Super Simple Selling (the Book Yourself Solid Way)
Successful Selling Needs The Right Amount of Trust At Just The Right Time
It’s no accident that I introduce sales in Book Yourself Solid in Chapter 9—after I’ve taught you how to set your foundation and build trust and credibility. One of the reasons that so many sales conversations are unsuccessful is because they’re had at the wrong time—usually too soon—before you’ve earned the proportionate amount of trust needed for the offer being made. Plus, your clients’ buy when it’s right for them—when something occurs in their life or business that compels them to hire you. If these two factors, trust and timing, come together at just the right moment, you’ll have a successful sales conversation and book the business. But this only works if you’ve built a solid foundation, demonstrating that you:
- Have a red velvet rope policy so you work only with ideal clients.
- Understand why people buy what you’re selling so you know exactly to whom you are selling and what they want to invest in.
- Have developed a personal brand identity so you decide how you’re known in the world.
- Are able to talk about what you do without sounding confusing or bland, or like everybody else, and without ever using an elevator speech.
If you’ve set this foundation, a potential client will give you the opportunity to earn their trust. But you’ll only earn their trust if you:
- Use the standard credibility builders and have a high degree of likeability.
- Have designed a sales cycle that starts with no-barrier-to-entry offers including your always-have-something-to-invite-people-to offer.
- Have simple lead generating information products that enhance your credibility and speed up your sales cycle.
Then, and realy only then, are you ready to have sales conversations—that work.
The Secret to the Book Yourself Solid System
This simple 4-step process is the secret to the Book Yourself Solid system.
- You execute a few of the 7 Core Self-Promotion strategies, which create awareness for what you have to offer.
- When a potential client becomes aware of your services they’ll take a look at your foundation. If it looks secure, if they feel comfortable stepping onto it, they’ll give you the opportunity to earn their trust—but only the opportunity. They’re not necessarily going to hire you right then and there. They need some time before they will actually trust you.
- That’s when your plan to build trust and credibility comes into play. As a potential client moves through your sales cycle, they will come to like you, trust you and find you credible.
- When their circumstances dictate that they need the kind of help you provide, they’ll raise their hand and ask you to have a sales conversation (I’ll teach you this in a minute). You have a sales conversation the Book Yourself Solid way and book the business.
The process is simple. The process is sound. It can turn your business life around. And, most importantly, the process is a complete, repetitive, and self-perpetuating system.
The Super Simple Selling System
Now, let’s talk about how to have the sales conversation. I’ve created, the 4-Part Sales Formula for super simple selling—so simple the formula practically works on its own. Why? Because, once trust is assured and a need is met, using this 4 part formula during your sales conversations will book the business. But, please remember, this is meant to be an open and free-flowing conversation not a sales script.
Book Yourself Solid 4-Part Sales Formula
When a potential client expresses interest in working with you, open with a simple question…
Part 1: What are you working on? Or, what is your goal? Or, what are you trying to achieve?
Once you feel certain you know what they want to accomplish and by when, simply ask…
Part 2: How will you know when you have achieved it? What results will you see? What feedback will you hear? What feelings will you have?
Once you feel like the potential client has clearly articulated these benefits, make sure they are fully in the hiring frame of mind, ask…
Part 3: Would you like someone to help you with that (achieve your goal, etc.)?
If they say, “no,” wish them the best of luck and keep-in-touch with them. If they say, “yes,” then offer…
Part 4: Would you like that person to be me? Because, you know, you are my ideal client. (To which they’ll say, “what do you mean?” Because no one has ever said that to them before.) Well, you are someone with whom I do my best work. (They’ll ask “why?” and you’ll tell them…) Because you are… (Here is where you list the qualities that make them who they are and allow you to do your best work.) As, you’re listing these qualities you’ll see their face brighten as they sit up strait and say, “Wow. That is so me! Thank you for noticing.” You’ll say, so shall we look at our calendars to plan a time to get started? And, the answer will be…drumroll please… “Absolutely, yes!”
Don’t use the phrases above verbatim. Instead just use the Book Yourself Solid 4-Part Sales Formula as a framework for a superduper simple (successful) sales conversation.
Written Exercise: Practice without pressure. Try this process with a good friend or colleague and see what happens. Ask them to call you at random a few times over the course of a week and say, “Hi, I’ve been getting your newsletter for a while and I think you may be able to help me, can we talk about your services?” And, instead of doing that thing that everyone does—talk about themselves and their business for 20 minutes—ask them what they’re working on or what they’re trying to achieve or what problem they’re trying to overcome, and you’ll be into Part 1 of the Book Yourself Solid 4-Part Sales Formula. Super simple.
Super Simple Selling (the Book Yourself Solid Way) http://bit.ly/bssoum
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Super Simple Selling (the Book Yourself Solid Way) http://bit.ly/bssoum
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I love this process, it really makes you into someone who’s just curious about what your prospect is working on and if and how you can help–not a salesperson. I just wonder how you can adapt this into a cold-call scenario?
Super Simple Selling (the Book Yourself Solid Way) http://shar.es/myKCJ
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