Do many of you get those butterflies in your stomach every time you go to make a ‘sales’ call? Do you have to get ‘psyched up’ to talk to a prospect about the life-changing work that you do?
What’s that all about, anyway? I know, from my coaching clients, that you have a burning desire to help people – YOUR people – the ones who live their lives, day in and day out, in pain. The people who are looking for a solution – for change – for improvement.
And you know that YOU have the answer, the solution, the techniques, the transformational method to help them improve their lives! But something gets in the way………YOU DO!
You know that all it would take is a phone call to get a new client. You’re on the phone all the time anyway – with friends, with family, with colleagues. So, you know how to talk on the phone. What’s so different about a conversation with a prospect?
I know – it’s that ‘yukky’ sales conversation! Well, let’s just re-frame that. I want you to shift your thinking, first and foremost. It’s not about the SALE (although I will be the first to tell you that without a sale, you have NO business! That is the truth!). But, when it comes to having what I call a ‘get acquainted’ phone conversation with a prospect, it really is not about the sale.
That phone conversation is about ‘being of service’. So, before you even pick up the phone, shift your thinking from sales to service. That’s the first success step. Here are a few more.
1. Take Charge of the Call – Outline Your Intentions with the Prospect. Be sure to explain just what the call is all about – it might sound like this (I know my clients always like to have some sample scripts.):
“We have about 30 minutes on this call – and the reason I wanted to talk with you is to find out what’s going on in your business and then identify whether or not, together, we can find a solution to your challenges so that you can move forward and succeed.” That puts the prospect at ease, positions you to lead the conversation in a certain amount of time and creates boundaries with respect to what will be discussed.
2. Focus on the potential transformation! Keep in mind that this is NOT a coaching call – but rather an exploration of what’s going on in the business and what some of the potential barriers or blocks exist that are keeping the individual stuck. While you do want to explore their current reality, keep control of the call in that you do not want the prospect to go on and on about ‘their story’. Remember – it’s all about pain/solution – and the transformation that is possible for their growth and development. Get the information you need and start to talk about the change or improvement that is possible. This creates a comfort level for you to start to talk about the offer – the potential of working together.
3. The Cost of Staying Stuck. This is a critical piece of the conversation – to help the prospect understand what current reality ‘is costing them’. And, to use a popular Dr. Phil question: “How’s that working for you?” You’ve got to help the prospect understand that there is, in fact, a cost to staying stuck. When you help them see the actual dollar value (lost clients, lost streams of revenue, missed opportunities), it makes sense for them to want to change – financial pain often causes individuals to want to move towards a solution! But you’ve got to help them see and understand that financial pain. When you help them move from pain to solution, it increases the likelihood that they will want to work with you. At this point in the call, I recommend my clients just be quiet for a moment – give the prospect time to think this through (for a minute or two) – they are then likely to ask the question – ‘how does one actually work with you, then?” The most common mistake I see here is that YOU, the entrepreneur, are uncomfortable with the moments of silence. Get used to it – it’s an important part of the process for the prospect.
When you get comfortable with the process, reframing your own thoughts from Sales to Service, will make a huge difference in your conversion rates – and in the whole tone of the phone conversation with prospects. It really is that easy.
The next step is for you to go and practice this technique. Practice does NOT make perfect – but it sure does increase your comfort level and your level of competency as you make more and more calls. The beautiful part of this is that you are helping people – and isn’t that what you are all about?
What difference will it make for you to shift your thinking from sales to service?
Please share your thoughts!
