What does your sales process say about you?
Does the idea of selling make you want to run and hide?
Does the way you attract clients into your business feel natural and second-nature?
Perhaps you are happy enough talking about what you do with clients who have contacted you, but don’t really know how to stand out online without looking pushy? Whether you’re a sales-avoider, a confident seller or somewhere in between, the way you approach getting clients into your business tells your audience a lot about you, so it’s important that you are making the right impression every step of the way.
The simple fact is, there have never been more people trying to sell online.
In 2020 the number of self-employed people in the UK passed 5 million for the first time. With so many people setting up in business, often with little or no training in how to sell authentically and effectively, it’s fair to say there is a lot of what I would call “shouty selling”, and without even going into how effective this may or may not be, it definitely isn’t the way most of us want to be sold to.
It has never been more important to show your audience you are not someone who is trying to push something on them, but equally, to not leave them to figure it all out on their own.
If you would like to feel more confident about selling without force, then read on.
Selling is not about the transaction, so take the pressure off!
Yes, it’s important that you have a steady stream of clients coming into your business - of course it is (if you want to have a thriving business, you’re going to need clients!) but that’s not the whole story. We don’t just need any old clients, we need the RIGHT clients.
For most heart-led creatives, it’s not about the transaction, it’s about the experiences we create for our clients, the relationships we build, the satisfaction we get from knowing we have made a difference.
So unless you really don’t care who you sell to, you need to have a set of steps to take your potential clients through, to qualify them and ensure your products and services are what they actually want and need. Without actively managing who you bring into your business, you are not working with your integrity, and this can have huge implications down the line. Your sales process is not about desperately chasing down a yes no matter the cost, it’s doing all you can to ensure your products and services are relevant (and saying no if they’re not).
Selling is your client’s first look at your integrity, so show them what you’ve got!
Most of us here are natural-born helpers. We want to help our clients, it makes us feel good, we are passionate about making a difference, we care about people and the impact we make. And online, our clients are being constantly bombarded by “shouty selling” which leaves them at risk of making a decision based on incomplete information or under duress. Our role is to help them navigate this situation and provide what’s missing: service and clear guidance.
Human connection has never been more important in an overwhelming sea of options in the online space. Overcoming our fear of being visible is how we show our clients they are our priority. Meeting them where they are, and walking them through how we help. Sales is the service you provide to help people who aren’t yet your clients understand what is best for them, no matter the outcome for you. Not providing this service leaves your ideal client unsure of which option to take, at risk of choosing an option that may not have been what they wanted, or even not getting the help they’re looking for at all.
The essential ingredients of selling with integrity:
Whether you’ve been in business a few months or a few years if you want to sell with integrity, here’s what you need to know:
Take ownership of your sales process: don’t leave it to chance
Build connection both to you and your products. Know, like and trust is important, but your audience also needs to understand what you do and how it will benefit them.
Build relevance: we all want to feel better, do better, have better, be better at something. Your job is to ensure you understand what your clients want to feel / do / be better at, and provide a way to make that happen via the products and services you sell. If you do not do this, you are not doing what your client requires you to do.
Have a framework: a set of predetermined steps you take to ensure you are qualifying your leads.
Listen: take the time to get to know your audience and what they are looking to achieve. Establish suitability
Learn to say no. It is always in your best interests to work out if you are the right fit for someone, and to say no if it’s not. It’s not about you, it’s about suitability. If you are not the right expert for them, if they are not the right fit for you, if you cannot get them closer to a result they want or need: DO NOT SELL TO THEM. If you are rushing the sales process or conversation, you are leaving yourself open to the risk of working with people you
As business owners, we must get the full scope of our client’s problem before we can provide a solution and not just sell to them anyway. This is a huge missing link in the industry right now and something that would be remiss of me not to talk about, so as the year closes I wanted to address it.
No matter what stage of business you’re at, you have to know how to sell in a way that feels natural and effortless and that gets your clients the results they want. Selling is not optional, but the way you do it is entirely up to you. I’m here to help you achieve your own gold standard of selling so that you can grow your business in a way that feels good to you. If you haven’t yet found this place, it’s likely there is something missing from your sales strategy.
