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.

4. Better to be kind than clever. My mother was a very smart woman who never flaunted her intelligence. Instead, the focus in our house was kindness. I grew up in a house filled with friends and relatives. People dropped by at all times just to say hello. There was always plenty of food and an extra place, or two or three, at the dinner table for anyone who arrived. But it was more than the way we shared meals. My mother always had a kind word and a genuine compliment for everyone she met. People loved to be with her, because she always made them feel good. In business you can apply this by taking a genuine interest in your customers. A phone call just to check in and not sell something, a sincere compliment, taking a genuine interest in their business can make a big impact on the success of your business. When people know how much you care, the sale becomes so much easier.

5. Have fun. My mother was a big believer in having fun. She always encouraged her family to go out, have fun and do what we enjoyed most. On New Year's Day, two of her closest friends came to see her and they spent the day laughing and remembering good times. It was truly "the best medicine." Outside of work, what are you doing for fun? Schedule time every week to focus on activities that you enjoy. When you take time for yourself and to have fun, you come back to work with more energy, more focus and ultimately, more sales.

Mom, thanks for being the wonderful mother you were. You will always be in my heart and my thoughts. These and many other valuable lessons will guide me for the rest of my life.

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