Being a business owner and selling yourself simultaneously can present many challenges. You don’t know where best to network yourself, you don’t have as much time as you’d like, or you just might not know how! Surely there has to be a smoother way to sail?
RIGHT!!… I’ve been there, and I follow this simple 3 step system to help
Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you optimise your sales conversations and increase your close rate, without having to use cringey pressure tactics.
Before diving into solutions, let’s address the common hurdles faced by all of us that are trying to sell in today’s landscape…
1. Leads are more scared of “sales people” than EVER
In a world of digital marketing they’re being sold to everywhere they look, social media, emails, telesales, the TV… there’s no rest, add that to years upon years of experiences with bad sales people… no wonder our leads have their guards up.
2. Bad advice “gurus”
There are too many gurus online offering advice on how to “objection handle” when as a matter of fact, you shouldn’t need to handle objections if in fact you have set your calls up correctly in the first place (I’m going to show you how to do this don’t worry!)
3. You have the skills but don’t know how best to position yourself
Knowing how to network, where to network and WHEN to network is a crucial element of any successful person’s routine. If you find yourself with the ability and skills but lack the confidence or best practices there is a solution.
Let’s quash ALL of them with this 3-step strategy:
Step 1: Know how to set the call up for success
➵ Objective A: Tackle your mindset
Mindset isn’t just about how you feel, it’s about creating the right working environment, and finding a healthy balance that leaves you feeling fuelled, positive and alert!
Tackling your mindset involves a combination of awareness, intention and consistent effort. It’s something we can’t afford to take our foot off the gas with, and we’ll push forward to maintain and improve it!
Things we can do here to help :
Make sure we FEEL good, try exercise or a repeatable morning routine.
Listen to the right sorts of music, at the right times!
Ensure we’re in the right frame of mind, serving not selling ahead of a conversation.
➵ Objective B : Tackle your space
This is something that is too easily overlooked. If you’re “inside the jar” you can’t “read the label…so we need to be able to look at how we may be perceived by a client, through their eyes.
Is your space clear and tidy? Do you have a messy Zoom backdrop or working from a bedroom? Is your office a mess if people walk in? Is your lighting dark and your image not very clear?
ALL of these things scream suspicion for our clients and they may actually end up spending more time trying to figure out if they trust you and the business is legit as opposed to moving with the rhythm of the call!
Make sure you’re equipped with a professional backdrop with good lighting and most importantly a space you feel good in!
➵ Objective C: Tackle the client’s perception of you and the outcome of the discussion
Firstly we need to remember that unfortunately, sales people, as standard are viewed as “lesser status”…spoiler alert, we usually earn more money than the prospects we speak to…but they still feel we’re below them…
Therefore, the trick here is to “blend in” to stand out.
We don’t want these leads to sniff a “salesperson” we need to be a strategist, or consultant, or expert…something that doesn’t come off as squeaky clean polished rehearsed sales rep.
If, from the moment you start a conversation with your prospect, we can break the norm to throw them off the scent, assert our authority in the subject and work to lead the conversation, we can absolutely gain the level of respect and authority we need from our prospects.
Step 2: Know how to navigate your prospects wants, needs, fears and pains
➵ Objective A : Find the triggers (that would make them move forward with you)
This is all about active listening and intelligent questioning! You need to train yourself to ask the right questions to understand what your leads will be turned on and off by in terms of sales without being obvious.
We don’t want surface level questions or empty filler questions, you need a list of purpose driven, meaningful questions that will allow you to understand your clients triggers and pains!
➵ Objective B: Find the gaps (Between where they are today vs where they want to be)
Don’t be afraid to let your prospects open up and share their pain points. 9 times out of 10 what you will find is that their pain points are your pressure points.
If you’ve built authority and trust in step one, a prospect will quite literally tell you what their business struggles are if you simply ask and listen.
Then you can use those gaps as markers on where to drive the conversation.
➵ Objective C: Find the alignment (between their problems & your solution)
This is something that is really enhanced by strategic note taking. This is where we need to be able to identify the pains and needs of our clients and play back directly our solutions and services in perfect alignment to your clients needs WITHOUT making it obvious this is what you’re doing…we don’t want to make them feel stupid.
A way you can try this is by playing back those needs/pains in a different order or from a slightly different angle to what was first said by your client, this way, it sounds familiar and like you really “get them” as opposed to someone regurgitating what they said!
Step 3: Know when to stop selling and start closing
➵ Objective A : Identify the halt (When all questions have been answered)
Here you’re looking for a strong indicator that all questions about your products and services have been answered, you feel confident that the prospect understands how the solution aligns to their problem, we can take permission to move forward further into the close.
➵ Objective B: Identify the power exchange (when a client is now asking for help to understand the path forward)
When questions change from ‘how do you?’ to ‘how do we?’. This is a clear signal that the prospect is formulating a vision of the working partnership and supporting sales solutions.
This is your opportunity to lay out the journey, and help the prospect see your vision for THEIR success!
This is a really clear indicator that we’re walking towards a close, but something that we need to be careful to “play it cool” around so that we don’t spook or “get weird” around our lead!
Play it cool and continue with your conversation!
➵ Objective C: Identify the close (when a client starts to close themselves for you)
You need to read the body and spoken language of a client as they start to internalise a buying decision, these may look like muttered conversations, looking in different directions, silences that feel like a lifetime, anxious tapping etc…
This is often very easy to miss, unless you know exactly what you’re looking for. This is the point in which a client starts to close THEMSELVES.
It could be a split second in which their body language changes, or a pause for thought longer than usual…if you’re not equipped to identify these points in your conversation you run the risk of overselling your solution when you have already cemented your prospects’ confidence, all questions have been answered, the prospect was ready to go…
You need to be able to spot this in order to increase your close rate!
Trust that the 3 simple steps you have followed here will enable you to build a framework that you can use to master any sale.
Though it may feel like a lot to remember, breaking down 3 simple steps and 3 checks is a great way to create a predictable rhythm for consistent closing…
If you enjoyed this guide feel free to check out: ‘Setting up for success $0 guide‘
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