How To Ask For The Sale

How To Ask For The Sale

How To Ask For The SaleWelcome to another episode of “Diary of a Worthy Pursuit”! In today’s episode, titled “How to Ask for the Sale,” we dive deep into the art of closing deals and securing commitments from potential clients. Join us as Speaker A and Speaker B share their insights and experiences on navigating the sales process with finesse and confidence. From understanding the power of active listening to overcoming objections and building trust, we explore the various strategies and techniques that can help you seal the deal. So, grab your notebook and get ready for some valuable tips on asking for the sale in a way that leaves both you and your clients feeling satisfied. Let’s get started on this worthy pursuit together!

Enjoy!

Podcast Transcription:

Speaker A [00:00:06]:

So I’m 22 years old. I just graduate college, and I forgot one thing. Oh, I have to go get a job. And so I get the first thing I can find, have a juror for a hotel chain in my college town. And I was just so excited to have this job that I really didn’t dig into, what are you gonna be selling? And as I got in there and really started kinda getting used to the role, I realized I was gonna be selling, a kind of old, outdated, pretty rundown hotel. I was selling a service that I didn’t really believe in, and it was just not a product that I was passionate about. So I was supposed to be going out there and bringing in hotel room night revenue for this hotel and really found that I just couldn’t ask for the sale. And I really struggled in that role.

Speaker A [00:00:55]:

So today, we’re gonna talk about how to ask for the sale so you don’t have the same problem.

Speaker B [00:01:01]:

Welcome to diary of a worthy pursuit.

Speaker A [00:01:03]:

Where we talk about how to get what you truly want in life and in business.

Speaker B [00:01:07]:

You know, it’s interesting how to ask for the sale. I think priority 1 is make sure that you believe in what you’re saying.

Speaker A [00:01:12]:

Absolutely right. Lesson number 1. And that’s why I think it’s so key that when you’re starting a business or you’re growing something on the decide or even just looking for a job. Like, make sure you know what you’re selling, who you’re serving, and the results those people are getting.

Speaker B [00:01:27]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:01:27]:

Because if you don’t believe in it, like, I I am not gonna put my heart and soul in doing this every day. It’ll just feel fake.

Speaker B [00:01:34]:

Totally fair. You know, it’s interesting as we’re putting this together, I was thinking of my crew. So we answer phones for a bunch of companies, and we put together this little checklist for each employee to see how confident they are with each client that we answer phones work. Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:01:47]:

Because I

Speaker B [00:01:47]:

wanna see where we need training.

Speaker A [00:01:48]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:01:49]:

Calls on call was one of those clients or is one of those clients. Right? So we are our own client. Mhmm. And I had Probably half of my crew said that they weren’t confident to answer the phones for us.

Speaker A [00:01:58]:

Oh, really?

Speaker B [00:01:59]:

And I was like, wait. What? All you’re doing is answering have Questions about what you do every day.

Speaker A [00:02:06]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:02:07]:

So there was a I would call that an awakening About, like, oh, we gotta fix this. So I guess we gotta do some teaching, training, stuff like that. Yeah. We’ve been concentrating so much on our existing clients

Speaker A [00:02:22]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:02:22]:

That we didn’t even think to concentrate on, like, hey. If somebody calls And what do we do and all that kind of stuff?

Speaker A [00:02:29]:

Well, typical cobbler’s kids have no shoots, right Yeah.

Speaker B [00:02:31]:

Right?

Speaker A [00:02:32]:

Scenario.

Speaker B [00:02:32]:

How to ask the person for the same thing. So it’s interesting. This is very timely.

Speaker A [00:02:37]:

Well, I think it’s something that you a lot of us struggle with as we start our own business because you don’t go into business to be a salesperson. You you go into business because you enjoy doing the thing that you enjoy doing. But I think that that you know, really, we’re talking about mindset. Right? You have to believe that I the product that you’re selling is actually worth buying. Would you buy it yourself? And then it’s a mind shift of, like, some so many people think, oh, sales is dirty. Like, I can’t sell. That’s gross. When it really just takes this mind shift feel like you’re not selling, you’re serving.

Speaker A [00:03:10]:

When you really feel that the product that you have is going to really benefit your client, they’re gonna be better off using you than not using you Mhmm. Then it just feels like a a transfer of confidence.

Speaker B [00:03:22]:

Right. I’ll tell you 2 really quick stories. Yeah. Teaching the business planning class.

Speaker A [00:03:27]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:03:27]:

I asked everyone in the room how many of them after they start their business. Right? On day 1, you start your business. How many of you would consider yourself a salesperson? And nobody raises their hand.

Speaker A [00:03:38]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:03:38]:

And I’m like, everyone’s hand should be up because everyone’s gonna be in sales.

Speaker A [00:03:42]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:03:42]:

And they’re like, I don’t wanna call it that. I’m like, doesn’t matter what you call it. It’s still gotta happen. And then I said, okay. How many of you know where your 1st client’s gonna come from? And they think, you know, oh, my mom. Right? Whatever. So Sure. I’m like, okay.

Speaker B [00:03:56]:

Where’s your 10th client gonna come from?

Speaker A [00:03:58]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:03:58]:

Are they just gonna fall from the sky?

Speaker A [00:04:00]:

Thought it’d be great if that’s how business is.

Speaker B [00:04:02]:

Waiting by the phone or waiting by your email hoping that this client just shows up when in the end, You have to build awareness, and you have to you have to sell. Mhmm. And so every one of you are in sales. And it was kinda weird because you could see them. They were not comfortable Even though they’re selling or will be selling their own product or service, whatever it is. But there’s just this negative connotation about sales.

Speaker A [00:04:24]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:04:24]:

And I asked them, Just think of the last car that you bought, the last TV, phone, whatever. Imagine that there wasn’t a salesperson. And then you think, well, online. Right? You buy stuff online. But I’m like, that website is totally a salesperson. Maybe not a person. It’s doing sales. Right? It’s trying to reinforce with reviews.

Speaker B [00:04:41]:

Mhmm. It’s course, with reviews. Mhmm. It’s got a description that’s trying to sell you. Right? We’ve been we’re I just thought of this now. We’re at a On a road trip. And, it was Bob Evans, and they had the description of all the breakfast stuff. And one of them said freshly Cracked eggs.

Speaker A [00:05:01]:

Aren’t they all freshly cracked?

Speaker B [00:05:03]:

Does that even mean?

Speaker A [00:05:05]:

Then that makes me wonder, like, where are the places that don’t freshly cracked.

Speaker B [00:05:08]:

So so then we looked at the other breakfast descriptions, and not all of them are freshly freshly cracked.

Speaker A [00:05:13]:

Oh, interesting.

Speaker B [00:05:14]:

They had eggs. But I wanted to ask the waitress. Right? Like, what are the fresh can I get the freshly cracked?

Speaker A [00:05:21]:

But as well right. It’s a sales tactic. Absolutely you know, I think what what makes sales feel dirty is that we all feel like we’ve been sold. Right? Like, we bought something and then we had this, like, regret that, oh, maybe I shouldn’t have bought that after the fact. Like, I had one of those vacuum salesman come to my house. Oh. And it was pitched to me as, like, have somebody come and clean your carpets. Cool.

Speaker A [00:05:43]:

It was right before I had a baby. You can come clean the carpets in the nursery. That’s awesome. And then he gets there, and he tries to sell me a vacuum. And am not saying it wasn’t a quality vacuum. It was a cool vacuum, but that’s not what I intended. Right. And then I sat there and I wondered how many other people are inviting you into their home for a service and then get sold.

Speaker A [00:06:00]:

Right? And that’s what people don’t like. But I enjoy buying things.

Speaker B [00:06:04]:

Play people love to buy.

Speaker A [00:06:05]:

You know, you’re talking about online. I I am a sucker for someone saying like, oh, you just checked this out, and now there’s something like this over here. Prime does this to me. I mean, Amazon is just the king of this, but also with their video. Like, I watched the series Jack Ryan. Loved it. And so now it’s probably John Krasinski. But now I’m getting served all these other series like Jack Ryan.

Speaker A [00:06:28]:

You might also like this, this, this, and this. And in the same way, they’re kinda selling me because they’re Absolutely. They’re showing me what else to watch, so I don’t let my subscription go. Right?

Speaker B [00:06:38]:

Right. Yeah. That’s exactly what they’re doing. So it’s interesting how people have negative connotation about sales, but it’s gotta happen.

Speaker A [00:06:44]:

And we love to buy.

Speaker B [00:06:46]:

And people are Typically, not that great at making decisions. So if they don’t have a salesperson or a sales process guiding them

Speaker A [00:06:52]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:06:53]:

They have no idea, Which is what I found my staff doing. Right? People would call. Potential clients would call. Yeah. And my staff will chat them up, but they never would ask for the sale. Would never steer the potential client to this is how you buy. Even though we have this whole thing about for other client I guess, Other potential clients. How easy is it for their clients to buy from them? So when they call, right, the plumber, we call the plumber.

Speaker B [00:07:19]:

I’ll give you a really quick example with the the arborist I need.

Speaker A [00:07:22]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:07:23]:

So we got a tree that somebody planted 20 years ago, way too close to the house. Mhmm. Pear tree, and it grows these branches that hit the window. And so they scratch they tear up the screen and stuff like that. And then it grows really tall, and the leaves get into the gutters.

Speaker A [00:07:36]:

Have

Speaker B [00:07:37]:

yeah. And nobody likes clean gutters. So I’m like, hey. Just cut the tree short and trim these branches. Away you go. So I reach out to this Arborist company that has trimmed it before. And I said at first, I called and I said, hey. I left a message.

Speaker B [00:07:54]:

Hey. Do this again. Right? It’s been a couple years. And I didn’t receive a callback in a week, so I emailed them with the, it was a reply from a couple years ago. Yeah. Like, hey. Do this again. It took another week, but I get an email.

Speaker B [00:08:08]:

And it’s the email for trimming. Right? Here’s trimming a few $100, whatever. And then here’s you need some fancy fertilizer thing for this tree. That’s another few $100. Do you accept this quote? It’s a little button. And it would have been so easy to just click yes. Mhmm. But I’m like, no.

Speaker B [00:08:24]:

Where’s the button for the trim, but not this fertilizer stuff?

Speaker A [00:08:27]:

Right. Write. I don’t

Speaker B [00:08:27]:

need fertilizer stuff. Right? I don’t care. I don’t need it. And there was no button For that. So I replied to the email, hey. Can you send me a quote without the upsell?

Speaker A [00:08:39]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:08:40]:

I haven’t heard back.

Speaker A [00:08:40]:

It’s been a

Speaker B [00:08:41]:

couple of weeks.

Speaker A [00:08:41]:

Oh my goodness. So I had to

Speaker B [00:08:42]:

call another arborist. But, anyways, it was interesting how it would have been super easy. Just click that button.

Speaker A [00:08:47]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:08:47]:

And I imagine just about everybody’s like, okay. Mhmm. Whatever.

Speaker A [00:08:51]:

Yeah, making it easy to buy. That’s a that’s a great point. But I also you said something in there that I think is gold is that you are not selling to someone. You are guiding them to the solution that they need. Right? So if someone would have just answered your phone call first of all Mhmm. In the 1st ring. Right? What a concept. And then said, okay.

Speaker A [00:09:08]:

Cool. We can come out. We also fertilize these trees. Do you want that? Yes or no? Okay. Well, here’s why you might wanna fertilize that tree. And then they actually guide you through that process. That’s not selling. That’s serving.

Speaker A [00:09:19]:

So if you see yourself as a guide to serving your clients and not as someone who’s trying to, like, sell your wares and, like, hit your revenue numbers. It’ll feel so much less sleazy.

Speaker B [00:09:30]:

Yeah. You have a good point there. Because the fertilizer thing, they had the description of what it was chemically. Yeah. It was, like, so much nitrogen, so much potassium. But to me, that was like, you might as well just say wheat germ. It’s nothing to me. I don’t know why or if my tree needs this.

Speaker B [00:09:46]:

So

Speaker A [00:09:46]:

Yeah. Well and I think that that’s the next piece that some of us miss is that we sell the the features. You know? Like, oh, you’re gonna get this fertilizer, and you’re gonna get 2 hours of tree trimming, and you’re gonna here’s what you’re, like, here’s what we’re going to do, but we don’t take it the next step and say, and here’s what you’re gonna get. Here’s the results you’re gonna have or the transformation you’re gonna get as a result of working with me. Right, so as a coach, I can sell people like, hey. You’re gonna get 2 hours of coaching, and I’m gonna give you a planner. And that doesn’t sound exciting. Like, who am I gonna spend my money on that? Right? But if I say, hey.

Speaker A [00:10:19]:

We’re gonna sit down and talk about how to save you 10 hours have a week so that you can either have dinner with your family or, you know, go after that project you’ve been putting off. That’s a little bit more exciting.

Speaker B [00:10:32]:

Yeah. You know, it’s interesting you say that about the coaching because I remember doing business coaching with a guy, and I would sell. He wanted to buy just kinda break fix stuff, so they’re 90 minute sessions. And I remember we had a conversation, and we’re, like, 72 minutes in. And we had We’d resolved the problem. Fixed it.

Speaker A [00:10:51]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:10:51]:

So I’m like, well, it’s great. We’ll see you next time. And he’s like, woah. I get 90 minutes,

Speaker A [00:10:56]:

don’t I? I was like,

Speaker B [00:10:58]:

I guess you do. Like, what problem are we gonna tackle in this

Speaker A [00:11:00]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:11:01]:

10 plus minutes here? But it was interesting how, From my point of view, we’re gonna solve the problem. From this point, we we’re gonna talk for 90 minutes.

Speaker A [00:11:11]:

Interesting. Like,

Speaker B [00:11:12]:

I guess we could talk about the weather. Like, yeah.

Speaker A [00:11:14]:

Right? What what else? Maybe he got a quick hit. Maybe he, like,

Speaker B [00:11:17]:

you

Speaker A [00:11:17]:

know, come with hiring.

Speaker B [00:11:18]:

Interesting how that’s where he found the values. I’m like, alright. Oh,

Speaker A [00:11:21]:

well, that’s it. Yeah. That is interesting. But I think that the too often, we get stuck in our own bottle Mhmm. And we need to talk in our clients’ have language. Totally. Absolutely. In your particular situation where you’re selling your call service, right, you can say, like, hey.

Speaker A [00:11:36]:

We’re gonna answer your phones.

Speaker B [00:11:38]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:11:38]:

Or you could say, hey. You’re missing out on 30% of your sales because nobody’s answering the phone.

Speaker B [00:11:44]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:11:44]:

So we help you capitalize on that extra revenue you’re missing because you’re not answering. Write Right. That feels cooler than, like, hey. Hire us to answer your phones.

Speaker B [00:11:52]:

Right? Yeah. We’re selling no sanity.

Speaker A [00:11:55]:

And that.

Speaker B [00:11:56]:

Like, found Veterinarians have a higher suicide rate than a lot of other it’s like vet veterinarians and dentists are one of the highest ones.

Speaker A [00:12:04]:

Oh my miss.

Speaker B [00:12:05]:

And so we’re like, hey. How about we remove some of that headache, dial your depression back a little bit, and make your business more fun?

Speaker A [00:12:13]:

I really enjoy my vet. So thank you for what you do.

Speaker B [00:12:16]:

Yeah. Right? So let’s try to

Speaker A [00:12:18]:

sell that. So another way to help you ask for the sale is just, like we said, provide that value in advance. So what can you do before you’re actually asking them to buy from you that they understand said, you’re the one who can help them. You’re the one that they should want to serve you. Right? So a lot of this today looks like doing content marketing. Right? Like

Speaker B [00:12:41]:

Oh, sure.

Speaker A [00:12:41]:

Answering frequently asked questions on a website or maybe posting videos about this sort of stuff, but it’s also throwing their objections in advance. Right? So knowing what are the top 3 questions that people ask and then how can you help overcome that so they don’t even have to ask those things. Right. So in the coaching world, a lot of it is, how much does it cost? Everybody wants to know how much it’s gonna cost. Right.

Speaker B [00:13:05]:

But then fair question.

Speaker A [00:13:06]:

Right. It is absolutely a question. But then also, is this gonna work for me?

Speaker B [00:13:11]:

Mhmm. Right?

Speaker A [00:13:12]:

So it’s great that you’ve helped you know, that you do this thing, but how does it work, and is it gonna prefer me. So if you can transfer that value in advance and they don’t have to ask those questions because I find a lot of the time, like, hey. I need to think about it is really the worst thing that you can get out of out of the field spell. Right? Like

Speaker B [00:13:30]:

a no.

Speaker A [00:13:30]:

A yes or a no is better because then at least you know, and you can move on. Right data. Let me think about it and get back to you is really saying like, hey. I don’t see the value here yet.

Speaker B [00:13:38]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:13:39]:

So how can you provide that value in advance so it’s easier for them to say yes.

Speaker B [00:13:44]:

Yeah. We want a yes, a no, or future commitment. So a yes is yes. Easy. Right? Sign up. Away you go. Rock and roll. No.

Speaker B [00:13:52]:

Great. We’ll still follow-up with you in 6 months because whatever you chose to do instead of us may have dropped the

Speaker A [00:13:58]:

Oh. Mhmm. So

Speaker B [00:13:59]:

but no for now. Great.

Speaker A [00:14:01]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:14:01]:

I don’t have to bug you for a while. Future commitment is it’s a no for now, But I need to talk to these decision makers or Christmas has to happen or

Speaker A [00:14:11]:

something Right.

Speaker B [00:14:12]:

Or some obscure thing. At this date and time, we’ll have this conversation.

Speaker A [00:14:16]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:14:17]:

And what I’ll have the crew do, or even this is the way I was trained, is you double check with feel like okay. I’m gonna call you in 2 months on Tuesday, whatever, 9 AM. What are you hoping to discuss in that meeting? So that I can be prepared and that they can be they can be prepared. Mhmm. And everybody knows, like, run level playing field Mhmm. As far as I’m not gonna come at you with any surprises.

Speaker A [00:14:40]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:14:40]:

But I also I don’t wanna be surprised either. I wanna know what you’re looking for.

Speaker A [00:14:44]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:14:44]:

And a lot of times, people are cool with that. They understand, like, oh, because because I don’t wanna waste their time. I certainly don’t want them to waste my time.

Speaker A [00:14:52]:

Well and what I love about that from a person who’s buying perspective is I don’t have to remember to follow-up few. Mhmm. Right? So there are legitimate times in my business. I did this I did this a couple months ago. Someone was had an intro offer to help me with Facebook was cool. Worked it for a month, looked at the results, and said, okay. I wanna come back when I have a new offer. I don’t wanna just do this yet.

Speaker A [00:15:14]:

I wanna, had, you know, offer an event. So I said, follow-up with me in 2 months because then I’ll be planning for q four and and these sorts of things. And so I asked them I sales coach them to put it on their calendar to follow-up me with me at that time.

Speaker B [00:15:28]:

Oh, there you go.

Speaker A [00:15:29]:

But because then I didn’t have to remember.

Speaker B [00:15:31]:

Right.

Speaker A [00:15:31]:

And that was well, that follow-up hasn’t happened yet, but would be extremely helpful to their credit. That timeline hasn’t collapsed yet.

Speaker B [00:15:39]:

Oh, wow. Yeah. It’s all good.

Speaker A [00:15:41]:

But the other thing that I hear you saying there is asking them for commitment before you ever ask for the commitment.

Speaker B [00:15:49]:

Right.

Speaker A [00:15:50]:

Right? So this idea of these micro yeses is this psychology not trick, but this psychology piece of of saying, hey. It’s a lot easier to buy from you if I’ve already said yes.

Speaker B [00:16:01]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:16:01]:

So you might say something like, hey. Is it okay if I call you back next Tuesday? Mhmm. Yes. Cool. I just said yes to you once.

Speaker B [00:16:09]:

I would change that wording

Speaker A [00:16:10]:

Okay.

Speaker B [00:16:11]:

To, I’m going to call you at 9 AM Tuesday.

Speaker A [00:16:15]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:16:16]:

Right? And instead of them so you’re not giving them the option to say no to that. You’re making them have to have to make a harder commitment to say no versus an easier one to say yes.

Speaker A [00:16:27]:

It’s your term presupposition. You’re making the assumption think that you’re going to talk to them again.

Speaker B [00:16:31]:

Call you at 9 AM, and we’re gonna discuss these things that you already brought up as problems. And we can go a little deeper. And if you don’t wanna take my call, you don’t have to.

Speaker A [00:16:39]:

Oh, I love that. You’re giving them an out so you don’t feel sleazy, but also their response of great is a yes.

Speaker B [00:16:45]:

Mhmm. Yeah. I always think of it like if I was gonna ask someone to marry me, What is the worst answer they could give me? Right? Mhmm. No. Yeah. Maybe.

Speaker A [00:16:55]:

Oh, okay. What’s what is the worst answer?

Speaker B [00:16:57]:

I think maybe.

Speaker A [00:16:59]:

Oh, fair.

Speaker B [00:17:01]:

So if they tell you, oh, you’re like, alright. I can go marry someone else or

Speaker A [00:17:04]:

whatever. Great.

Speaker B [00:17:05]:

I know that.

Speaker A [00:17:05]:

Or we’re done here.

Speaker B [00:17:06]:

Yeah. You wanna get married? Yeah. Maybe. Like Yeah. I don’t know what to

Speaker A [00:17:11]:

do with it. Throws a wrench in things. Yeah. Great point.

Speaker B [00:17:14]:

So I want that yes to or or if they say, like, I don’t wanna get married now, but in a year after I graduate college and I actually have a stable place to live or

Speaker A [00:17:23]:

Future commitment.

Speaker B [00:17:24]:

Yeah. After I’m off my parents’ insurance. I don’t know. Something like that future commitment.

Speaker A [00:17:29]:

Yeah. Right.

Speaker B [00:17:30]:

Right? So yes, no, or future commitment. No maybes. No. We don’t want any gray area. Yeah. Because because I don’t wanna be accused of not, like, oh my gosh. You never called me back.

Speaker A [00:17:40]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:17:40]:

Like, well, you said maybe. I took maybe as a no. Like, maybe is a kinda yes.

Speaker A [00:17:44]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:17:44]:

I Kinda. Yes.

Speaker A [00:17:45]:

Right. Well and your maybe and my maybe might be

Speaker B [00:17:48]:

very different. Right. Yeah. So I always think of it like it’s a proposal. Mhmm. I don’t think that’s say no. It’s totally fine. Yeah.

Speaker B [00:17:55]:

Happy if they say no.

Speaker A [00:17:56]:

Well and what I also like about that, there’s, digital marketers, an online organization that uses this same analogy in I in marketing. Right? So you’re not gonna go right from meeting someone to asking them to marry you.

Speaker B [00:18:06]:

Right.

Speaker A [00:18:07]:

Right? And you don’t do the same thing in your sales process. You’re not gonna, like, meet someone at a networking event and say, hey. Do you wanna buy a workshop for me? Like, that’s weird. So instead, it’s you treat the sales process like dating. You know? You let them get to know you a little bit. Right, so you first ask them out for a drink or to dinner or something, and then they get to know you a little bit. And then maybe you meet the parents, and then you do all these other things. Like, let’s go on together, make sure that we don’t kill each other, you know, those sorts of things.

Speaker A [00:18:33]:

Minor details. Minor details. Right?

Speaker B [00:18:35]:

That’s a

Speaker A [00:18:37]:

so I think that that that was a really good piece of evidence. And that’s, again, not laying value in advance so they learn to trust you because people buy from people they like, know, and trust. Mhmm. They’re not gonna buy from you immediately because that trust needs time to build.

Speaker B [00:18:48]:

Right. Totally agree. And I like the idea of having something for them to say yes to. Yeah. Instead of having that huge, like, buy my have A 6 month plan for $5,000,000,000.

Speaker A [00:18:57]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:18:58]:

And they’re like, who are you?

Speaker A [00:19:00]:

What are you doing? Yeah. Well and that’s how marketing and sales go together, and I think that some people kind of confused these things. As a new entrepreneur, maybe you think these things are the same. Or if you’ve been in marketing or sales, you think these things fight each other. But really, marketing’s job is to bring people who are interested to you. And then as a salesperson, your job is to create them from someone who’s interested into actually being a client. Right?

Speaker B [00:19:21]:

The awareness thing. Yes. Right? They have to know that you exist before they can buy from you.

Speaker A [00:19:25]:

So marketing is really that trust building, laying the ground, the framework laying, yeah, just creating that content

Speaker B [00:19:33]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:19:33]:

And answering all those objections. Right? So it’s the foundation to have a really good sales conversation. And notice how as we’re talking about asking for the sale, we’re not we haven’t even asked or talked about the question not yet. Oh, so is really still the groundwork of what to do before the sale because so much of that matters. And you almost have to earned that right because you’re earning that trust.

Speaker B [00:19:56]:

So I suppose just like a proposal, you wouldn’t say, so you wanna get married or what Or something like that. Right?

Speaker A [00:20:01]:

Just have

Speaker B [00:20:02]:

to be a little So,

Speaker A [00:20:02]:

we’ve been together for a while. And, so, what do you think?

Speaker B [00:20:07]:

Let’s go ring shopping. Like, wait. What?

Speaker A [00:20:09]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:20:10]:

So, yeah, it’s interesting that you have to have a way to ask people that they’re comfortable with, and they understand But there’s a clear, definitive thing that you’re asking for. Right?

Speaker A [00:20:22]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:20:23]:

Do you wanna get married, or do you wanna buy this widget? Sometimes I like to take their temperature. Say, so what are you feeling right now? Or if I were to ask you to buy this right now, what would you say?

Speaker A [00:20:34]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:20:36]:

Or what would stop you from buying this right now? Or what’s in the way of pulling the trigger? Or If you bought this today, a week from now, how would you feel?

Speaker A [00:20:45]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:20:46]:

Or something like that where you’re kinda tiptoeing around the ask, and then you can know from their response there What you you can say to

Speaker A [00:20:53]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:20:55]:

To make it a yes.

Speaker A [00:20:55]:

Mhmm. So what is your now that we’re actually talking about, like, the questions that would get a yes for a commitment.

Speaker B [00:21:02]:

Mhmm. What

Speaker A [00:21:03]:

is your opinion on this whole idea of, like, the assumptive close? You know, you go through sales training. A lot of these people are like, so, you know, if you sign today, we could get started next week.

Speaker B [00:21:13]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:21:13]:

You know? Or how do you actually go about getting the official yes?

Speaker B [00:21:18]:

My rule that I’ve learned as well, right, is that I have to talk 30% of the time and let the potential client talk 70% of the time Mhmm. Which is tough because typically, we’ve seen enough where, like, I know what your problem is. I know what you need. Let’s just sign this and move on with our lives.

Speaker A [00:21:36]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:21:36]:

But I have to pump the brakes, pull in the reins as hard as I can to just be like, let them talk.

Speaker A [00:21:42]:

FBM.

Speaker B [00:21:42]:

Let them talk. And it works because, essentially, what the person is doing is telling you about their problem.

Speaker A [00:21:48]:

Mhmm. So I

Speaker B [00:21:48]:

always use it like a knife in the back analogy. Person comes to you, and they got a knife in the back, and they’re just looking at the knife in the back removal service. Right?

Speaker A [00:21:57]:

But

Speaker B [00:21:57]:

you’re like, tell me about the knife. Is it sharp? Is it big? Is it deep? And you’re having them explain the problem in more detail. And then you’re like this knife, and you push on it a little bit. Mhmm. And they’re like, yeah. That’s the knife. And you’re like, does this hurt? Right? You twist it a little bit, and you get it to the point where they need this knife pulled out of their back as as possible.

Speaker A [00:22:19]:

Yeah.

Speaker B [00:22:20]:

You remove a lot of the objections that they believe they had. Mhmm. Initially so including price.

Speaker A [00:22:25]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:22:25]:

Right? The rule is nobody price shops an ambulance. Mhmm. You just dial 911. Whatever shows up, you got it. Yeah. So it’s one of those things where you’re trying to get them to talk more about their problem, Once that you can understand it. Yeah. And you don’t have to sell to a problem that they don’t have.

Speaker B [00:22:41]:

Yeah. Like, you gotta make sure that you can fix it. Mhmm. But also, they’re really getting into that. This is a problem that I need fixed, and so it’s very easy to transition to we have a cure.

Speaker A [00:22:51]:

Well and there’s something about hearing yourself say this out loud in your own voice, in your own words that kind of resells it for found. Right? So let’s say you’ve asked them about their problem and you’ve said, okay. Based on what you’ve told me, this is what I think would be a good fit for you and you kinda sell the the tran or the thought the transformation or the results. Right? A question I heard recently that I thought was really interesting was someone said, okay. So tell me what you just heard. And what’s interesting about that is a a psychological piece is if you ever heard, like, the best way to learn something is to teach it somebody else.

Speaker B [00:23:28]:

Oh, yeah.

Speaker A [00:23:28]:

So the idea behind this is saying, okay. Let me understand that you heard clearly what I just said. So there aren’t any, misconstrued ideas here or, like, have unclear expectations that you’re gonna sign and you think we’re gonna, like, take over the world for you. But also

Speaker B [00:23:48]:

Is that the same?

Speaker A [00:23:49]:

Yeah. Right. That’d be awesome. New business idea. But also that idea of, well, now I’m teaching it to you of what you’re gonna give me, so now I’m internalizing it more. And that process of spitting it back out to you in my own words is helping me internalize it and also helping me believe and see it in myself.

Speaker B [00:24:10]:

Alright. So it’s you’re you’re asking them, what did you just hear from what you said?

Speaker A [00:24:14]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:24:14]:

Not what they said.

Speaker A [00:24:15]:

Right. Okay. And and you could do it both ways. Right? So I could ask you’re having them talk about their problem, and you might summarize that and say, so what I hear you saying is you’re really struggling because you feel like you don’t have time to answer your phones, but you’re leaving a bunch of money on the table. Is that right? You know? And then they might add a little bit. Cool. And you’d say based on what I’m hearing you say, we help clients with this. This is have the package that I think would serve you best, and you kind of explained that package the results of transformation.

Speaker A [00:24:41]:

Okay. So based on what just heard, tell me if that’s a good fit for your problem.

Speaker B [00:24:48]:

Alright.

Speaker A [00:24:48]:

And so, I mean, there’s a lot of different ways that you can this question. But you really just want to have them tell you what you just told them.

Speaker B [00:24:56]:

Gotcha. Alright. So everyone’s on the same

Speaker A [00:24:58]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:24:58]:

They understand you got it for sale, all that jazz? Right. What do you do if you if they tell you the problem and you’re like, we can’t help you?

Speaker A [00:25:06]:

Oh, that’s great question. I have had people come to me with this before. I was actually just telling you before we started recording today that I had a friend from a networking event who ended up buying a free hour of consulting with me from a silent auction. Right? She didn’t technically buy it from me. I donated it.

Speaker B [00:25:23]:

Say buying it.

Speaker A [00:25:24]:

Yeah. Right? Doesn’t matter. She won it. At a time, I love thinking that you won it even though you really paid for it. But she, she’s semi retired. She only works 10 hours a week with clients. She spends another about 10 hours doing volunteer work or networking or things like that. And so I was talking to her, kind of asking her about a problem.

Speaker A [00:25:42]:

And as we dug deeper and deeper, I’m sitting here thinking, like, she doesn’t need time management help because she’s only working 10 hours a week. So she doesn’t really need what I what I’m offering. So then I think the best way for me to build trust with her, and clearly she’s already a friend, but is to say, I don’t think that this is the best use of your time. So let’s either, you know, sit here and have a a conversation not about work or, you know, let’s just save you your time

Speaker B [00:26:09]:

Mhmm.

Speaker A [00:26:09]:

Because this isn’t a good fit for you. I do also think, though, if you ask what their problem is and it doesn’t fit what you offer. Sometimes the best way for you to build trust is to say, you know, I typically work with clients who have these sorts of problems. It sounds like your problem might be something more like this. Do you mind if I give you someone who might be able to help me

Speaker B [00:26:30]:

with that?

Speaker A [00:26:31]:

Right. Or maybe they haven’t described their problem clearly enough. Oh. So the other question that I really like, and maybe it’s cheesy, but I like to end some of these discovery calls just you know, if I could wave a magic wand and change one thing about for me in particular, it’s how you manage your time or how you manage your business, what would that be? Alright. And sometimes when you put it very generically like that, they explain their problem in in a different way.

Speaker B [00:26:56]:

Oh, interesting. Yeah. Because you’re taking them to the point, the end game, the goal.

Speaker A [00:27:00]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:27:01]:

And they tell you a goal that’s way over there. Yeah. So I like it. That’s cool. It’s So interesting that you also mentioned that because my crew Mhmm. A lot of them have reached out to me and said, hey. This potential client Needs x, y, and z. And I had to answer 1 recently.

Speaker B [00:27:18]:

I’m like, we can’t be everything to all people.

Speaker A [00:27:20]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:27:20]:

Can’t. It’d be awesome if we could. We can’t. Yeah. In this particular instance, it was a veterinary clinic that was looking for 247 service with veterinary techs, 247.

Speaker A [00:27:29]:

Oh, wow.

Speaker B [00:27:30]:

And I’m like, yeah. That would be awesome. Can’t do it. I don’t know if anybody does that. If they do, great. But that’s not something we can do.

Speaker A [00:27:36]:

Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:27:36]:

It’s not something that I wanna do because I don’t wanna be called up at 2 in the morning with a problem from one of those employees.

Speaker A [00:27:41]:

Or somebody calling off at 2 AM.

Speaker B [00:27:43]:

Yeah. Right? Right? Right. I don’t want any of that. Mhmm. So part of that goes To what I want with my business, what’s the goal, what can I sell? Right. And so the agent, I could tell, was a little frustrated because she wanted me to just say, yeah. We’ll make that happen. Mhmm.

Speaker B [00:27:56]:

I’m like, mm-mm.

Speaker A [00:27:58]:

Well, now comes back to what are you gonna accept in your business. I think when you start your business, you’re a lot more likely to try to move heaven and earth to get the clients because you the revenue when you wanna help people and create a good name. But also then the more of those you take, the more of a prison you create. Recognize myself.

Speaker B [00:28:13]:

Totally correct.

Speaker A [00:28:13]:

I think once you get further along in your business, it’s easier to say no and recognize those balances.

Speaker B [00:28:18]:

Yeah. You say it like, this is my sandbox. Right? We’re gonna play in the sandbox.

Speaker A [00:28:21]:

Try go

Speaker B [00:28:21]:

to merry-go-round. Not gonna go to the swings.

Speaker A [00:28:23]:

Right.

Speaker B [00:28:23]:

We’re playing in the sandbox.

Speaker A [00:28:24]:

Well and I think then once you look at the sales conversation as how can I serve you in a way that is still serving me and my team? Then it really becomes a win win situation.

Speaker B [00:28:35]:

Right. It makes sales easy.

Speaker A [00:28:36]:

It makes have

Speaker B [00:28:37]:

to Easy. There I say. Because it’s serving.

Speaker A [00:28:39]:

Fair. Right? At the end of the day, we’re all just serving. Fair.

Speaker B [00:28:42]:

Making the world a better place. Mhmm. It’s all we can do. This has been diary of a worthy pursuit.

Speaker A [00:28:47]:

Where we help you get what you truly want in life and in business.

Speaker B [00:28:50]:

It’s a good time. Share. Spread the word and the love.