There is one pretty clear rule in business, no sales equals no money. Ugg. Wouldn’t it be great if clients would just enroll themselves? You wouldn’t have to do those uncomfortable sales calls.
Making sales calls is something a lot of entrepreneurs dread. In fact, a lot of entrepreneurs actually avoid making them which is a shame because by doing so they are leaving money on the table. I have to admit I used to be one of those people. The idea of picking up the phone to ask someone for egads, money, made my palms sweats. What was that rule again? Ah, yes, no sales=no money.
There you have it, sales calls have to be done.
But why does it seems so scary?
A lot of it is wrapped up in self-worth. Have you ever had this thought “Who am I to ask for so much money?” Maybe you’ve never had that exact thought, but there are other gems we tell ourselves. Here are some you may recognize:
-I don’t want to be seen as greedy.
-I I don’t want to seem stuck-up.
-I really am asking a lot of money for what I’m offering.
-I don’t want to bother/annoy/pester anyone.
-I don’t want to be perceived as one of those sleazy, high-pressure sales people.
-This person seems so nice, I’m just going to charge them _____ instead of my full price.
-I don’t want the other person to get mad or be offended by my prices.
-What if they don’t have the money, I don’t want to put anyone out.
We all struggle with limiting beliefs when faced with potential rejection, but we have a choice. We can either succumb and suffer the consequence, or we can learn to shift our mindset so we get get what we want.
Here are a few tips to make your sales calls go from fearful to fruitful:
1. Invest in yourself. Not the first tip you expected? Actually, this is probably the very best tip I can give you. Once you take the plunge of putting out your own cold hard cash to grow your business, your mindset dramatically changes. You start to viscerally understand the value and importance of investing in yourself which makes it a lot easier to ask potential clients to do the same.
2. Focus on their transformation. How will your potential clients get the best, fastest results? Will it be by reading your free report? No, it will be by working with you, by paying you money for your services. If you really want to help a potential client meet their needs, you are doing them a disservice by not pursuing the sale.
3. Play the “so what” game. So what if someone thinks you are greedy/stuck-up/too expensive/annoying? What’s going to happen? Will the earth crumble into dust? If you are working in integrity and offering the best value you can with the products and services you offer, then who cares if some people think you are anything other than a professional entrepreneur doing your job? There will always be some people who think your fees are too high, but they are not your ideal clients. There will be plenty of others who will have no problem with your fees, who see the value in what you do and will be thankful they worked with you.
4. Bless other entrepreneurs.When you hear a big guru charges $10,000-25,000 for a VIP Day, what is your gut reaction? Do you say to yourself, “That’s outrageous!” What about when a peer raises her prices above yours for the same service? Do you think…”Who does she think she is?” Um, hello, isn’t that exactly what you worry potential clients will say about you? You need to change your mindset to abundance. Replace, “Who does she think she is?” with “Good for her!” Your judgments are about you. Don’t think for one second your limiting beliefs about others don’t play out in your own sales calls.
5. Take yourself seriously. Are you a business owner or not? You are running a b-u-s-i-n-e-s-s, you are not a personal charity. Do you think the gas station owner feels badly about asking you to pay for gas? Do you expect the grocery store to give you a discount on your food because you’re a really nice person? No. This is business. Businesses are about making profits. It is expected. Why should anyone expect differently from you? Does it make you a bad person because you are asking for money? No, it makes you a business person.
Next time you are feeling a little nervous about picking up the phone, remember people need what you have to offer, but the only way they are going to get the change they so badly desire, is by investing in themselves. Sales are not something you do to someone, it’s something you do for someone.
Your feedback is music to my ears!
What fears do you struggling with around making sales calls?
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Heather Poduska is a brand strategist, business coach and opera singer who helps entrepreneurs and small business owners create client attractive brands, polished brand images and brand communication strategies to increase their visibility and impact in the marketplace and grow their businesses.
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