Sales is a never-ending part of business, and that can make it fun and also daunting, but the key thing is with sales to keep going and make it part of your day.

Sales is not as hard as people think it is. People buy people so by being yourself and doing what you do well, you are already selling.

But to grow, you also need to let others know what you do, and this is where networking and marketing comes in.

Social Media has made selling more accessible to business owners by putting your audience at your fingertips, but the principles of sales are still the same as when I started over 17 years ago. You need to connect, build a relationship and create trust.

By connecting with our audience, we let them know we are there, by sharing and educating them we build trust and by networking with them we can begin to understand them, and a relationship forms.

One of the biggest mistakes a business owner can make is to sell without a relationship. The relationship is key to addressing the needs of your client and allowing them to feel they can trust you.

Back in 2014, we founded a Facebook group called Business Business Business, where male and female business owners can network and be supported in a judgement-free environment. By being connected to our market of business owners, it not only helped with the growth of my existing business, Media Connections, it also allowed us to see the need to grow what we were doing with the Facebook community page and that lead to the creation of our newly-launched website for Business Business Business.

One of my favourite ways to boost or grow sales is to value-add and create an offer for new and existing customers that is hard to resist.

As part of the Business Business Business launch, we did just that by offering an advertising bonus before we launched and in our first week of being live. By giving a bonus, we were able to build trust in our directory and have listings for our launch day.

Another way I love to create sales is to give – as a coach we do this often. For me, it is guest speaking at events and sharing my knowledge with an audience. I love it because it is a win-win, I get to teach something I am passionate about, and I get inspired by hearing about other businesses and what they are doing. The passion and excitement allows me to connect, and those connections are nurtured and followed up, then turned into sales.

Sales and marketing take time and tracking the process is a vital part of the process too for three reasons:

1.      It keeps you accountable

2.      It allows you to review what did and didn’t work

3.      It helps you in keeping on top of things and making sure you follow-up.

Whether it is a spreadsheet or CRM, keeping track of the activity and where your business is coming from, tracking is all part of the process.

Each of us are selling every day in our business - when we answer the phone, respond to an email or network face-to-face.

Here are some tips to remember:

1.      You are your brand, so it is important to recognise that and present yourself as you want to be seen.

2.      Not everyone will be your client, and that is OK. Work out who your market is, identify where they are and then build relationships with the right people.

3.      Ask people to buy – When you do share and give, remember to ask people to buy. That can be as simple as saying something like: ‘more tips are available in my book’…or ‘order today and get a bonus’.

4.      Follow-up – Sales is about coming together with your prospect at the right time, and that may not be now. So don’t give up - keep in contact and ask how you can help.

5.      Track what you do and when you do it. Sales are not always an instant process so it could be something we did 3-6 months ago that is relating to sales today.

Linda Reed Enever is a mum and serial business owner. Her thriving businesses include a media and business promotional portal, Media Connections, as well as a growing online community of business owners, Business Business Business.