Sales ideas and tips for small businesses

How sales has changed,and how Blitz can help

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:44:46 GMT

How sales has changed, and what to do about it

The world of sales has shifted dramatically over the past year, and many SMEs are feeling the impact.

Buyers today behave very differently from the buyers most businesses built their sales approach around. They research quietly, make decisions more slowly and expect clear, simple information without having to dig for it. In fact, most B2B buyers now prefer a digital first, self directed buying journey rather than speaking to a salesperson at the start. At the same time, they’re consuming more content than ever, spread across search engines, social platforms, industry sites and review pages, long before they make themselves known to a supplier.

This shift has created a challenge for smaller businesses. If your message isn’t clear and easy to understand within seconds, buyers simply move on. They want fast answers, plain explanations and reassurance that you understand their problem. And with many B2B buyers now using AI tools to help them research and compare suppliers, it’s easier than ever for them to scan multiple options before speaking to a real person. That means the first impression your business makes — in your emails, on your website, or through any outreach — needs to instantly communicate who you help, the problem you solve and why someone should choose you.

On top of this, decision-making has become more complex. Deals are stalling more often too, hitting delays or resulting in buyers feeling unsure they made the right choice. Buyers also jump between multiple channels during their research — search, social, industry content, podcasts and peer recommendations. This means businesses can’t rely on a one-off email, a single call or hoping someone “gets back to them.” Consistency is everything, yet most SMEs don’t have the time or a dedicated sales team to keep that level of momentum going.

Another major shift is that the buying journey now happens mostly before a business ever hears from a potential customer. The majority of buyers make their final decision based largely on the digital content they find, and some award the work to a supplier already on their initial shortlist. If your message isn’t clear, if your website doesn’t explain your offer well or if your outreach lacks structure, you may never even make it into the consideration stage.

This is exactly where Blitz Sales Solutions comes in. Most SMEs don’t have a full sales function — and they shouldn’t need one. Blitz acts as that missing sales engine, helping businesses turn interest into conversations and conversations into customers.

We start by sharpening your message so buyers quickly understand what you do and why it matters. Then we handle the consistent outreach, follow-up and appointment setting needed to stay front of mind throughout a buyer’s longer decision process. Instead of leads slipping away because nobody had the time to chase them, Blitz keeps the conversation moving.

By translating what you do into clear, compelling sales messaging and by giving you the structure and consistency that modern sales requires, Blitz helps you cut through the noise. In a world where buyers are cautious, overloaded with choice and increasingly digital first, SMEs don’t just need more leads — they need clarity, consistency and a partner who does the legwork.

That’s what Blitz delivers, giving businesses the sales support they need to thrive in a buyer landscape that keeps changing faster than ever.

Why customers buy

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 07:58:18 GMT

Why Customers Really Buy — And What That Means for Your Business

Most business owners believe customers buy because of price, features, or how their product compares to a competitor. But the truth is much simpler: customers buy because something in their world isn’t working the way it should — and they believe you can fix it.

At Blitz Sales Solutions, we talk to hundreds of businesses every year, and the pattern is always the same. Buying decisions are emotional first, logical second. If you understand the emotions behind the purchase, you’ll win more customers, more appointments, and more opportunities.

Here’s what really drives customer buying behaviour.

1. Customers Buy When Something Feels “Broken”

Your customer is already dealing with a problem before they ever speak to you. It could be:

A process that wastes time

A bottleneck slowing down their team

A service that’s letting them down

A problem that keeps reappearing

A sense that things should be easier than they currently are

If there’s no pain, there’s no urgency.

If there’s no urgency, there’s no sale.

Your job isn’t to push.

Your job is to show that you understand the issue better than they can explain it themselves.

2. Customers Buy When the Benefit is Crystal Clear

People don’t buy features, they buy outcomes.

They want to know:

Will this save me time?

Will this make life easier for my team?

Will this reduce stress?

Will this help us grow?

If you can explain the value in one simple sentence, everything moves faster.

If your message is confusing, the customer will put the decision off — even if they like you.

3. Customers Buy When They Trust You

Trust is the biggest factor in any buying decision.

Customers trust you when:

You listen more than you talk

You understand their industry

You’ve solved this problem before

You avoid jargon and keep things simple

You don’t oversell

Most buyers aren’t looking for another supplier. They’re looking for someone who makes the decision feel safe.

4. Customers Buy When the Process Feels Easy

A complicated buying process kills momentum.

Customers move forward when you make everything simple:

Clear pricing

Clear timelines

Clear next steps

No hidden surprises

If a customer has to work too hard to understand your offer, they won’t buy — even if they want the result.

5. Customers Buy When They Feel Understood

Every customer has a story behind their problem.

The more you understand that story, the easier it is to sell.

People want to feel heard. They want to deal with someone who “gets it.”

The moment a customer feels understood, you stop being one of many options — you become the obvious choice.

6. Customers Buy When the Risk of Doing Nothing Feels Bigger Than the Risk of Buying

This is the tipping point.

People buy when:

The pain is costing them money

Delaying makes the issue worse

Competitors are moving faster

Staff are getting frustrated

Customers are being affected

When the cost of inaction feels higher than the cost of action, the deal moves forward.

What This Means for Your Business

If you want to increase sales, book more appointments, or improve conversions, focus on three things:

1. Speak to the real problem - Show your customer you understand what’s going wrong.

2. Make the decision simple - Clear steps. Clear outcomes. No fluff.

3. Build trust through listening and clarity - People buy confidence — and they buy from the person who makes things easier.

Need Help Turning This Into More Sales?

At Blitz Sales Solutions, we help businesses who don’t have a sales team generate more sales through:

Appointment setting

Telesales support

Client visits

Helping you understand why people buy from you

Clear messaging that gets results

If you want more conversations, more opportunities, and more customers — we should talk.

The Value of Persistence

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 13:33:04 GMT

Persistence and the Value of It

“The master has failed more than the beginner has tried”

We’ve all been there, hesitant to start something new for fear of failing. But the individuals who are masters at their craft have encountered far more setbacks, obstacles, and failures than we have as beginners.

Learning from those mistakes and being persistent in overcoming those setbacks is what enabled them to become experts in their fields. That’s why the value of persistence cannot be underestimated.

What Does It Mean to Be Persistent?

Goals, dreams, milestones. You can’t get there without persistence. If you are a persistent person, you have the determination and drive to work towards your goals and eventually, achieve them. That means tackling challenges along the way and finding solutions, even when you feel like giving up. To be successfully persistent requires motivation, resilience, patience, adaptability and a positive mindset.

How to Be Persistent

Being consistent comes at a price - your time.

You can’t expect to become an expert overnight. You have to invest your time, whether it’s a professional endeavour, such as developing a business project or pursuing personal passions like becoming a whiz in the kitchen, or a knitting guru.

‘The more I practice, the luckier I get,’ is something professional golfer, Gary Player often says. Gary Player didn’t turn up one day to the golf course and suddenly become a professional. He spent years and years practising, training and refining his skills so that he could become the best at what he does. Without that dedication and hard work, he wouldn’t be so ‘lucky’. If you’re prepared to pay for expertise, then it’s worth putting in your time.

Persistence and Sales

Now you’re probably wondering how persistence is connected to sales.

On a personal level, I have opened numerous accounts and have rarely been successful on the first attempt. Instead, some successes came to fruition two years later, and I eventually got the result I wanted, which wouldn’t have happened if I’d given up on the first hurdle.

Nurturing leads and building those relationships over time will get you to your goal, but it takes practice and time to be successful at it. Did you know it takes on average 7 calls to get in front of a decision maker? Most salespeople will give up after just 1 phone call, simply assuming they can’t get any further, instead of being persistent and working to dedicate time to those leads.

Persistence is a part of every step in the sales process, from overcoming rejection (which is inevitable) to nurturing leads and closing deals (which often takes time if a client isn’t ready to commit immediately) to maintaining a client relationship after the initial deal is completed (this is an important way to gain repeat business and referrals.)

Need Assistance?

Persistence is a skill that should be honed in our everyday lives because there’s so much to learn from it. If you want to apply this to your business and sales team, I can guide you from novice to professional. Book a call with me through the contact page to find out more and let’s have a chat.

Why AI and Technology Is Not Advancing Us as a Species

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 21:29:18 GMT

Why AI and technology is not advancing us as a species

While technology has many advantages - I wouldn’t be typing right now if it wasn’t for the technology age - it’s apparent to me that there’s only so far we can push it, before it stops advancing us as a species.

AI has obvious benefits, such as accuracy (there’s no room for human error), continuous productivity (it doesn’t need to rest) and it can make unbiased decisions or help in dangerous situations. But every coin has two sides, and for all the positive benefits, there seem to be negative ones that will impact us as a species if we continue to pursue technology and AI as quickly as we are doing now. There’s no way that humans are able to keep up with the progression of robots. And that’s a scary thought.

Here are some ways I think AI and technology are regressing us as a species.

We Lose Creativity

Humans are naturally creative and curious creatures, but that’s a skill that AI does not possess. Everything it can do is based on data that it’s been given (by humans).

A world without creativity isn’t personally one I’d like to live in. Manufactured art, music, films, and words are unimaginative and sterile. They lack the human element, which is the part that we all connect to and that helps us to think outside of the box.

Increased Unemployment

Whilst this hasn’t gotten out of hand (yet), there’s a possibility that artificial intelligence could replace employees from their jobs.

Manufacturing companies in particular will probably choose robots over humans for 24/7 productivity and a quicker turnaround, but to me that promotes greed rather than providing work and community for human employees. Perhaps there’s a world where robots and humans can work together (computers are a good example) but I think it’s still a bit of a grey area right now.

Promotes Laziness

If used correctly, AI has the ability to free up our time and allow us to focus on other areas of our life.

But if used incorrectly, then we’ve got a lazy species on our hands. AI can manage tasks that are repetitive and mind-numbing, but if we don’t keep our brains active in other ways, then how will this affect us and future generations?

An example of this is the consequences of living our lives through a screen, whether that’s no longer needing to learn or memorise things because the answer is just a click away, or we mindlessly scroll through social media because it’s addictive and convenient.

Understanding Emotions

To be human is to have emotions. It’s how we communicate with each other, have empathy, and offer support, help, love, and kindness. And of course, emotion has its darker sides too.

But AI has zero emotions. They cannot experience feelings. While they may have better functionality, they don’t have the ability to connect and that’s something that can’t be replaced, whether it’s in the workplace or at home. If we become so used to a planet with little emotion, where does that leave us?

Final Thoughts

There’s no doubt that if used correctly, then technology can certainly enhance what we do. The irony is that AI and technology aren’t really the problem, it’s us. It’s humans who created robots in the first place. We feed them information; we look for ways to make our life easier and more convenient, but sometimes our human-ness makes us forget to look at the long-term consequences of relying on technology. The things that make us humans could be the very thing that stops us from advancing.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this! Let me know in the comments.

Is screentime taking away our life skills?

Wed, 31 May 2023 17:34:22 GMT

Is screentime taking away our life skills

Convenient at the best of times, and frustrating at the worst, in this day and age, we’ve come to constantly rely on technology. Our whole lives exist on a screen that we hold in our hands. While it has many amazing benefits, I can’t help but wonder if we are becoming out of touch with the real world because of it.

Younger generations don’t know what life was like before screens. They have never experienced a world without a screen, when you had to seek out the answers that weren’t just at the click of the button, and I really think there are negative consequences to that.

Virtual vs Reality

Recently, whilst walking my dog I noticed so many dog walkers distracted by their phones. They took no notice of their surroundings, of nature, of their dogs playing or of people passing by. This made me think about what I would have done when I was young if I’d been walking through the park and saw a butterfly, for example. I’d have been curious to learn more, but it wouldn’t have been as simple as whipping my phone out of my pocket and asking trusty-old Google what kind of species it was.

I reflected on this and realised that if I had wanted to learn more, I’d have waited for a free afternoon and taken myself to the library. Getting information wasn’t as easily accessible as it is now, but I think there are many advantages to that. The process would have looked something like this:

Walk to the library

Look at things on the way

Talk to the librarian

Find the section

Look at the books on butterflies

Make a selection

Go to the desk and communicate with someone

Walk home

Read the book

Remember to take it back

Real World Interactions

In this small, nothing-out-of-the-ordinary encounter, I would have actually gained a lot. Walking to the library in the fresh air would have been mentally and physically beneficial, exercising my body and clearing my head.

On arrival, I would have chatted with the librarian, who would have guided me to the right place, recommending butterfly books and no doubt other insects that might have been of interest. In the present day, if I just google the answers from the comfort of my armchair, it takes away that social interaction, potentially missing out on interesting conversations.

At the library, I’d have spent some time perusing the shelves and looking for a book that matched what I was looking for. Maybe while I was there, something else would have caught my eye, giving me the chance to learn something new.

Arms full of butterfly books, I’d have headed back to the counter and communicated with another person in the library as they stamped my books before walking home, thinking about this little adventure.

Back home, I’d have put the kettle on, made a cup of tea and spent some time reading the book, paying attention to the images and making notes so that the next time I was out on a walk, I could identify the butterfly. Some days later, I would return the book to the library and the cycle would start again.

Finding Balance

While technology makes everything seem more convenient, I’m concerned we’re missing out on elements of life that make us human, and that give us time and space to nurture our well-being.

Whether it’s social media, TV streaming, emails or Google, the internet can be distracting from real life. While it certainly opens doors to worlds beyond just butterflies, the endless amount of information that fills the internet is overwhelming, and we don’t know if what we read is true or false, or if we even really need to know it.

With that being said, I think there’s a balance to be had where we integrate screen time without it being completely all-consuming. What are your thoughts on this?

The World Is Waking Up

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 20:13:18 GMT

The World Is Waking Up

The world is finally waking up. We’re rubbing our eyes, stretching our arms, giving a great big yawn and crawling out of the hibernation that’s lingered over us for the past couple of years.

It’s strange to think that three years ago, the world was put into sleep mode while we recovered from the awful events of the pandemic that ground our lives to a halt. We adjusted to spending our days indoors, working from home (or not working at all), taking daily walks 2 metres apart, home schooling, and communicating with loved ones through a screen.

But now, it really feels like we’ve overcome that devastating hurdle, and we’re remembering what it’s like to connect with each other again. If the pandemic taught us anything, it was that humans really do need each other. Without connection and communication, things don’t work the same, the world as we know it comes to a stop.

One thing has been made clear: face-to-face is better, whether it’s giving your family and friends a hug, sitting next to each other for a catch-up in the pub, meeting with colleagues at work, or attending networking events in person. It’s a more effective way of communicating with each other and nurturing our relationships through body language, expression, and emotion. Without the lag of a delayed Zoom call or a dodgy internet connection on FaceTime, our experiences are completely different when we’re together in real life. They’re more human.

In the external world, holiday bookings are up, coffee shops are busy, towns and cities are bustling again, online meetings are less frequent, people have reassessed their lives and their careers, and hope and optimism fill the air once again. With Spring just around the corner, the sun peeking its head out and the trees tentatively beginning to blossom, it’s a reminder that all of us are reawakening. The world might seem a little different now, and none of us are the same as we were, but like the dawn of a new day, we wake up and start again.

Is Customer Service Dead

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 00:03:01 GMT

Is Customer Service Dead

In the lead-up to Christmas, I ordered my daughter a gift that I knew she’d love. However, it never arrived.

With the postal services being out of action, the gift was supposed to come through a courier, but the delivery date came and went, and still, nothing arrived. I reached out to the company I’d ordered from and they seemed just as confused as I was. After some half-hearted back-and-forth phone calls, they eventually came to the conclusion that the problem lay in the courier’s hands, and the company I’d ordered from could do nothing about it. I asked for a refund and they lost a customer.

My overall takeaway from this? Customer service is dead.

While my gift wasn’t urgent or life-changing, I was disappointed that the service didn’t reach the standards I’d hoped for. There was very little information regarding the parcel's whereabouts, and no explanation about the lack of communication between the company and the courier, and it got me thinking about customer service as a whole.

Having spent the last 30 years of my life working in sales, customer service is a crucial part of the job, so I’m baffled to find that over the years, the relationship between the customer and customer service has become less than satisfying.

What Is Customer Service?

Customer service has always been a kind of commercial lifeline for people requiring assistance or needing questions to be answered. In some ways, the experience has never been personal, instead offering standard responses and meeting the customers’ expectations, before moving on to the next enquiry. The thing that sets good customer service apart, though, is the ability to be friendly, helpful, resourceful and knowledgeable, and just being a good human.

It’s this approach that makes customers feel confident when they invest in a company.

So, What Should Customer Service Really Be Like?

Think about the customer service in a coffee shop or a restaurant. While you visit because of the tasty food or delicious coffee, part of the reason you return is the friendly staff who make sure you have everything you need, care for you during your visit and take an interest in you as a person. Over time, you build a relationship with the people who work there and are more inclined to keep visiting and recommending to other people. The same concept works for your business.

Without customers, you have no business, so if you only offer poor customer service, who’s realistically going to continue buying from you? When you nurture and establish a relationship with your customers, you build a loyal connection that guarantees your customers will not only come back for more but also make an effort to recommend you. The long-term results of this are increased sales growth and voilà: a successful business.

Improve Your Customer Service

While customer service has one foot in the grave, I’m optimistic there’s a way to resurrect it, making both customers and businesses happy.

Want to improve your customer service? Get in touch with me and let’s chat!

My values tell me who I am

183:818672401 (Alastair Ruston) — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:12:44 GMT

My values tell me who I am

Our values are part of our identity. They determine how we live, how we work, and what we prioritise.

Often, they are subconscious attributes, but when we take the time to reflect, we can identify what our core values are and how they impact the way we live and the way we work.

Conflicting values can cause unhappiness and unease, so recognising the values that make us true to ourselves is important. Knowing your values has a never-ending list of benefits, from encouraging decision-making to boosting self-confidence. It brings stability and safety into our lives, and it guides our behaviours, including career choices, especially if you’re a business owner like me.

I’ve put together this list of my core values that tell me who I am. While they are a significant part of my personal life, I use them in business too, because I think it’s important to be our true selves at all times.

Trust

Trust is essential in all parts of life, but especially in business. Trust brings cooperation, reliability, and organisation. It keeps the cogs turning, and it helps people reach their full potential by fuelling innovation, imagination, productivity and creativity.

This means we, myself included, have to lead by example. If clients don’t trust me, then why should they work with me? In the workplace, we have to illustrate trust with our clients, team members and employees.

Curiosity

I pride myself on being curious about everything. Being inquisitive in all aspects of life inspires collaboration and engagement. It’s human nature to seek new experiences, ask more questions, and learn from those around us.

Curiosity allows us to think more deeply and find more creative solutions and ideas. This can lead us anywhere - the sky’s the limit!

Self- Reliance

I don’t like depending on others. I much prefer to do things myself where I can and not have to rely on others. Losing my father at a relatively early age taught me that.

As children, we rely on our parents and guardians, but as we get older, we develop the skills to become self-reliant. We are more prepared, financially and emotionally, in our careers and even our beliefs, because we don’t have to rely on others. It gives us the opportunity to push our own boundaries. Self-reliance is a valuable asset because it’s motivating and inspiring and it boosts self-esteem and personal growth.

Fairness

Fairness is an essential tool to have in your toolkit. We can all agree that much of life is unfair, and it makes us frustrated and angry. But as people, I think it’s important to be fair in the areas of life that we can control.

Good judgement can go a long way, so it’s important to be fair in a way that has positive influence. For example, in the workplace, fairness supports equality, responsibility and safety, which in the long term encourages productivity, respect, trust and honesty.

Making A Difference

Little things can make a big difference, so going above and beyond for clients, colleagues, and for the people around me is a crucial value for me to uphold.

When you make a difference for someone, they believe that their effort too can have an influential impact. This feeling of empowerment becomes widespread across other areas of their life. It gives us purpose so that everything we do is done to the best of our ability, whether that’s in the workplace or in our personal lives.

Competitiveness

Competitiveness isn’t just about competing with others but competing with ourselves. Using competition in the right way can be motivational, resulting in higher quality performances, products or services. It ignites originality, creativity and imagination so that we work to our full potential.

While it’s important to be inspired by competition, we also need to find balance. So use competition to fuel the fire, but pause and reflect on this value and how you can use it to make positive progress.

What Are Your Core Values?

Think about the people you admire, whether it’s close friends and relatives or your celebrity role models. What values do they have that you admire? Are they values that you can honour too?

Your beliefs and opinions shape your values, and how you respond to key moments in your life. It helps you identify your goals and aspirations, and find your purpose. Take the time to consider your values. What makes you, you?

How chunking can make life more manageable

183:818672401 (Alastair Ruston) — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 15:02:39 GMT

Chunking

How ‘Chunking’ Can Make Life More Manageable

Chunks. Segments. Pieces. Slices. Portions. Whatever you want to call it, breaking things down into smaller chunks is a skill anyone can incorporate into their life. Whether it’s studying for an exam, working on long-neglected house renovations, running a business or planning a wedding, everyone wants life to be more manageable.

I personally like to call this technique chunking. It means splitting your day or long-term goals into chunks that feel achievable, by breaking down those big daunting tasks into small, attainable ones. Each small task brings you one step closer to your end goal.

Piecing Together the Puzzle

I like to imagine chunking as a big jigsaw puzzle. There are 5000 pieces spread across the table in front of you - where on earth do you begin? All the colours look the same, the shapes seem identical; how will you ever piece the puzzle together?

The answer to that is to break it down. Set yourself the goal of piecing together 50 segments a day. Start with the corners and the borders to create the frame of the puzzle: 50 down, 4950 to go. The next day you piece together another 50. This time you’re going to work with all the pieces that are coloured blue tomorrow you’ll work on the pieces that are yellow, and so on and so on. Suddenly, this overwhelming 5000-piece puzzle becomes manageable and much easier to accomplish.

The same idea applies to cleaning your house, for example. The thought of cleaning the entire house in one day feels exhausting, but focusing on one room a day seems much more realistic. And how about the 10-minute presentation you have to make for an important meeting in two weeks? Break it down. Work on one slide a day, dedicating time and research in to each one.

Setting Goals

Sometimes our career ambitions, financial targets, personal goals, and health aspirations are too general. we know where we want to end up, but don’t know how to get there. Dividing these goals into actionable steps can be a valuable tool, living your life with intention and development, leading you down a road of success.

Depending on which area of your life you want to focus on, you can mix up these chunks with short-term, mid-term and long-term steps, such as yearly, monthly, weekly or daily objectives that will help you reach the finish line.

What do you want to accomplish in a year’s time? This is your long-term goal. When you’ve set your objective, break this down into monthly goals. This is your mid-term goal. Then weekly and finally daily activities act as your short-term goals. Each task is a stepping stone, taking you from one side of the river to the next.

Staying Motivated

When we break our life up into chunks, it helps us to stay motivated, as we measure and notice the progress we make along the way. It’s easier to lose motivation and inspiration when we tackle a project head-on without thinking about the value of steadying our pace and approaching it in milestones. Chunking, therefore, is a productive way to complete each project.

Whatever your plans for the future, be it a year from now or tomorrow afternoon, try out this chunking method and see how it can benefit different areas of your life. Crossing something off your list as you take one step nearer to the life you desire is a fulfilling, rewarding, and productive feeling.

Buying Motives: How to Get Customers Excited About Your Products Thanks to Your Own Buying Habits

183:818672401 (Alastair Ruston) — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 12:26:09 GMT

Buying Motives: How to Get Customers Excited About Your Products Thanks to Your Own Buying Habits

What was the last thing of value that you bought for yourself that you didn’t actually need? Why did you buy it?

Maybe it was cheap, maybe there was a sale on and it seemed like a good bargain, or maybe you got excited in the spur of the moment and imagined how much better your life would be with the product.

The reason I’m asking you to think about why you bought something and how you felt when you bought it is because as salespeople, we can flip the notion on its head. Reflecting on those feelings can help us determine how these buying motives can be used in selling our own products or services.

The goal is to get your customers excited about what you sell, in the same way you felt excited about buying something. We can replicate those feelings and values into our own products, because a customer’s buying motivations are the same, whether it’s business or pleasure.

As salespeople, it’s important to know the reasons why customers buy products.

1. Impulse buying

Customers who impulse buy are fuelled by excitement, and could even be buying for the sake of buying. It might be because of the latest trend, a recommendation, an enticing advertisement, or maybe there’s just a really good deal on.

Promotional tactics are often used for impulse buying, advertising sale prices become a great catalyst for grabbing people’s attention and persuading them to invest in your product or service.

2. Fear and urgency

Have you ever bought something to solve a problem, or because you’ve been afraid of the consequences if you don’t?

Many customers buy products as a solution to a problem, or to avoid dangerous situations, such as the safety systems in a car, wearing safety gear around risky equipment, or protecting

their health and wellbeing with health products. Clever marketing can generate a sense of urgency that convinces customers to buy, preventing unwanted repercussions.

3. For enjoyment

People like to treat themselves, so this type of buying focuses on wanting something rather than needing it. If your product is a ‘want’ item, then it’s likely to be a luxury product or service.

You need to think about why the customer wants a luxury product. Is it for aesthetic purposes, lifestyle choices, or for exclusivity? This is something to consider when identifying your target market.

What Is Your Brand’s Motive?

People tend to buy emotionally or rationally, and sometimes those motives cross over. You should consider both and learn how to integrate them into selling your own products and services.

When you are able to identify the way your product can influence customers behaviours and why they might buy it, you can then establish a marketing strategy that accentuates those motives and will eventually increase your sales.

Six reasons why customers do not buy

183:818672401 (Alastair Ruston) — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 11:06:25 GMT

6 Reasons why your customers dont buy

Just because you have a brilliant product and a well-thought-out marketing strategy, it doesn’t mean you’re going to achieve the sales success rate that you want. It can be frustrating when you have a product or service that you know potential customers will benefit from, but if you’re regularly losing deals, then it could be because of reasons you haven’t even considered.

So, with that in mind, here are 6 reasons why customers don’t buy. Hopefully, they will help you define the root of the problem, so you can improve your selling strategy and close those hard-earned deals.

Customers don’t want to make a mistake

If a customer is investing their time and money into your product or service, then they want to ensure they’re making the right choice. If they make a mistake and choose something that doesn’t benefit them, then they have lost their money and their time.

Fear of failure from the past makes them wary

This ties in nicely with reason number 1. In the past, customers have probably purchased a product from competitors that haven’t lived up to their expectations; maybe the service they received was bad, maybe the product was poor quality, or perhaps a product was simply out of stock at the time and they had to buy it from elsewhere. If they have had a series of unsatisfactory experiences, then they’re afraid of failing again. This results in wary window shoppers who want to avoid wasting their money and time because it’s happened to them before.

Customers don’t want to be disappointed

Cautious customers are worried about being disappointed with their purchases. They might not understand the value of what you offer, and are sceptical about buying it.

Being disappointed is a deflating feeling, and no-one wants to experience that, especially if you have high expectations for a product. Again, this links back to the fear of failure and not wanting to make the same mistake twice.

They need to feel good about your product or service

So how can you stop a customer from being cautious about buying your product or service? They need to feel good about it.

Making a customer feel valued, allowing them to be heard, and showing your genuine interest makes customers feel good. Think about how you’d like to be treated. As you build that connection, customers begin to understand that your product is trustworthy and reliable, adding value to their life.

They need reassurance

Building a rapport with potential customers is essential. It proves to them that they can trust the services you offer, reassuring them that they’re making the right choice with their purchase.

If they feel uncertain, then they won’t commit. Listen to what they have to say, answer their questions, and ask some of your own to better understand what they want, resolving any issues or concerns they might have. Reassuring customers could be the reason you secure a sale.

Safer to stick with what they know

People don’t like change. Most people would rather stay in their comfort zone and stick to what they know. As mentioned, people are afraid of being disappointed and making expensive mistakes. Many customers don’t have the confidence to try something new, even if it might benefit them in the long run.

Help Customers Buy

Determining which aspects of your sales are preventing customers from buying can benefit both you and potential buyers. A slick and simple process that entices customers from the beginning whilst living up to their expectations will offer a much smoother journey to closing those deals, increasing your sales success rate.

Do you have a 10 Second elevator pitch

183:818672401 (Alastair Ruston) — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 11:29:58 GMT

An elevator pitch?

Pitch-ure this. You step into an elevator with another person, and they ask you about your business. You have 10 seconds to tell them what you do before the doors open and you both go your separate ways. If in that 10 seconds what you’ve said is so impactful they want to carry on the conversation, then you know you’ve got a good elevator pitch on your hands.

Working in sales for many years, I’ve come to know the best way to create a captivating and insightful sales pitch that leaves a long-lasting impression. Obviously, you don’t need to pitch your business in an elevator (in fact, this would probably be a strange place to pitch to someone), but it’s a great tool to learn how to pitch to potential clients or introduce yourself at networking and conference events to capture someone’s attention quickly and effectively.

I’ve also found that creating a 10-second pitch helps you better understand yourself, refining who you are and what you do, because how can you sell your product or service if you don’t truly know yourself?

What Exactly Is an Elevator Pitch?

An elevator pitch - sometimes called an elevator speech - is a concise and effective summary of what you do and what you sell. It’s important to remember, however, that you’re not selling to the person. Instead, an elevator pitch opens up the door to start a second conversation so they can learn more about what you do, which might eventually lead to sales.

How To Make a 10 Second Elevator Pitch

So now you know what an elevator pitch is, let’s look at how to make one.

We know it needs to be short and memorable, so it needs a good hook and a purpose, showing value to what you do. The aim is to leave people wanting more, so we need to reel them in, like a fish on a hook.

First things first, let people know who you are. Start with something snappy like ‘I’m Al, and I own Blitz Sales Solutions.’ From here, you want to tell them what your business does, but remember, keep it short and sweet. Try something like this; ‘Blitz Sales Solutions supports business growth by helping them generate sales.’

The next step is to let people know what makes you valuable and stand out from the crowd. Something like ‘We deliver measurable and sustainable growth strategies for progressive organisations’ is a good example. But you want to go out with a bang, so you need a hard-hitting hook to end on. This could be a story, an impressive statistic or a fact that entices them. I personally would say, ‘I have met many small business owners who have a great idea but struggle to effectively communicate it - and that’s exactly where I can help.’

The final result:

I’m Al, and I own Blitz Sales Solutions. Blitz Sales Solutions supports business growth by helping them generate sales. We deliver measurable and sustainable growth strategies for progressive organisations. I have met many small business owners who have a great idea but struggle to effectively communicate it - and that’s exactly where I can help.

Get In That Elevator

Now you have all the components, practise the pitch out loud to make sure it flows naturally and sticks in your mind the next time you step into an elevator and someone asks what you do. Or alternatively, just use it at your next networking conference. The sky’s the limit.

Dogs are always curious, we should be too

183:818672401 (Alastair Ruston) — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 23:09:31 GMT

Dogs Are Always Curious, We Should Be Too

Recently I was out walking my cavapoo pup, Buddy, when I noticed him, tail wagging, sniffing anywhere he could get his nose into. As he took in his surroundings - in the adorable way that puppies do - it struck me how curious this little creature is about the world around him.

And it got me thinking. Why do we, as humans lose our curiosity as we get older?

As a child, we’re constantly asking why. Why is the sky blue? Why do I have to go to bed? Why are there no more dinosaurs? You get the idea. But asking questions and seeking answers is an important developmental process to understand why the world is the way that it is.

When we reach adulthood, these questions become few and far between, because we know that green is green, and a potato is a potato and that’s the end of that. We forget to question things, living our lives on autopilot, and accepting things as they are.

So, Why Should We Be Curious?

Curiosity can help us be more successful. And this isn’t limited to our professional life, it can enhance our personal life too. Curiosity opens our minds because there’s no need for a specific outcome, we’re simply accepting uncertainty, in search of new experiences.

When we push these boundaries, we open doors in creativity, empathy, and innovation, keeping our minds active and making new discoveries along the way. At the same time, we evolve and grow our relationships with others into stronger and more meaningful connections.

Curiosity Brings New Opportunities

Sometimes we’re so busy living life on autopilot that we miss new possibilities, new opportunities, and whole new worlds available to us. Tangled in the midst of our everyday life these possibilities are waiting to be discovered, and we can use our curiosity to find things that might usually pass us by.

Using curiosity to step away from our usual routines leads to adventure and excitement. It brings colour to our lives, embodying a sense of wonder and reconnecting with our inner child.

Curiosity Generates New Ideas

Curiosity expands our minds. Shaking off the restrictions of normal life and exploring the world at our fingertips helps us reach new ideas. Daydreaming, visualising, observing, paying attention, embracing the unexpected, developing new skills and hobbies, reading books, noticing nature, immersing yourself in art, can all be ways to trigger curiosity.

In return, your mind becomes active, rather than passive, generating inspiration and ideas, and who knows where that could take you!

Curiosity Helps Us Survive

It's natural to be curious, to gain knowledge, and continually learn. Sometimes our curiosity can lead us down a rabbit hole which can feel futile, but what we learn today could be useful tomorrow. We don’t know when we might need that information to help us through something in the future.

While in the modern age, curiosity and survival might not have the same meaning as it did for our ancestors, it’s still a valuable tool for survival and for us to enjoy life to the full. When we discover something new, our brains release dopamine to make us feel good. It also allows us to connect and develop empathy with others.

How to Be More Curious?

Let’s be more dog. For humans, our sniffing around looks more like this; keeping an open mind, asking questions, and seeking answers. Don’t take things for granted, listen to others and take interest in what they have to say. Diversify your reading and let other people’s ideas help to create your own. Who knows what might inspire you.

Sales... and why your business needs to start generating a pipeline now!

183:818672401 (Alastair Ruston) — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 17:29:54 GMT

Sales... and why your business needs to start generating a pipeline now!

Sales..the one thing that every business needs but rarely devotes enough time to

I'm sure, to many, sales is one of those things that is a cost and immediate results are expected, but unfortunately sales is not like that. As with many things, sales is a process, it takes time, needs to be methodical and delivered with purpose. There are many things to consider:

What is the sales objective - more revenue, more customers, more profit.

What are you trying to say to your customers - the message.

Who are you trying to say it to - is there a specific market sector you are interested in.

Where is your audience located - is it regional, national or global.

Why should they buy from you and not the next company that come calling.

How do they buy your product or service - do you make it easy for them or is it a complex process too difficult to understand.

Is it unrealistic to expect to pick up the phone and speak to someone and expect them to say yes at the first time of asking? Well, it rarely works out like.

Potential customers need to understand clearly what your proposition is and how will it benefit them and their business.

Secondly they need to have trust in what you are saying.

And thirdly, and most importantly, they need to be confident in your ability to deliver what you say you can deliver.

If these three things are not met then you will struggle to make a sale.

So you see, there is a lot to think about when approaching sales in order to make it a successful exercise.

If you would like to find out more, drop me a message on email alastair@blitzsalessolutions.co.uk or give me a call on 07498 889687.

Or let me know if you are having any specific challenges..I may be able to help.

Until next time....keep selling!

Time...and how to manage it

183:818672401 (Alastair Ruston) — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 09:45:33 GMT

Time...and how to manage it

Time...one of the most precious commodities we have in our business, but the one thing we don’t look after and nurture, so here are a few tips on how to manage your time more effectively.

There is an undeniable truth to time:

60 mins in an hour

24 hours in a day

5 Days a Week

But there is only 1 you and time always wins!

So with that in mind here are a couple of ideas to claw back some time.

Create a Not to-do list

Leaders have learned to say No more times than they say Yes, and they do that for a reason - saying yes all the time stops them from doing the things that are important to them.

Multitasking eats time because we are not concentrating on one task at a time, and giving it our full attention. Switching between tasks makes us less productive, if we concentrated on one thing at a time we could complete it so much faster.

Meetings eat up time - Over the years I've had meetings that have been completely pointless - only have meetings when there is a good reason to do so and always set an agenda so that both parties know exactly what you will be discussing and what outcomes you need from it.

Checking email constantly during the day is another time-waster. A great way to stop this is to have specific points in the day where you check your email, it's also a good idea to have an out of office message that says that you will check your emails between these specific times, which lets people understand when they can expect a reply.

And... do not do things for someone else, show them how to do, it's a lot easier for you as it teaches them to do it so next time they won’t be asking you.

Make time to get more time

This may seem obvious but how many people do it - make the time to plan your days to be more productive. However, there are a few points to help with this.

Lengthen your perspective - what can you achieve in the next 2 months? This will be a great place to start and gives you a framework in which to operate.

Perfectionism can be an obstacle to productivity. You don’t have to wait till something is absolutely perfect because it never will be, so better to focus on progress - not perfection! If you are moving forward that is OK.

Put a time limit on your tasks to keep you focussed, and plan your week ahead on Sunday so that you are ready for the week when Monday comes. Complete your most important tasks in the morning, because apparently we focus more easily when we're not fully awake - and schedule breaks between these tasks - this gives you a reward for completing the task and provides impetus for the next one.

And finally, turn off notifications on your phone. You don't need a phone pinging every 5 seconds it's distracting and it contributes to you losing focus preventing you from completing the work you need to do.

I hope this help, if you have any questios or need help with time management email me at alastair@blitzsalessolutions.co.uk

Spring is here

183:818672401 (Alastair Ruston) — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 17:48:42 GMT

Spring into action

Spring is in the air, the sun is out, the sky is blue, and suddenly everything looks a lot better.

Spring is a time of renewal and growth and that's the same for your business., and as we come out of the lockdown straitjacket it's now time to start looking at our businesses and re-engaging with our customer base, and driving sales forward.

The easiest way to grow and the best place to start in my opinion is always with your existing customer base - it’s easier to sell to existing customers than to find new ones.

But how do you identify those opportunities? This is where the customer matrix tool comes into its own.

To make a simple matrix list along the top all the products and services that your business offers at the moment and down the left hand side write down all your customers. Fill in the Matrix with which customers buy which products and the gaps represent your opportunities. There may well be a product or service that you're offering at the moment that your existing customers don't know about so now is the time to tell them.

Another way to increase sales is through vertical marketing. You may have a product that does very well in a specific industry sector - if that's the case make a list of all the companies within that sector and contact them. You’re already working with people in the same industry and this will give people the confidence and peace of mind to know that people in their industry are buying those products already.

I hope that this is useful - to find out more give me a call and I will happily discuss this with you. It is working for me and I’m sure it will bring benefits to your business too.

My 2020 recap

183:818672401 (Alastair Ruston) — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 17:45:40 GMT

My 2020 recap

Who knew, that at the turn of the year these phrases would be part of our daily life:

Lockdown,

COVID-19,

Pandemic,

Furlough,

Social distancing,

Zoom calls and

Tier systems.

All phrases that we hadn't heard before, but which have now become the "new normal" (theres another one!)

Excitingly, one aspect that was new for me was self-employment. This is something that I had always thought about but never seriously entertained. I had the idea 20 years ago, whilst selling print, working mainly with SME and owner-managed businesses. I realised that the one thing that many of them lacked was a full-time salesman... but they desperately needed one, and I felt it would be useful if they had access to someone who could work for them, one or two days a week, to drive their sales activity.

Then, one day in January, I had an epiphany...

In that moment my thought became a reality, and Blitz was born

I can honestly say, that despite the pandemic, I have had an amazing year. A year that has taught me the value of friendship, who my real friends are, and to be self-reliant. I have built a website, launched a training course, started a blog, and read a lot of books. I have been inspired by a whole community of self-employed people who are all fascinating individuals and so talented - eager to help each other, who care about the work they are doing, and committed to making a difference to their customers. That is what has given me the most joy this year.

Joining an exciting networking group - NetworkIn - was one of the best decisions I had made early on. It got me through the first lockdown and helped to put Blitz in a great position for the year ahead.

It wasn't all good though, we lost our beloved dog Monty, who shone a light so bright into our lives, it will never fade. He made us laugh, was a bundle of energy, and loved nothing more than a cuddle and a sleep. We miss him terribly.

So onto 2021, hopefully a better year for us all, personally I am really looking forward to it!

What has been your favourite part of 2020?

Attitude beats aptitude every time

183:818672401 (Alastair Ruston) — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 10:00:09 GMT

Attitude beats aptitude every time

Attitude is everything, it can set the tone for your mood, your day and your week. But more importantly attitude determines how others see you and your results.

There is a famous quote that says “Success is 99% attitude and 1% aptitude” by Celestine Chua and this is true.

Gary Neville was not the most talented player at Manchester United but his attitude made up for his shortfalls. He is a classic example of why this is so important.

Aptitude is all about knowledge skills and experience, but it all counts for nothing if you do not align this with the right attitude. Here is a little poem that sums it up nicely.

If you think you are beaten, you are

If you think you dare not, you don't,

If you like to win, but you think you can't It is almost certain you won't.

For out of the world we find,Success begins with a fellow's will, It's all in the state of mind.

Life's battles don't always go, To the stronger or faster man,

But sooner or later the man who wins is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!

Walter D. Wintle

Telling your business story

183:818672401 (Alastair Ruston) — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 19:33:42 GMT

Telling your business story

People love stories. They can motivate us, relax us and transport us to other places where we can lose ourselves. They can inspire, scare, make us laugh, they tap into all our emotions.

But the great stories are not only memorable they have a lasting impact on us, and in some cases can encourage us to see something in a different way or choose another path.

This is also true in business.

Customers buy from people they like, know and trust, but there is something else.

They want to feel good about their decision, safe in the knowledge that they have made the right choice.

One of the best ways to inspire your prospects is to tell your business story. Why did you start, what were your motivations and what problems can you help to solve. This not only demonstrates your passion but encourages people to buy into something that they believe in. You want to be working with people who believe what you do, and have shared values, so what better way to do that than by telling your story.

Inspiring your clients to do business with you, by communicating why you do what you do, will ensure you create lasting, mutually beneficial relationships.

If you need help to find your story, please get in touch.

Planning for 2021

183:818672401 (Alastair Ruston) — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 16:51:46 GMT

Planning for 2021

How is it October already? It can’t just be me who feels like this year has flown by…one minute we are in March and within a blink of an eye, we are only a few months away from 2021!

Although it still seems quite far away, now is the best time to start planning your prospecting activity for the New Year. Although the lead up to December may feel like a dead duck for some business, I am here to tell you that this is not the case!

With seasonal festivities swamping the high streets, from the pumpkin spiced lattes to the fast approaching Christmas displays (I have been eyeing up those celebrations too), it is easy to forget that the build up to the New Year is full of opportunities. With that turkey dinner on the horizon, it is understandable why people don’t typically seek to start new projects towards the end of the year. However, as you start thinking of your New Year’s resolutions, wouldn’t it be great to come back after your Christmas break to a diary full of new and exciting things to do?

Filling your diary with appointments for the New Year does not only benefit you, but also your clients. It helps you both get prepared for the coming year – a win win really!

So, the one thing I want you to take from this is that planning your prospects for the New Year is something you shouldn’t be scared of. Your clients may not want to talk to you now, but they certainly will in January! Most of your competitors will be thinking the same thing. Be one step ahead by planning you work for the New Year now!

In the New Year, you will be glad you did.

Returning To Normality

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 18:26:01 GMT

Returning to Normality

This week, I had my 3rd face to face meeting since the lockdown.

Zoom meetings, Teams meetings, and Google meetings - I’ve had the lot. Having attended many conference calls, networking events and one to ones, I have come to the conclusion that the one thing that is undeniably better about face to face meetings compared to virtual is being able to see the real person. Seeing their personality and having a good old chin wag just can’t be replaced by a conversation on a screen!

It was amazing to get out and meet somebody that I had only seen on a screen for the last six months. It was a wonderful experience, and whilst virtual meetings will continue to have their place, building meaningful relationships and understanding another persons point of view can really only be done face to face.

It seems strange to me that having spent years in sales and years having normal face to face conversations with people, you forget all the benefits you get from speaking to people in person! It just goes to show that after six months in lockdown, sometimes we can forget the joy of things that were actually normal.

So next time you are contemplating having a meeting with somebody and think it might be easier to just do it on zoom - if it's possible to go to a coffee shop, have a coffee and a wonderful chat that will help you get to know the person in a meaningful way, I say go for it (safely of course!)

I promise you will feel so much better for it.

Have you had many face to face meetings?

What I have learned from my dog

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 15:06:24 GMT

What I have Learned from my dog

These are very strange times the like of which we have not seen before, and I have to admit that last week, things were starting to get on top of me. The fact that we have been housebound for five weeks, except for walking and shopping for food was starting to negatively affect me

And then I looked at my dog….Monty

Happy, wagging tail, life was fun for Monty. Suddenly this thought struck me. Monty lives for the moment

Like most dogs he needs food, cuddles, walks, playtime, treats and lots of sleep!!

And that is it. That is Monty’s world. As long as he has that everything is fine

I have food, I have my family at home except for my eldest who is self-isolating, I can work on my business, and I can relax with books, the TV or my Playstation whatever I choose to do.

So, if I live in the moment, achieve what I need to do during the day, and relax in the evening, is that so bad? Suddenly, thanks to my wonderfully wise dog, everything seemed that little bit better

Sometimes it's the simple things that make the difference...Thanks Monty you have encouraged me to see life from a more positive viewpoint.

What moments of clarity have you experienced during #lockdown?