After personal and team sales over one Billion, I’ve seen some miracles happen over time.
One client went from generating $12,000 to $156,000 per month in sales after working together for a few short months.
The same strategies have worked for me in dozens of industries like insurance, interior design, educational products, coaching and consulting.
These simple strategies are working right now to sell everything from $2,000 a month educational programs to individual sales over $350,000 and up.
Now, after 50,000+ customers and training over 1,200 sales people - here are practical techniques and strategic mindsets you and your team can use to have authentic conversations that get the sale.
If you are a consultant or a sales person, with an established business, and at least 500 people to call then this article will give you the power to get as many clients as you can handle.
If you don’t have time to read this article, and you just want me to take care of training your sales team for you, then you can schedule a 1-1 appointment with me by clicking the calendar below
Truth is, as a consultant/sales person you really are a cut above the rest. Consultants/Sale people dedicate their lives to helping others, to getting results and to making the world a better place. It’s a noble profession.
It also means you’ll be able to understand the intention of this article better than most, and the value of providing helpful information up front, with absolutely no catch.
#1. The goldmine under your nose
All the normal consultants and sales professionals are fighting over hot new lead generation systems.
They’re testing out Facebook strategies, SEO tactics, networking & referral systems etc.
Since most consultants and sales professionals are trying to find new people to call, this presents a very unique opportunity for smart consultants and sales professionals like you.
As we all know, the first prerequisite for having a sales conversation is being able to have a conversation.
You need a conversation partner.
You need people to call.
But focusing all your energy on finding new leads ISN’T the fastest, most reliable way to increase revenue.
If you have a list over 500 then the this can produce near miraculous results almost overnight.
For example, Rhonda came to me with a common sales problem.
She was undercharging by a lot before, because she didn’t know how to create value in the sales conversation and she was desperate to get her prices higher.
After just one of these simple changes in the sales conversations, she doubled her prices.
AND her sales team closed more leads than ever before.
She used to charge $2,000 a month for her one-on-one clients…. our first month she landed 3 new clients at $4,000 month.
Think about this, if you generate the same amount of leads as your competitors, but you are 3X better at closing them….
… then you’ll get 300% more customers & profit from the same initial spend!
It truly is a massive opportunity.
You just have to disregard outdated “sales wisdom” and try a newer, simpler approach.
In the rest of this article, I’ll reveal how you can use my simple process to close more clients, so you can have a greater impact with less resistance.
And if you follow the final suggestion in this article, you’ll also have more time, and do less work, while earning more and transforming more client’s lives.
The way to do this is NOT to lower your lead generation costs to 40 cents, or get 5,000 likes on your Facebook page, or even rank on the first page of Google…
… it’s to mine the gold hidden in your current list.
#2. How to Apply The 80/20 Rule to Selling
Remember the old 80/20 rule? You need to understand that 20% of your clients will provide 80% of your profit.
You can use this rule to dramatically improve your sales conversations.
And this is the exact opposite of what most people do when selling.
But, as you’ll come to see, to get miraculous results, you have to zig when everyone else zags.
You need to spend 80% of your time getting to know your client and learning their challenges and 20% of your time presenting the solution.
Typically people spend 80% of the time selling or presenting a solution and 20% of their time understanding their potential clients challenges.
The role of a sales conversation is to find the gap between where the prospect is, and where they want to be.
Then, (with permission) you can demonstrate how your product or service fills that gap.
Your job is not to sell.
It’s to find problems, really understand those problems THEN offer solutions.
This might sound simple, but if you examine your current sales system, chances are it’s mostly focused on the “pitch”.
Which can be completely useless if you’re focused on the wrong type of problem.
#3. Discovering & solving pressing problems
There are two types of problems your prospects have.
Pressing problems and “worry-about-it-later” problems.
An example of a “worry-about-it-later” problem is:
‘I need to set up a system to attract new clients.’
The pressing problem is:
‘I need to increase revenue this month.’
Now, the solution for those problems is identical.
The only difference is how the prospect refers to the problem.
Are they using “procrastination indication” language? (I know I should do that process…)
Or are they using “need demonstration” language? (I need this result as soon as possible…)
When you focus on solving the first type of problem, you’ll make an unpersuasive, bland offer that “sounds like work” to your prospect.
But your goal is to get the prospect to think at a higher level, so they know that putting the process in place will help them get the result.
(Towards pleasure or away from pain.)
If you struggle with this, I understand. It can be really hard for consultants and sales professionals who want to be seen as authentic, honest, and trustworthy to talk about solving this pressing problem… because prospects are skeptical.
Because of this many consultants and sales professionals think they should focus more on the “realistic promise” of setting up processes. (Selling features)
But you’ll lose a lot of clients that way… because it’s not what they really want.
You have to sell them what they really want… the result.
That’s truly serving your prospect… even if setting up that process is what they need.
You HAVE to sell the sizzle, not the steak.
And the only way to sell the sizzle is to know what your prospect really wants.
Here are some of the questions we’ve found to work best:
What is your current challenge?
What goal are you trying to reach?
How long have you been trying to accomplish (x) or find a solution?
What avenues have you already explored?
What do you think you will use the product or service for?
Why is finding a solution important?
Why do you want to do this now?
What has kept you from pursuing a solution in the past?
When you know what problem a certain prospect is having it makes this next step a breeze.
#4. How to “sort” instead of “convince”
You know how I can tell an amateur salesperson from a pro?
It’s how much effort they put into closing a sale.
Watching an amateur try to close a sale is like watching a pimply highschooler ask a supermodel on a date.
They can present fact after fact, beg on their knees, try all sorts of pickup lines and still get shut-down without hesitation.
On the other hand, watching a pro close a sale is like watching someone slide down a greased waterslide on a hot summer day.
It’s easy, effortless, and ends with a pleasurable, desirable result.
I’ll get to specific closing steps in a minute, but before I do let’s talk about the goal of sales conversations.
Specifically, let’s talk about what the pros know that amateurs don’t.
See amateurs try to convince prospects to buy. They’ll use everything in their arsenal to try to demonstrate how their product is better than the alternatives. They’ll ask awkward leading questions, use canned responses to objections (I know how you feel…)
They’ll push hard because they’re emotionally attached to the sale.
They convince.
Pros don’t do any of that nonsense.
They simply help prospects reach decisions based on what they need.
They sort.
However, a good sales conversation cannot happen without a good foundation.
#5. Building real rapport makes the sales process smoother
So far we’ve said you need to have a list of people to sell to, focus 80% of your selling conversation on the prospect’s needs, solve pressing problems and then simply “sort” out your buyers. Now I’m going to tell you the underlying foundational mindsets that make that process far smoother and more natural.
I’ve seen thousands of salespeople test out all sorts of different techniques. Some would read dozens of books, buy online courses, have perfectly mapped out openers, answers to objections and closes… and their sales STILL plateau.
Others wouldn't take the time to invest in learning the latest greatest technique. They would just talk to people. Objections would just evaporate, and their sales would steadily increase.
This strange phenomenon occurred across all industries, selling everything from $1,000 products to $350,000/year services.
So, what made the difference?
Well, there was one crucial differentiator.
The amount of real rapport they generated.
See anyone can learn some probing questions, learn the prospect’s name, basic details, use stories etc.
They can do everything right…
And totally miss the point.
The point isn’t to develop rapport just to make the sale… in fact, if built properly, the sale is just part of a continuous process of building rapport by finding and solving problems.
(This turns one-time purchasers into life-long fans who look to YOU as the expert forever)
So how do you flip this switch and turn on the real rapport?
The only way to build real rapport, instead of that “used-car-salesman” cheesiness is to be detached from the result, and genuinely focused on solving the problem.
See, every conversation has multiple objectives.
Have you defined what the objectives are other than to make a sale?
Top producers have strategic objectives as well as tactical objectives.
The tactical objectives are to close the sale, and get money.
Strategic objectives are much deeper than that… like making a friend, building trust, getting someone to open up, building a great connection.
Basically, letting people genuinely know you care.
Here are some questions you can use to build more real rapport in your sales conversations:
Tell me about what you currently do?
What else should I know about that?
How long have you been doing that?
Are you enjoying yourself?
What do you like about what you currently do?
The goal here is to build trust, make a friend, show interest, find a common ground, and identifying with their situation, get them to talk more, speak freely, build that connection.
This can be very difficult without a fundamental shift in how you and your team view sales conversations.
#6. Close effortlessly with these steps (never feel awkward again)
Once you have established real rapport and discovered the pressing problem it’s time to start “sorting” out your buyers.
This is where most sales conversations fall apart at the seams.
Chances are you’ve heard the acronym A.B.C. which stands for “always be closing”
While I’m sure it’s spoken with good intentions, it’s not a wise selling strategy.
If you are always closing, you are expecting to get rejected 9 times out of 10.
You’re training your prospects not to buy.
What makes a lot more sense is to close effortlessly, when the time is right.
An effortless close requires 5 steps:
1. Ask for permission to share your solution. If you’ve taken the time to really understand the problem, and your offer is a fit then it’s time to share your solution. Asking permission to share what the solution brings down all defenses.
2. Help them realize the significance of their decision. Now is when you have to make the pain & pleasure visceral for your prospects. Help them understand the pain & loss of not moving forward. (Ex. What happens if you do nothing?)
3. Help them stretch. Your prospects want to be pushed. They need you to help them think BIG. Imagine the future once they find a solution. (Ex. What would your life look like if you found a solution that allowed you to do X?) If you understand their goals, and you understand their problem, and you really care about them then you have a duty to move them mentally towards their goals.
4. Help them select - Your prospect needs to learn what options they have, and why they want you. Get them to verbalize the options and list you as an option. Allow them to state why they’re looking at you as a solution. (Ex. You can get this type of service anywhere else, why would you want to work with me?)
5. Discover how much they will spend - This is where you identify their financial resources and what they’re willing to invest. Also learn if they have a willingness to invest in a solution to their problem. (How much would they earn with that solution to their problem?)
Following these 5 steps will get you more money & better clients who respect and appreciate you.
But even with the best, most authentic, caring sales conversation some people will still say no…
#7. Turn “No’s” into Mental Money
Okay now we’re getting to the really good stuff - the stuff that will separate you from the pack.
Most people will be frustrated when they lose a sale.
Their lil’ ego will get bruised.
They’ll cry to mama.
Unless you learn what I’m about to tell you.
If you really understand this, then each time a prospect says “No” you’ll only hear “Cha-Ching!”
You’l literally feel like you’re getting paid every time your prospect reaches a decision, whether it’s a yes or a no.
To make this crystal clear, let me ask you a question…
When a lumberjack chops a tree down, is it the final blow that fells the tree?
Or is it all the blows before the final one?
It’s the same with selling.
The call where you make a sale is not the only call responsible for your sale. All the other calls before it also played a role.
If it takes 10 conversations to make a $120,000 sale, then each conversation is worth $12,000.
Or if it takes 100 conversations to make a $120,000 sale, then each conversation is worth $1,200... I think you get the picture.
(As long as a decision is reached, “Maybes…” don’t count)
How many no’s would you chase if I were following you around with big stacks of hundred dollar bills?
How many people would you talk to today?
Look, I’m sure you’ve heard this before. Everyone and their mom talks about the “law of averages” and just “doing the work”… but on average only 4-5% of salespeople ever actually learn to think this way.
Those 4-5% are normally the top producers.
Which leads me to my next point…
#8. Train your team right
It’s not enough that you know what you’re doing.
It’s not enough for you to know how to sell
It’s not enough that you have the right mindset.
If you know what to do, but your team doesn’t that’s like a lone wolf leading a pack of puppies.
A lone wolf might be able to catch a rabbit, but a pack of wolves can conquer a moose.
Think about this…
Suppose for every 10 people you talk to, you make 4 sales.
And for every 10 people your team members talk to, they make 3 sales.
You talk with 10 people a week. Your team talks with 50.
If you increase your own closing ratio by 10% you’ll add 4 new customers a month.
If you increase your team’s closing ratio by the same 10% you’ll add 20 new customers a month!
The power of increased sales conversions lies with your TEAM, not with you.
You have to make sure they really understand the point, and process of the sales conversation.
This is the ONLY way your business will scale past a one-man army, and grow into an effective and thriving organization.
#9. Dealing With Your New Clients
Okay, now once you’re getting 50 clients a month instead of 30 you’re going to have a lot more pressure on your organization.
If you want to keep clients happy, you’ll have to automate and systematize new ways of dealing with clients.
You could potentially hire another coach to “farm” coaching out to, so you don’t have to do it all by yourself.
Or you could cut back on the number of hours you spend with each client.
Or raise your prices so you earn the same but with less clients.
You just have to make sure you have time to really deliver.
Can you imagine having a business that has so many customers/clients you have to hire other staff to take care of the new customers/clients?
I know I might be getting ahead of myself, yet I’ve seen this happen and it excites me.
Or you could just be content with having a steady stream of new customers/clients.
There’s nothing wrong with that.