Selling from the top

BY MATTHEW D. MOHR

Most individual business owners believe strongly in the products and services they provide. Businesses are started and usually operated by the people who believe in what they are doing, which often makes the work a “labor of love.”

Along with believing in what you provide, a business owner is often placed in the position to sell what he has. Customers will question the business owner in ways which put the owner in the position necessary to prove or sell the business.

Some business owners are great sales representatives for their businesses, others lack sales skills.

One of the criticisms I had early in my career was not selling enough. It was hard for me then, and still is today, to understand why anyone would choose to purchase any product from my competitors. I knew, and believe my business entities treated customers the very best and acted fair and honestly in all dealings. Why would someone consider any competitor when we are the best? My beliefs were obvious and as a result I appeared arrogant, so I was critiqued as not selling very well and was told to learn to sell better many times.

An early Internet start-up asked me for funding to get his enterprise going, but upon meeting him I couldn’t see how he could sell his product. I did not invest, he attracted sales talent and has been very successful. His investors must have advised him he needed sales talent. His product and company are well known and his angel capitalists were well-rewarded for their advice and investment.

A business owner should believe in his organization, but needs to develop skills to present his products and services in a manner which entices people to want to deal with the business. PB

Matthew D. Mohr CEO, Dacotah Paper Co. mmohr@dacotahpaper.com