How to Make Sales without Being Salesy

Not too long ago I was having a conversation with a small group of clients about how to improve their “Yes Factor” (the number of people who bought from them). Two of the participants spoke up to say they were highly uncomfortable with selling. They preferred to just tell people what they do and let the prospective client make up their own mind about whether to hire them or not.nnAnd by their own admission, they weren’t working with the number of clients they wanted. (I see several nods of recognition from you out there.)nnThe problem with that strategy is:nn• It’s too passive n• It’s too vague nnWithout a clear, compelling offer and Call to Action, you leave your audience at a disadvantage. They have “the facts,” but you’re expecting them to correctly interpret and apply those facts to their own situation. Inthe name of not being pushy, you’re asking them to do somementalheavy lifting. Potential buyers typically don’t like to do heavy lifting, mental or otherwise.That’s what they’re paying you for!nnPeople need to know you’re offering something specific. They need to know exactly how it will transform their situation. And they need to know you’re passionate about delivering that transformation. Minus those factors, they can’t give you a decision (other than a “default no”).nnSo to assist you in finding a comfortable, authentic solution to the Making-Sales-Without-Being-Salesy challenge, here are three fresh and simple tips.nnTip #1: – Reframe “sell” so it’s not a 4-letter wordnnBottom line, you can’t help anyone if they don’t buy. (And you’ll find yourself in a “cash flow situation” pretty quickly.) Which means if you truly believe what you have to offer is hands-down-no-kidding beneficial for the right people, selling them on the idea is a huge gift you’re offering. Hiding your light under a bushel (even if that bushel is disguised as “modesty”) does no one any favors.nnTip #2: - Consider selling (in this new perspective) as part of your servicesnnShowing your potential client that a real and simple solution is available to them is actually the first step of delivering transformation. Rather than putting the selling part of what you do somewhere “over there,” separate from the rest of how you support clients, understand that it’s a crucial part of the cycle. Until they say “Yes, I want your help,” nothing else can change for them.nnTip #3:- Create a simple-to-follow template for yourself nnGoals are much easier to achieve when you’ve got a plan or a system to follow. So develop a basic script that purposefully takes you and your prospective client from Point A (what’s the challenge they’re facing) to Point B (here’s the solution I offer and how you can get it), touching on benefits along the way, of course. You’ll soon find that the sequence becomes second nature to you – and quickly creates the results you’re after.nnUse these simple tips to power up your writing. It’s going to have a big impact on your ability to get your message heard - so you can impact more lives. Isn’t that really why you’re in business?