A Founder’s Approach To Connecting With Customers And Elevating Sales

You have poured your heart and soul into your business idea, created the product or launched your service with a boom! But what next? How will you grab your customer’s attention so they line up to avail your offering?

Being a founder, this question might have crossed your mind multiple times. 

What approach should you follow to create a value proposition for your customers? What is something that will click into your customer’s mind and help you elevate your sales? 

Well, in this blog, we will explore some of the best ways to help you connect with your customers, leading to sales success for your business. 

Let’s get started! 

Why Should Founders Lead Sales? 

#1. Knowledge And Passion  

Founders think of their business as their child and possess a true passion for it. They believe in their product and service offerings and are well aware of their whereabouts. It allows them to answer questions, address customer concerns, and showcase the true value of their offerings. 

#2. Personal Touch Builds Trust 

When founders engage in sales, they promote their products or services while keeping their business’s vision and mission in mind, which adds a personal touch. This feeling often results in establishing trust and a connection that resonates better with their potential customers, proving advantageous for business sales. 

#3. Market Insights Empower Customer Satisfaction  

Those founders who actively participate in leading sales gain insights into market trends, customer preferences, and their pain points. These insights help them improve their offerings as per customer needs, resulting in improved customer satisfaction. 

#4. Feedback Adaptability And Commitment 

Founders at the forefront of sales prioritize customer feedback. They are all ears to what the customer has to say about their product or service and taking measures to work on it. They, being the ultimate decision maker, speed up the improvements in the sales strategy, resulting in establishing long-term relationships with customers. 

Considering the reasons mentioned above, it is clear that a founder must take the lead in sales for their business. However, one question remains: What is the most effective approach for establishing a connection with customers that ultimately leads to a boost in sales?

The answer lies in following a founder-led sales approach. But what exactly does this entail? Let's find out!

What Is A Founder-Led Sales Approach? 

Founder-led sales approach is a business strategy in which the founder plays the role of a sales representative and carries on all their responsibilities. They use their deep product knowledge, passion, and dedication to convince their customers to purchase their offerings. 

By prioritizing customer preferences, they aim to achieve customer satisfaction, which contributes to forming a long-term relationship. 

This proves to be a powerful strategy for not only the early birds but also for startups during their growth phase. 

8-Step Founder Led Approach To Follow  

#1. Identify Your Target Audience

You are open to offering your products and services to a large market, but not everyone is willing to purchase them. Therefore, among a large market segment, you need to bifurcate your potential customers and only focus your sales efforts on them. 

Analyze your customers based on different categories, such as psychographics, demographics, pain points, goals, and aspirations. It will help you design different personalized strategies for customers from different segments, making them feel valued.

Moreover, you can also gain insight into your competitors’ customers, as they also fall under your potential customers. 

#2. Create A Value Proposition 

Highlight the benefits of your product or service and how it contributes to the betterment of your customer’s lives. It will grab their attention and make a lasting impression. 

• Be clear about what your product or service does
• Explain how it is relevant to them and cater to their pain points
• Focus on the uniqueness of your offerings
• Keep it short, simple, and to the point.

Use various storytelling methods, or opt for examples of competitors who failed at catering to customers' needs and how you are better at it. 

#3. Perform Sales Strategy Mapping 

Define a clear sales process with important functions such as lead generation, qualification, discovery, presentation, and more. 

Your process should be efficient enough to handle various challenges that occur during the sales process, such as missing leads, lead dropping, etc. You must develop a strategy that deals with such issues and boosts deal closure. 

You must design your sales process in such a flexible manner that it can adapt to specific customer needs. It is ideal to refine your strategies based on past experiences and customer feedback. 

#4. Set Measurable Goals

You must establish S.M.A.R.T. sales goals.

• Specific: Clearly state what you want to achieve.
• Measurable: Attach numbers to your goals to track performance and see how close you are to your goal attainment. 
• Achievable: Remember, do not establish hypothetical numbers. Set goals that are challenging yet attainable. 
• Relevant: Ensure that the goals you have set contribute to your market strategy. 
• Time-bound: Bind yourself to a deadline; it will keep you focused and on track. 

#5. Learn To Build Relationships

Customers prefer purchasing from businesses that they like and trust the most. To establish this bond, you must focus on building strong relationships with your existing and potential customers. 

Here are some tips:

• Talk Less, Listen More: Actively listen to what your customer has to say and encourage feedback from them. Ask for detailed responses to gain a deeper understanding. 
• Be Authentic: Be honest with your product and service offerings. Show strengths and limitations, and do not make fake promises. 
• Adapt A Communication Style: Tailor your pitch to their preferred style, such as visuals, analytics, speech, etc. 
• Gain Follow-Ups: Try contacting your buyers without being too pushy to gain feedback. Respect their time and schedule the follow-up process at timely intervals. 

Also read: Best Customer Retention Strategies in 2024

#6. Try Adapting Persuasion And Negotiation Skills 

You might be offering a wonderful product or service to your customers with distinctive features, but they won’t purchase it until they find out how it benefits them. Here is when you need to learn persuasion skills.

• List out the features along with the benefits they offer. 
• Tailor your message in a way that caters to the needs and requirements of your customers 
• Share success stories or real-life examples where your offerings excelled. 
• Share the before and after scenarios to emphasize your product’s impact. 

After persuasion comes the art of mastering negotiation. You do not have to push your customers to buy your product or service on your alone terms. Rather, you must leave space for a little bit of flexibility and adjustment. It shows your buyers that you are willing to accommodate their needs and value them. 

Here is how you can practice negotiation skills: 

• Research your buyers’ expectations
• Show willingness to understand their needs 
• Maintain confidence in your offerings 
• Show that you are open towards making mutual decisions 

#7. Leverage Technology 

There are multiple tech tools available in the market that focus on driving sales and establishing strong customer relationships. One such standout option is Salesforce. Its versatile features let you craft targeted and personalized messages that resonate with different customer segments. You can reach your audience through various channels, such as email, chat, social media, and more. Moreover, it tracks customer interactions and identifies buying signals, which helps you prioritize leads and close deals faster. 

#8. There’s More After Closing Your Deal 

Now that you have created an offering that wooed your prospects, established SMART goals, built relationships, and learned relevant skills, we can guarantee that you will close a deal. 

However, the job of a founder who is into sales does not stop here. There is more beyond closing the deal. 

To ensure the elevation of sales throughout your business cycle, you must keep these tricks and tips in mind. 

• Keep reviewing the strategies to identify the areas that contributed towards your win.
• Go out and seek new leads and opportunities rather than waiting for them to come to you. 
• Assess your competitors and their strategies, and target the areas where they failed to capture their market. 
• Stay updated with the latest industry trends and best practices to maintain a competitive edge
• Deliver what you promised, as it will help in continuing the trust and fostering long-lasting relationships. 

To Sum Up,

In today’s competitive business environment, adopting a founder-led sales approach to connect with your customers while elevating sales is paramount for any business. 

By fostering genuine relationships, deeply understanding customer needs, and delivering personalized experiences, founders can build a loyal customer base that drives growth. 

Leveraging innovative sales strategies and staying adaptable ensures that businesses can respond to market changes effectively. Ultimately, following a customer-centric approach, learning continuously, and performing strategic innovation will not only elevate sales but also create a strong foundation for long-term success. 

By incorporating these principles, founders can inspire their teams, resonate with their customers, and steer their companies towards unparalleled achievements.