"S-E-L-L" is Not a 4-Letter Word -

Business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals that are responsible for their own bottom line often tell us they hate sales.

But here is the kicker – you don’t have a business if you are not making sales…you have a hobby.

And you won’t make any sales if your process is broken or if you never ask…you are spinning your wheels or are just a teacher and a friend.

Yet ‘sales’ doesn’t have to be the sticky-icky part of your business It can, and frankly should, be an integral part of everyday and feel good = to you and your prospective clients.

So what does it take?

How do you fix/know what is broken?

First, take a hard look at your own mindset around sales.

To ‘sell’ something to someone is not a bad thing. People buy things every day, every hour, many of which do not help them or serve them in any way.

Get in your mind that what you do if FOR them, you are not doing something TO them.

See, they want to buy – they want to get the solution to their problem, or the desired transformation. By NOT offering them the opportunity to buy you are actually doing them a disservice.

You are there to fulfill something that they either want or need. The ‘sale’ is simply the transaction, the value exchange, that moves it from you to them.

Don’t deny them access.

To be good at sales you have to silence the voices in your head that procrastinate asking or is fearful of the answer and magnify the voices that want to provide top value, and service, and confidently offer and ask.

Once your mindset is right, there are 4 basic areas in sales you need to ensure are operating at top notch.

A sale is the process, if you have a solid structure, sales is easy, and feels good to you and them.

Let’s take a look at the 4 pieces of the process and see if you can determine where your process is broken, could use some improvement or is non-existent.

#1 – Set a tone of Respect

Lead Generation/Networking = how ever you received the initial connection, it is about what you do next…and how. It sets the tone.

Find out what do they want? More sales, better life, greater productivity, image, notoriety, free time, experiences, etc. Seeking and asking, and truly listening to their answers, shows them that you respect their time and want to be a trusted guide.

Ask insightful questions, ones that produce thoughtful dialogue and produce a crystal-clear picture of what they are looking for.

During this time, you need to portray a posture of confidence, talk about and explore what they are looking for…even if you know there are steps to take before they get to that outcome.

By doing so there will be a bond of mutual respect formed and when you follow up, they will make the time to meet with you.

If you chase, try to manipulate, trick, or coerce them at this point you will not gain their respect and they will run from you. Think about a stray dog. You can chase him – he will run, OR you can hold up what he wants: a dog biscuit…he will come running to you!

Listen to them, show them that you understand what they want, not what you THINK they SHOULD want, but the ripple effect that a solution will provide them. Hold up the outcome they want. The feeling, transformation, solution.

Stay focused on the relationship and have no emotional attachment to the outcome. Focusing on the desired outcome will make you appear to be zeroing in on the transaction and cash rather than ‘holding up the dog biscuit’ that they want.

#2 Nurture to build trust and authority.

It is not about what you sell – it is about HOW you sell. Lead with sharing and serving, and along the way show the differentiation that you and your business bring to the table.

Be a value add for what they are trying to do: solve a problem, have a transformation of some kind, or upgrade something. Give a quick win, or an ah-ha moment or experience.

You can’t sell them what they don’t understand, or think is not for them. In order to educate them, and thus nurture the relationship, takes that you first see what they are struggling or frustrated with and what they want: again, from their point of view…not yours.

You need to be able to talk about what they are experiencing, relate to them, enlighten them on things they may not know, or help them to expand their knowledge.

It is about guiding, not telling them. Be careful of the tone that you use. Let them know you are on their side, that you are there to help.

All the while creating curiosity for your solution. At this stage it is not about convincing them to see your point of view. Not at first. You have to walk the path with them that you have already walked.

Earn the sale by earning their trust through focusing and fighting for them and what they want, not what you want or think they need.

#3 – The Ask

Value and content are great, but without asking them to take action you become a commodity…and broke. Teachers are historically one of the lowest paid professions.

If you continuously “give it all away” soon others will feel entitled to you and your information.

Certainly, give them your ‘best stuff’ to pique their curiosity of what else you have to offer. But you can only serve people for so long for free. You can only get them so far before a transaction needs to occur to provide them with what they really want.

Once they have the information – once they see a solution in sight – they will do something or buy from someone…if you don’t ask, it might not be you they do business with regardless of all the free information you have shared.

Be intentional about your ask. No off-the-cuff. No accidental asks.

Predetermine a few ways to ask for the sale so you have a language bank to pull from when the time is right.

Don’t miss the signs! If they are indicating they are ready and you don’t have a timely ask…it may get too far past the moment and you risk the chance that they might move on to someone else who is willing to sell to them. Or, worse yet, the more you talk, the more you may confuse them or talk them out of buying!

What are some of the signs?

If they are asking about delivery or time frames
If they want a breakdown of the process
When they ask about a warranty or guarantee
When they are diving into the features and options
If they open up about their experience with a past vendor/professional/product/service
When they seek your advice or opinion on their best option
When they say, “What is the next step?”

Seems obvious but we have seen many people fly right by those opportunities and end up in No-Sale-Land.

Here is the kicker about asking – YOU are not necessarily for everyone, and that is OK. As you build the relationship you may find that it is not a good fit. Maybe they don’t qualify for what you have to offer. Or maybe they don’t like what you have to offer.

Take your ego out of it. Don’t be emotionally attached to the outcome and try to force a round peg into a square hole. If you do see it as a good fit – then ask for the sale. No chasing, no begging, just a simple ask.

(If you are a NBG Member – See the Video Library for “How to Close and Get More YESes”)

Not everyone will say yes, but you have to take more shots than you will make. Keep Shooting. In the NBA a multi-million-dollar player makes an average of 46% of their shots.

Here are few other helpful hints:

Bring down barriers – tell them they can say no after they hear you out
Don’t be high pressure or give fake deadlines (doesn’t mean NO pressure!)
Tell them you are expensive (unless you are the bargain business) – then when price is under what they expected – great! By the way…positioning during the nurture stage can set this tone.
Don’t let it bother you if they are outside your target market or if they are a freebie seeker…good riddance! You would rather know sooner rather than later so that neither of you waste your time.

#4 – Overcoming objections

Hopefully you addressed many of these as part of the nurture piece of the sale. If not, do it here.

Remember, objections are a sure-fire sign that they are interested! If they are not, they won’t bother mentioning them.

Know the top 5 objections and have well thought out responses. Consider using stories, anecdotes, social proof, facts, and your original thoughts that can be weaved into your responses. Consider objections as a challenge and opportunity to further clarify your value.

There are a few psychological objections you may be facing – dig to find out if this is the situation.

Maybe they don’t really believe they need it or deserve it.
Maybe they don’t have a sense of urgency or that they can do it.
Possibly they don’t truly believe in you or trust you.
The hardest to overcome is if they do not fully trust themselves or their own decision-making process.

Dig for the true objection – uncovering it is the only way to get past it.

When objections arise here is how you can move towards resolving them and making the sale:

Ask for their objection and be receptive and open to hearing it. This will disarm them. Ask clarifying questions to uncover the deeper objection.
Once they tell you = repeat it back to them to confirm you have it correct and ask if it is the only objection
Go for the YES. Before you begin to provide the response ask them for a Yes in the pattern of: “If I…are you…”. Example: If I (solve the problem – use their words), are you ready to move forward?”
Answer with confidence, showing your differentiation, with sincerity and in terms of their ‘hot button’ – their top desire or ripple effect that they want as the outcome.

Don’t let them sell you on an excuse!

“Price is too high” – what will it cost them to NOT do it? What do they lose (the outcomes they want). They pay for it either way. You need to position the solution via the concept of cost rather than price. (NOTE: if you position correctly and show the high value of what you offer, price will cease to matter)

“Need to think about it” – this is a stalling tactic, not an objection, but it gives them a sense of control. Start the question process – dig for the objection, what exactly do they need to think about. Say, “I get it, however, as you think about it questions may arise so let’s think about it together, that way I am here to answer your questions.”

“What we have is fine” – this indicates that they just are not dissatisfied enough to be compelled to make a change. Show them the ‘dog biscuits’ that they are not getting. “Satisfied” people still do buy…know what they are trying to achieve and reiterate that you can provide that.

“I’ll call you with our decision” – NO! You need to stay in control. Set a day/time that you will call them. Then send a reminder and add more value. Bring on the shock-and-awe!

Regardless of why, if it doesn’t work out at that time – you may need to retarget them at a later date – sooner rather than later!

When you do, avoid phrases like “checking in” or “circling back”. Don’t ask crazy questions like “did you decide” or “have you had time to think about it”.
Be creative, be memorable, continue to guide and affirm their good choices.
No begging, no chasing.
Be polite, be respectful, have humility, no whining.
Maintain your integrity by standing firm on price and parameters.