How to market and sell your social enterprise

Mention the word “sales” and many people picture used car salesmen or Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses. For lots of social entrepreneurs, it is the part of running a venture that feels most uncomfortable.

It does not have to be. Selling is simply helping the right people find the right solution. Here are some practical tips to help you get your sales and marketing up and running.

If your product is good enough, sales isn’t a dirty word

Think of sales as offering a solution to a customer’s problem.

If your product or service genuinely helps people, you don’t need to hoodwink anyone into paying for it. If you don’t believe in what you are selling, why should anyone else?

If you are confident that what you sell will make customers happy, you can talk about it openly and positively. Create a clear story for your organisation – who you help, what you offer, and the difference it makes – and use that story consistently in your marketing. It will help your social enterprise stand out.

Know who your customers are

In marketing terms, you need to define your target market.

You need to know who is most likely to buy from you. If you don’t, you can waste a lot of time trying to sell to people who are never likely to say yes.

• Who has the problem you solve?
• Who has the budget and authority to pay for your solution?
• What decisions are they trying to make?

It is worth doing some market research to build up a profile of your ideal customers: their needs, challenges and priorities.

Understanding your customers will also help you decide how and where to do your marketing:

• Are your potential customers active on social media? Which platforms?
• Do you need to arrange meetings and give presentations to make a sale?
• Do they read newsletters, attend events, or belong to specific networks?

Get to know your customers’ world and the problems they face – and be clear how you can help. 

Use digital marketing wisely

Most customers will look you up online before they buy.

Make it easy for people to find and trust you by:

• Having a simple, up-to-date website that explains what you offer and who it is for
• Sharing relevant content (blogs, videos, case studies) that answers common questions
• Using social media where your audience actually spends time, rather than trying to be everywhere
• Building an email list so you can stay in touch with warm contacts

You do not need to do everything at once. Start with one or two channels and do them well.

Get your pricing right

Pricing is a common struggle for social entrepreneurs.

Start with the basics:

• Work out your costs so you are not selling for less than it costs you to deliver
• Decide how you want to position yourself in the market – budget, mid-range or premium
• Remember that being too cheap means you must sell a lot to generate a surplus; being too expensive can price you out of the market

For more detail, see our separate guide: Getting your pricing right.

Sell benefits, not features

People do not buy a product because of its features; they buy it because of what it will do for them.

• Features are what something is: “a workshop that lasts three hours”, “a mentoring session”, “an online toolkit”.
• Benefits are what it does: “builds confidence”, “saves time”, “helps you bring in more income”, “improves wellbeing”.

When you talk about what you sell, focus on:

• The problems you solve
• The outcomes and benefits people will experience
• How life or work will be better after they have used your product or service

Always remember that people buy for their reasons, not yours.

Make your social impact part of the offer

As a social enterprise, you have an extra benefit to talk about: the positive social or environmental impact you create.

For many customers, especially businesses, funders and public bodies, this is a real advantage:

• Explain clearly what impact you create and who benefits
• Use simple stories, testimonials and numbers to bring it to life
• Show how buying from you helps them meet their own goals (e.g. CSR, ESG, community impact)

Impact should not replace value for money or quality – but it can help tip the decision in your favour.

Referrals, referrals, referrals

Your existing customers can be an excellent source of new leads.

• Ask happy customers who they know like them who might benefit from what you offer
• Ask for testimonials and case studies you can use on your website and in proposals
• Encourage people to leave reviews or share your work on social media or LinkedIn

People are more likely to buy if you have been recommended by someone they trust.

Learn from rejection

Not everyone will become a customer – and that’s okay.

If someone decides not to buy, try to understand why:

• Was it timing or budget?
• Did they choose a competitor?
• Did they understand the value you offer?

Use this feedback to refine your pricing, messaging or offer. Each “no” can help you get closer to the right “yes”.

Don’t give up

The hardest sales are often the first ones.

It can be disheartening, but if you are confident that you are selling something people genuinely need, persistence matters.

• Keep talking to potential customers and learning from each conversation
• Go out of your way to give your early customers truly excellent service
• Stay in touch with warm contacts, even if they are not ready to buy yet

Over time, those first customers can become your champions and start talking about you. That is when enquiries begin to come to you, not just from you.