
Beyond the Icky Selling Process4 min read
I spoke to someone on the phone last week who told me he never sold. But yet he was quite good at getting new clients, so how is that possible?
Well, it’s because selling has some terrible baggage attached to it. We think of it as, well, icky.
The simplest meaning of selling is to exchange goods and services for money. And we all do that, right? We charge a fee for our professional services. No problem, correct?
But we often think of selling as convincing, persuading, or manipulating someone to buy what we have. That’s what this person (and most of us) feel icky about. We feel like used car salespeople.
So, how do we convert a prospective client into a paying client without this kind of icky selling process?
Well, let me explain to you exactly how I do it. It works and it’s not icky in any way, shape, or form.
It starts with these three things:
Before I explore in-depth with someone who’s considering my marketing coaching services or a program I’m offering, I first want to make sure these three things are firmly in place:
1. They have a Legitimate Need for the assistance I’m offering.
2. They want the Ultimate Outcome that I deliver through my services.
3. They Understand Quite a Bit about how my service works.
1. Legitimate Need
Something is not working for them. It’s causing a real problem for them and they want a solution that will make things work for them.
2. Ultimate Outcome
What you are offering must meet the above need and is structured and proven to deliver the result the prospect is looking for.
3. Understand How Your Service Works
Finally, your service needs to make sense to them. It needs to be clear, simple, logical, and approachable.
When all of these three things are in place, you have the foundation for the process of converting a prospective client into a paying client (without icky selling).
Now, remember, a prospective client can come from many sources. They may have been referred to you, seen a presentation you gave, met you at a conference, or found you on the web.
And in some cases, you may have reached out to someone and let them know how you were helping your clients right now.
So, however they came to you, you want to make sure the above three things are in place. The first two are pretty simple, the third one is a little trickier.
For instance: Someone responds to a talk you gave or was referred to you which leads to an initial meeting and conversation.
You ask about the first thing, their Legitimate Need: “What is your situation, what is your challenge, what’s not working for you? etc.”
#1 “I’m struggling to attract enough clients these days.”
You then tell about the second thing, your Ultimate Outcome: “Let me explain the main thing I help my clients accomplish.”
#2 “I help people like you attract more of their ideal, high-end clients.”
So far, so good right? You’ve nailed #1 and #2.
But then most of us blow it. We start selling and telling all about our services and how they will help the prospective client get the results they want. And it starts to get icky fast.
That’s not what you want to do. It’s too soon, too fast. No, you have to do #3 next and it’s not done through a conversation; it’s best accomplished through what I call a Services Information Page (S.I.P.).
So, after #1 and #2, you say, “Look, I’m pretty sure I can help you, but I’d like you to learn a little more about exactly what I do first. Can I send you to a page on my website that explains how I work with people like you to get the results they want? Then we can talk more and see if what I offer is a good fit or not. OK?
You can see a sample of a page like this on my website. Link here.
Then you set up another time to talk. Now you have fulfilled all three requirements for a conversation to successfully convert them into a paying client with zero ick factor.
#1. They have a problem.
#2. You have a solution.
#3. They understand how you work.
And, next week, I’ll outline what follows in detail – the conversation that converts a prospective client into a paying client (without any ick). In the meantime, work on your Services Information Page!
Cheers, Robert