According to JPMorgan Chase & Co., over 99 percent of America’s 28 million firms are small businesses. With the rise in start-ups and young entrepreneurs, this statistic is not surprising. While there are many articles online that talk about how to sell to customers, not many delve into selling products and services to other businesses. This is surprising as small businesses are such a large part of the market, making the ability to sell to them an invaluable skill. Whether you are a business owner hoping to launch your B2B service or simply someone who has hopes of starting their own business one day, this article aims to arm you with the knowledge to effectively sell your services to small business owners.

Fix an immediate problem

Pitching to small business owners in a meeting room is not the same as pitching to multinationals in large conference rooms. To sell your services to a small business owner you need to understand their needs. Multinationals are generally looking for long-term scalable strategies that give large returns over time. Conversely, smaller organisations are more focused on short-term tasks, such as surviving the month or turning a profit. You cannot sell the promise of a brighter future to someone who requires immediate relief. Talk about how your service fixes the problems faced by the business today and come up with strategies that can be put into action immediately. Once you prove to be a valuable asset you can talk about future ROI.

Offer value

Nobody wishes to pay full price for a service or product that they can get cheaper in the market. Focus on educating the client instead of selling your service. Demonstrate the value of your service by being there for the client whenever and however they require. If you provide genuine value you become an irreplaceable part of the process and the client will pay a premium price to keep you on board.

Build a relationship

By looking at most meeting rooms in Mumbai you will see that companies generally opt to send representatives instead of the person running the organisation. On the other hand, meeting with a small business owner would reveal that he or she is the owner, founder and marketing head all rolled into one. Make the most of this opportunity and build strong professional and personal relationships with this person. Be dependable, understanding and flexible to ensure that you are the service they depend on even on an off day.

The secret to winning in the small business market is to develop a laser-like focus. Focus on a single aspect of your service and ensure that it is better than any of your competitors. If you can successfully provide value and build a mutually beneficial relationship, then your service will be the one clients choose every time.