Five Selling Smarter Lessons (From My Mom) to Boost Your Business

On February 12, at the age of 86, my mother, Shirley, passed away. My mother was an extraordinary person, especially for someone from her generation: upbeat, very open-minded with a wonderful sense of humor and stellar personality. Once you met her, you never forgot her. She was very grateful to have lived a long life with a close and caring family. Today's post is dedicated to her with five valuable "selling smarter" lessons that she exemplified that will boost your sales. The photo is my mom, my husband Bob and me at her 85th birthday.

1. Know your customers. My mother used to say, "You've got to know your customers," when referring to her family. She understood her three children and their unique needs, accepting us as we were, understanding our strengths and weaknesses. In business, the more you know and understand and focus on your customer's needs, the better chance you have for making a sale.

2. Finishing touches make the difference. My mother was very talented and loved to sew and design her own clothing. She taught me that the finishing touches make the outfit. How can you apply this to your business? What finishing touches can you add to your customer experience to enhance their purchase? Things such as special packaging, custom colors, unique imprint locations, order tracking and faster delivery are just some of the ways to add finishing touches that will make you or your company stand out, sell smarter and get repeat business.

3. Focus on the positive. My mother faced serious health challenges and frequent pain in the last few years of her life, yet she rarely complained and always focused on the things she loved about her life: her family, her friends, living to be a great-grandmother and retiring to a seashore town that she loved. Apply this to your own business by focusing on the positive things that are working and doing more of them. Be willing to let go of strategies that hold you back.