Listen & Learn: How to Sell in New Markets

What are your existing and new client's needs? Are they looking for more features or do they simply want to know how to alleviate their pain points? When explaining your unique business to a prospective client, limit the details to those which apply to the client. Your goal is to be a resource for your clients which means you should listen more than you speak. Pay close attention so you can understand how your offerings can meet their unique needs.

Now that you have a firm grasp on how you can use your existing skills to connect with clients in your new market, it's time to dive a little deeper. How do you create the context and opening to bridge the gap between asking your client, "what are your needs?" and offering them, "this is how my company can help!" Having a strong reputation is one way. An organization's reputation is shared in equal parts throughout their organization. Your organization's reputation can leverage its success in the current market to create a buzz around entering a new one. Marketing & Sales are tasked with shaping brand perception which means your verbiage and market niche set the ground rules for how you will enter the market and interact with your customers/clients. As the sales professional, your expertise is the icing on the cake, adding the personal touch and direct connection. Think of your company's reputation as being a springboard for you to enter your new market and begin selling to your prospective clients.

We get it. You have a great company and a great product. You also created in-roads to connect with your audience. Now as you prepare to make the sale, remember your basics. Rule #1: Your customers are self-centered. They are largely focused on their personal needs and how your product will serve them. As you are thinking of strategic ways to enter a new market, consider not just focusing on the features (if you choose to at all), but instead explaining to potential clients how your offerings and unique features meet their specific needs. Remember the main goal of any client is to understand, 'What's in it for me?'

You are just about ready to close your first sale in a new market. Next, you want to expand your customer base in this new market and attract more customers to your brand in order to increase sales. You need to clarify who your ideal client/customer is so you can find them. In order to identify your ideal customer, you need to begin by fine-tuning your customer profile and building the market from the people, out. Refining your customer profile can ensure your organization can locate and attract more people who are interested in your product and can even inform how you develop more meaningful and impactful features down the road.