Imagine if there was one concept, one rule you could learn and follow, and if you learned and applied this rule, then you would successfully be able to sell any product or service you chose to.
And not only would you be able to sell these products or services, but-if you learned and applied this secret-you would sell more than anyone in your company or in your industry.
In addition, you would also be able to sell more with less stress, less rejection, and sales would actually become, dare I say it?-easy.
As you know, selling and easy rather occur in the same sentence, but by learning and applying this secret, they will.
And here is the secret:
Sales is nothing more than a set of recurring selling situations that you encounter over and over again.
You get the same brush offs when prospecting, the same objections when closing, the same ghosting when following up.
Let me prove it to you: regardless of your product, service, or industry, do any of these selling situations sound familiar?
When prospecting, has a decision maker or influencer or office manager ever told you:
• “Just email me some information.”
• “We’re happy with who we’re using.”
• “We aren’t interested.”
• “I’ll have to check with my boss.”
And when closing a sale or presenting your product or service, how many times do you run into:
• “That’s a bit more than we want to spend.”
• “It’s just not the right time for us.”
• “Let me think about it and get back to you.”
• “I’m going to need to talk to the committee/boss/my partner, etc.”
• “Can you email me more information?”
Now, I’ve never met many of you reading this right now, and I don’t know what you’re selling, but I’ll bet these cover 80% of the objections you get, right?
And that’s because selling is a set of recurring situations that contain the same objections, stalls, and you get them over and over again.
And therein lies the secret to successful selling:
Learn exactly what to say-in advance-of getting these recurring objections.
Now this may sound like a “duh!” moment but let me share another secret with you: 90% of sales reps don’t do this. Instead, they ad-lib, make things up, and use poor responses over and over again.
Every time you have a prospective client on a discovery call, you’re making a sales pitch. Every time you send an email or write a blog post with an offer, you’re making a sales pitch. Every time you write an opt-in page, you’re making a sales pitch.
And you’re probably pretty good at it, too, or you wouldn’t be where you are today, would you? So why do we continue to think we’re so bad at sales?
I hear this one a lot. You feel pushy or uncomfortable when talk turns to money. You don’t want to force anyone into a decision. You secretly think your rates are too high (or maybe you don’t deserve them!).
So how do you overcome the reluctance to sales? Here are 3 tips:
I’m going to be honest with you. Sales conversations are one of those things that gets better only with practice. But the good news is, you don’t have to be on the phone with a prospective client to get that practice time in.
Script out-in advance-two or three “best practice” responses to the recurring selling situations you get into all the time. Practice, drill, rehearse these responses until they become your automatic way of responding. Doing this will change your sales results, your day-to-day experience in selling, and ultimately your career and your life. Your choice really comes down to: Struggle and underperform, or sell easily, confidently, and make more money than 90% of your competition. So start learning and practicing the secret to successful selling.
Instead, use the technique self-help gurus have been advocating for years: Look in the mirror and talk to yourself. Practice saying your rates out loud. Practice your segue from discovery to sales pitch. The more you do it, the more natural it will sound, and the less uncomfortable you will feel when on a real call. Great salesmen practice their pitch!
What if you weren’t selling anything, but instead were simply chatting with a friend about the incredible new product that was going to change her life? You’re helping your friend to improve herself by sharing your experience with this new product.
That’s exactly how you should think about selling your coaching programs. You’re not trying to get your prospective client to spend money. Instead, you’re offering a solution to his or her problems. You’re genuinely helping them to overcome some obstacle in their life or business.
When you can turn your thinking around from “sales” to “helping or serving” you’ll find it’s much easier to have the sales talk.
Most clients won’t say yes with the first call, and maybe not even with the second. But good coaches know that many sales can be closed if you simply take the time to follow up. If you think you don’t have time to follow up, just remember that a warm prospect is 10 times more valuable than a cold one. You’ve taken the time to warm them up with the initial phone call. So unless they aren’t a good fit at all, keep in touch with them.
But you need a system for doing it, or it won’t get done. Here’s one you can incorporate into your marketing process:
Send a quick email and invite your prospect to:
Schedule a follow-up call to answer her questions
Read some of your testimonials
Review your coaching program outline or sales page
Or even join a different program of yours that might be a better fit
Don’t let that old “I’m not good at sales” thinking get in the way of making a real difference in people’s lives, and in growing your business and your profits. With these tips, you can quickly turn your sales blocks into a system for landing new clients consistently.
As marketing guru Dean Graziosi says, “If you don’t get your prospect’s credit card, you’re doing them a disservice.” Be of service by helping them become your client.