Sales: Would I Buy from Me?
July 28, 2008
If I didn’t know me, would I buy from me? What extra value do you bring to your product or service? If you and your business looks like everyone else than your prospects will always only judge you by price. So, if price is your only defining feature, how far are you willing to cut into your margin? Could be a slippery slope. What extra value do you bring to the marketplace?
-Betty Otte
Entry Filed under: Growing, Managing, Marketing, Success, Women in Business, Young Entrepreneurs. Tags: Add new tag, sales and marketing, SCORE sales and marketing advice.
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Julie Brander
Peg Corwin
Peggy Duncan
Vernita Naylor
Betty Otte
Christine Banning
Rieva Lesonsky
1.
Erika | July 28, 2008 at 11:11 AM
As a new business owner it is a topic that I have scrutinized. I have to ensure that my handbags and diaper bags are not only well-made, but that my customer service is top notch and that I fulfill custom orders.
In the esty forums it is a vastly covered topic and many leave their businesses because they undercut too much.
2.
Paula Otero | July 28, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Hi Ladies! Congratulations on the new blog, It’s great to see a focused approach to women in business. I look forward to reading about the topics you bring and will add you to my blog roll on http://www.mujerescaminoalexito.com so that Latina women can benefit from your insights. Also, you are alwasy welcome to guest blog on my site. Gracias!
3.
Betty | July 28, 2008 at 6:04 PM
Hi, Erika: thank you for your comment. You are very insightful to consider customer service as a priority as we all know it is 7 times cheaper to sell more products to an existing customer than it is to get a new one. Be sure to bring your personality into your customer relationships. Building a team with your customers so they will tell others about your products is essential. Let your story and personality shine t through and money won’t be the deciding factor.
Betty
4.
Betty Otte | July 28, 2008 at 6:14 PM
Hi, Paula: I checked out your web site and it is very attractive and well done. As you know Latina women business owners are the fastest growing demographic of the small business world and it is very important that we all work together for the benefit of women and small business. Thank you for your kind words.
Betty
5.
Stacey | July 28, 2008 at 11:01 PM
I can’t stress enough the importance of having a unique selling proposition. The difference between you and your competitors must be obvious, immediately. There should ALWAYS be something unique about your product or service and its benefit(s) that your competitors can’t offer or don’t say they offer. For example: delivering pizza in less than a half hour, ordering a burger you can have “your way.” It’s more than customer service; it’s more than price. If what you do is very similar to what your competitors do and you can’t find a difference, create a difference!
Erika and Paula, congratulations on your respective businesses!
6.
Betty Otte | July 29, 2008 at 12:28 PM
Hi, Stacey: thank you for adding to the conversation. Is crucial information – do you think that sometimes women avoid being outstanding as they are concerned to be taken as too bold and unfeminine?
Now as women begin playing more sports as teens, I think that will help, also.
What do you think?
Betty
7.
Stacey | July 29, 2008 at 1:29 PM
I think that that avoidance is more true of leading edge women of the baby boomer generation (those born between 1946 and 1955), but not of trailing edge boomers or generations X and Y. I also think it may have more to do with education than with gender. With education (be it erudition or street knowledge), comes confidence and with confidence comes tenacity and less caring about what others think (professionally and with regard to entrepreneurship). I believe sports played a bigger role in earlier times, because there wasn’t that much available to make the difference. Now we have role models, etc. which makes sports not so pivotal – relevant and important for other reasons – but not an absolute necessity.
8.
Erika | July 29, 2008 at 2:44 PM
In addition to my husband’s profession he is a softball pitching coach and works with families in which the girls are not only strong-minded, determined and focused, they ARE feminine. The atmosphere in this area of Texas is not only accepting of female athletes, it is very competitive for young girls. For many, sports will be the avenue they will travel to college and I often hear young ladies mention female athletes and Olympians.
I am inspired by these young ladies and the stories of many women starting their own businesses, especially young minority women.
ToteNTots.etsy.com
tote-n-tots.blogspot.com
9.
Stacey | July 29, 2008 at 4:50 PM
And, speaking of inspirational – Erika, I just visited your website. Your bags AMAZING!
10.
Betty | July 29, 2008 at 11:37 PM
Hi, have to agree with Stacey regarding your amazing bags.
Have you marketed them to local shops as purses? Truly beautiful enought and very practical. Especially now that we are all taking fabric bags to the grocery store to take home our purchases.
11.
J. Barnes | July 30, 2008 at 8:22 AM
Hi Erika. Have you thought about contacting a SCORE mentor? SCORE has helped over 8 million entrepreneurs start & grow their businesses. Vera Bradley, for example, is a SCORE success story. Plus, it’s FREE.
To find a SCORE office near you, visit http://www.score.org/findscore. To ask SCORE for advice online, visit http://www.score.org/ask_score.
12.
Pat Sciacca | July 31, 2008 at 4:59 PM
This blog is exciting. I am pleased to see a site for women business owners. I am a SCORE counselor in Columbus, Ohio. My two most successful clients are women. Both are in the service business. One does admistrative services and bookkeeping for other small businesses. The other specializes in deep home cleaning and staging a house for sale.
Each of the their businesses is thriving. When I counseled them, they were like spomges and put the advice to work right away.
Pat
13.
Betty Otte | July 31, 2008 at 10:51 PM
Thank you, Pat, for telling us about your SCORE chapter in Columbus, Ohio. One of the big reasons I love the blog, is because women can look up their local SCORE chapter no matter where they live and come in for free counseling. Congratulations on your very successful clients and their thriving businesses.
Betty
14.
Erika | August 1, 2008 at 10:07 PM
What is the best way to find a mentor; better yet, how do I find a ‘match’ or do I even try to match?
There are not many mentors in Texas; do I chose one that has the advertising background, the one that owned a franchise, the one that served in upper management,etc. Or do I chose from any state?
I currently make handbags and diaper bags. I will soon be adding messenger bags and laptop briefcases to my product line and would appreciate suggestions if I am heading in the right direction, what I ought to be doing next, etc.
Any suggestions?
15.
J. Barnes | August 4, 2008 at 10:58 AM
Hello Erika,
You can choose to visit your local SCORE chapter http://www.score.org/findscore or search by expertise using the online system http://www.score.org/ask_score. When searching for a mentor, it’s important to find someone who really understands the vision you have for your business. Sometimes it may take 2 or 3 times to find the perfect match. Or, you may have more than one mentor so that you can fully benefit from their specialized skills. To find out ways in which SCORE mentors have helped others, visit http://www.score.org/success_stories.html.
I’ve included a few good articles on mentoring below. If you need further assistance in finding a mentor, contact the SCORE Association at 1-800/634-0245.
-5 Tips to Get a Good Mentor
http://www.score.org/5_Tips_Good_Mentor.html
-60-Second Guide to Finding a Business Mentor
http://www.score.org/60_guide_business_mentor.html
-Mentoring Is for Entrepreneurs, Too
http://www.score.org/t_6.html
-Mentors and Success: A Lifetime of Learning
http://www.score.org/t_7.html
16.
John Williams | August 20, 2008 at 8:04 AM
Pretty nice site, wants to see much more on it!
17.
Betty Otte | August 27, 2008 at 7:01 PM
Hi, John: glad you are reading the site. What other type of information would you like to see posted?
Betty