important to give customers easy access to the product. The product must be available where there is a constant flow of pedestrians.


11. Products should be displayed and seen directly by the eyes. To display the products, it is not just simply hanging and laying them at your store or at the table. It must be arranged well orderly and in "inviting manner" as if the products are seemingly calling the customer to buy them. If you are peddling a food it is NOT advisable to place it in an opaque container. Transparent container will surely attract the eyes, especially if it freshly cooked and mouth-watering.


12. A seller must have an accomodating smile. I mentioned above good service with quick and fast accomodation but I emphasize here with accomodating smile because it is very crucial in making a sale. A smile will always invite positive vibes and thus possible result of obtaining a sale.

You may add or suggest other tips in achieving a successful business in the comment section below.

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