In my group coaching session the other day we started talking about how hard it is to sell as a business owner. I mentioned that I believe it’s because our business is our baby. Trying to sell it is like asking, “Isn’t my baby beautiful?” You run the risk that they person will say “no.”
So here you are the salesperson and the business owner. You’re the mom who has to ask if your baby is beautiful. Let’s be honest – your ego is riding on the answer. So, what can you do to overcome this problem and master sales? The first thing to do is a giant step back and get unemotional. It’s not whether your baby is beautiful; it’s ther you have a solution to their problem. When you shift your focus to the prospect and NOT your product or service, you can look at the situation more objectively.
If you took an unemotional look at your product or service and asked yourself – how does it help my client – you’d arrive at an unemotional answer. That’s really all sales is about. It’s not a judgment about the worthiness of your company. It’s matching a solution to a problem. If the prospect doesn’t have that problem, or doesn’t believe he has that problem, you will not be able to sell him your solution. They aren’t saying your product/service is bad; they are saying they don’t need it.
Now that you have a better understanding of the value your product/service brings to you can seek out more qualified prospects. One of the reasons we get ourselves caught up in the ugly baby mode is because we prospect too broadly. Somewhere down the road, someone told us that prospecting is a numbers game; that we have to cold call a lot of companies or people to get to the few who might give us an ear. No wonder we feel like we’re being judged!
When you try to ‘sell’ to someone who has no interest in your product or service – and you do it in large numbers – you are setting yourself up for an ego hit. The vast majority of people are NOT going to want what you have to offer. You are going to feel like they are telling you your baby is ugly.
On the flip side, if you do your research and reach out to those companies/people that mirror your current clients, you are more likely to make a connection. Yes, there will most likely be fewer prospects to call. That’s okay because these prospects are qualified. Calling for the sake of calling is a waste of time in my opinion. Reaching out to those who have the potential for turning into clients is time well spent.
Now, when you do your outreach, focus on the prospect. Here is where you want to identify if, indeed, they are a fit. Ask them qualifying questions to discern whether a further discussion is needed. You aren’t going to get to the discussion of your product or service until you have a full understanding of their situation and needs. Then when you talk about your product or service it will be in the context of their problem. You’ll be offering a solution.
Changing your perspective from “Is my baby ugly” to “how can I help you problem solve” makes all the difference in sales. Train your energy on your prospect and you’ll find you can sell objectively. Removing the ego involvement will do wonders for your prospecting
effectiveness and your closing ratios.