… something you do FOR someone!
I shared more about this during my live yesterday – how the subconscious mind sabotages business owners through sales…
ALL business owners across the globe, at ALL levels struggle with this one common issue. Sales.
It doesn’t matter what level they are at in their business or how much success they have already achieved. It affects people when they are just starting out and those wanting to reach a new level. As I like to say, “new level, same devil”. It’s the same issue happening deep down just wearing a different disguise.
In today’s post, I share what is really going on deep down, what sales actually is, and how to shift the energy you’re putting out around it. Because people can feel it.
Sales isn’t something you do to someone, it’s something you do for someone.
Let’s say this again.
Sales isn’t something you do to someone, it’s something you do for someone.
The issue people have deep down relates to a mindset issue not a strategy issue. You can have the best sales technique or script in the world, but if deep down your mindset is off around it, you just won’t be able to bring said strategy to fruition. When I say mindset, I mean there is a belief at play you may not even be aware of, that is blocking you from standing in your greatness. The belief most people have deep down around sales that blocks them is, “I don’t want to come across as salesy”. Translation: I care what people think and I don’t want to be judged as a bad person.
I remember my sales coach having our group get so bold in our questioning that we had to get to the point where the person on the other end of the line would hang-up on us! My phone call of this nature was with a psychologist in town. I was so afraid she was going to tell everyone in town that I was a terrible person!! But I did it anyway. It was scary, but it served a greater purpose, the bigger lesson being able to push through my own discomfort and ask deeper questions when she got uncomfortable. It was about serving her in a much bigger way at the end of the day.
The idea was that we had to get past what other people thought, and be willing instead to take a bigger stand for their growth was pivotal. Tough questions need to be asked sometimes in order to help people see their own truth, and as coach that’s what I’m here to do. Not to be your best friend. Although, my best friend can vouch that I do ask her bold questions! And she to me, which I deeply appreciate 🙂 This is the same for any product or service you’re representing – that product or service is there to help people in some way shape or form, and the sales process is the first step in helping them.
The sales process – when done correctly and coming from an empowered place – is really just about being of service on the deepest level. What questions can we ask to discover what the other person’s needs and wants are, what their challenge is in attaining it, and how we can best serve them even if our product or service is not the best fit for them? If we’re truly being of service, we will only offer our product or service if we can absolutely help them. Otherwise it might be a referral to someone else or another resource. This also ensures we won’t come across as salesy, because we truly do have the person’s best interests at heart – even if it means asking tough questions to help them fully.
So how can we operate from this empowered state that is service-based? Well, we need to put our own goals and our own stuff to the side quite frankly. Of course we all have goals for our businesses and want to see growth. We could also be struggling financially and not know where the next client is going to come from BUT if we operate from this needy place, our energy will be felt by the other person. We also need to have faith in the universe (or insert own belief system here), that there is a higher power guiding us that will show us more and more people / companies, etc. to help. We just have to feel good enough to receive it (insert law of attraction principals here).
Here are some ways the disempowered version of ourselves tends to show-up in a sales conversation:
1. spending too much time on the phone
2. being afraid of silence and talking to fill the air
3. allowing the person to get too far into their story (instead of asking a question to get back on track)
4. emailing instead of having a phone call
5. second guessing your rates or offering something of lower value, when the person can truly benefit from your higher priced offering (it’s been designed for a reason!)
6. blindsiding the person you’re talking to by entering into a sales conversation because you were too afraid to set-up the call / meeting properly (the is a sure-fire way to come across as salesy!)
7. holding back on asking tough questions (likely a deep seeded need for approval and to be liked happening)
8. and I’m sure there our others that are coming to mind!
So…. do the opposite of the above! Make it a conscious practice to start catching it and making a more empowered choice even if it’s scary! You can do it ?
Have a a great weekend!
Chris, xo