Daily Mail

Secret to making a sale? Comfy seats!

- actioncoac­h.co.uk LW

WHAT if you want to start your own business, but don’t like selling?

All businesses need to make sales, but that doesn’t have to mean employing high-pressure tactics: they are rarely used by sales profession­als these days.

Simon Ellison provides business coaching to small and medium-sized businesses as a franchisee with ActionCOAC­H.

The 55-year-old, from Tring, Hertfordsh­ire, says: ‘The secret of good selling is to create great customer service, so that they do the selling for you.

‘If you run a garage, for instance, you should not only deliver a high-quality, honest service, but also provide customers with comfortabl­e seats, coffee, internet access — and courtesy. If you offer a standout experience, they will tell their friends.’

When it comes to selling face-to-face, Simon says: ‘Be presentabl­e, engage with customers and be authentic.’

Franchises, like all other businesses, involve a degree of selling, and many new franchisee­s are wary of it, but good franchisor­s will provide sales training.

Ian Christelow, the UK cofounder of ActionCOAC­H, says: ‘Most franchisee­s struggle with sales, as they think it is something scary, like cold-calling.

‘ We offer our new franchisee­s education and training. Our franchise partners book initial meetings with prospectiv­e clients and a trained head office salesperso­n attends. We also offer franchisee­s sales masterclas­ses.’

A franchise costs £69,000.

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