What do you think of when you think of sales? Do you think of serving your clients, or do you think of being a pushy salesman? Do you think of asking them questions about the problems you can solve for them, or do you think of trying to upsell them to your most expensive product/service, even if that’s not what they need?
I know a lot of small business owners struggle with the sales process because they’re afraid of sounding like a used car salesman, and that fear leads them to avoid sales conversations, but how are you going to grow your business without sales?
Let’s go over some strategies you can use to make sales less scary so you can help more people and grow your business.
Focus on the Problem You Solve
I’m willing to bet you didn’t go into business to sound like some sleazy salesperson. You went into business to solve a problem for people, and the key to sales is focusing on that problem. Don’t talk about all the fun features, or how you learned to do XYZ, because nobody cares.
Instead, you need to focus on how their lives will be better because of your product or service. What changes can you bring that will make their lives easier? Will they save money? Make more money? Save time so they can be with their family more? What is the ultimate goal your product/service will achieve for them?
If you can remember that you’re here to solve a problem for them, rather than push something on them that they don’t need, sales won’t scare you anymore.
Ask Questions
The stereotype of the sleazy salesperson is sleazy because they try to convince their prospects they need or want something they don’t want or need. That’s not a productive sales conversation.
A productive sales conversation asks the prospect about their problems and how their lives would be different if they could solve that problems. Once they have a vision of how their lives would look and feel without that nagging problem, all you have to do is offer them the solution in the form of your product or service.
Rejection Is an Opportunity
A lot of people are afraid of having sales conversations because they’re afraid of rejection, but if you don’t have the sales conversation, the result is the same: you still don’t have a new client.
Instead of being afraid of rejection, consider it an opportunity to get more information. Ask them, “What would have made it a yes?” Sometimes it’s because what you’re providing isn’t right for them, but other times it’s because they missed something. Maybe you forgot to mention a key benefit, or maybe you mentioned it, but they got distracted by their kids or the dog or their phone and they missed it. We have so many distractions these days making it easy to miss key parts of the conversation, so when someone tells you they’re not ready to buy, ask them what it would take for them to be ready. The answer just might surprise you.
If you’re tired of a sales process that has stalled, you can attend my Fearless Sales Intensive on January 29th. It will be a 3-hour event where I lay out all my strategies and answer your questions about how to have better sales conversations.