“Nothing happens until somebody sells something” – Zig Ziglar
It’s a fundamental rule of business that sales drive everything. If you don’t have any sales, then you don’t have a business—pure and simple. You might have a charity or a hobby, but if you don’t have sales that drive sustainable profitability, you don’t have a business.
“Sales” is what happens when a customer’s perceived needs match your value proposition.
Your value proposition is more than just the specific product and/or service and its price that most people consider when they think about sales.
Your value proposition includes:
- Brand
- Time
- Benefits
- Features
- Capabilities
- Price
Of all of these factors, your brand carries the heaviest load. It stands for your reliability, trustworthiness, and, very importantly, aspirational value. For instance, what’s the difference between a Timex and a Rolex? Both tell time. Only one tells an aspirational story.