Beyond Transactions: Crafting Effective Selling Strategies that Drive Impact and Revenue
Over the last three weeks, we’ve been digging into the role sales play in our businesses. As a purpose-driven business leader, you know that sales are integral to your growth, and that it takes a compelling offer and value-based pricing strategy to bring it all to life.
Effective selling strategies serve as the bridge between your mission and your desired impact, but it isn’t always clear how to do it well or where you might be off track.
In fact, for years, I felt like I was flailing in this space. I had done all the work to work on my mindset around sales, but it was never quite enough. It wasn’t until I started using a sales framework to give my conversations structure, shifted away from features and tactics in my offers, and focused on community that things started to shift.
Today’s blog dives into six strategies that have not only boosted my revenue but also helped me amplify the positive change I’m striving to create in the lives of the women I serve.
Let’s get to it!
Targeted Marketing
You’ve heard the phrase, “The riches are in the niches,” and while I think this can be drama-inducing at times, there’s real truth here. Precision is key in reaching the right people. That’s why almost every business coach and consultant asks the same question:
Who is your ideal client?
Where are they spending their time?
How are you engaging with them?
These questions allow us to see if the challenge with your sales process is your targeting. If you’re too broad, people won’t know you’re talking to them. If you’re too niche, it may be difficult to get your message heard.
So, start here first, and then identify platforms and/or places where your target audience is most active. This might be in person events, social media, speaking engagements, guest podcasting… and places where your people are hanging out.
Education and Awareness
Effective selling extends beyond your product or service; it's about selling the impact.
Think about anything you’ve purchased. It wasn’t about the product or service, specifically, but that it could address your problem or fill a desire that you have. Your clients are the exact same thing… and let’s be real, there are a million ways they can address their needs with someone else’s offer. It comes down to helping them see that working with you not only fills those gaps but also creates real impact.
Think about Patagonia or TOMS. They are constantly showcasing the transformational impact your purchase makes. I get that you may not have a big global mission or don’t address issues or challenges directly, but you can still share stories of real-life people you’ve helped and illustrate how your prospective client’s support directly contributes to social or environmental change.
Empower customers with the knowledge that their buying choices hold the potential to drive tangible improvements.
Collaborations and Partnerships
The strength of partnerships can't be overstated. There’s a reason collaboration continues to be one of the most powerful sales strategies. When you partner up with other businesses, social enterprises, NGOs, or nonprofit organizations that share your values, you tap into each other's networks and introduce your products and/or services to new audiences.
Collaborations amplify your collective impact and broaden your market presence, often leading to increased sales and heightened brand awareness.
Customer Engagement
Selling is not just about the transaction when you’re trying to make an impact.
For years, I hosted both free and paid communities for female business owners who were hungry for like-minded conversation. Creating those containers allowed me to hold space for and engage my community in a way that allowed them to feel seen, heard, and connected to me and other like-minded women.
Where possible, establish platforms for increased dialogue and feedback. It allows your clients to tell you what matters and gives you a way to respond. I should note that this doesn’t have to be a synchronous model or a live group. That’s why I created my private podcast - Purpose + Profit. I wanted a space that allowed me to directly, in my own voice, address questions, challenges, and concerns from my clients and those with a shared vision for the world.
A committed, connected, and engaged customer base become your best advocates, driving referrals and repeat business.
A Sales Framework
Does every sales call take on a life of its own? Are you recreating the wheel with every proposal or offer you make?
If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you need a sales framework. Now, let me be clear. I’m not talking about a sales script. You’re not a robot, and neither are your clients. Every person you interact with wants to feel seen and heard as they vulnerably share their biggest challenges and deepest desires.
Having a sales framework allows you to be fully present while also leading the conversation in such a way that it allows you to get the information you need to see if the person you’re talking to is a right fit for you and your product or service.
Hands down, having a strong framework changed the game for me. I stopped dancing around in discomfort and uncertainty. I knew exactly how to elicit the information I needed to serve the client best, whether they chose to work with me or not.
Your sales framework provides a systematic roadmap, ensuring consistency and coherence in your selling efforts. It also builds trust, showcases your leadership, and empowers your potential client to ask for what they need. If this is an area where you need help, let’s talk. I promise it’ll change everything!
Measuring Success
One of the best things I ever did for my business was to start tracking metrics. I know. I know. It’s not the sexiest part of running a business, but when you track the right things, it gives you SO much power and insight as you make decisions.
I track my sales activity (leads, calls, offers, and conversions), revenue generated, email list growth, social media growth, and customer satisfaction data. I also track the percentage of revenue that’s being set aside for causes I support and volunteer hours and the impact of that time on the organization and the lives of the people they’re serving.
These metrics allow me to see when I need to accelerate my work, when I’m lagging behind and need to kick myself into gear, and most importantly, the impact I’m making. When you know what you’re doing is making a difference, it allows you to communicate and share with your client base and prospective clients. It’s one of the most powerful things you can do for your business!
Effective selling is an art, an amalgamation of targeted marketing, education, collaborations, a strong sales framework, and measured success. As a purpose-driven business owner seeking to drive change and growth, the fusion of these strategies will propel you towards meaningful impact and sustainable success.
