Are you frustrated with your sales? Are you putting in a lot of time attending networking events, luncheons, and one to one meetings, but not increasing your sales? Do you wonder what the problem is?

Here are the three most common reasons that you aren’t connecting with your clients:

Is your conversation all about you and not the client? Notice it is called a sales conversation not a sales dialogue. If you talk mostly about yourself, why you got into the business, what the business has done for you, what you love about the business, it may seem like you are just sharing your enthusiasm, but to establish rapport with someone you must establish an emotional connection with their wants and needs, not yours. When you talk about yourself, your customer feels sold to. When you ask about them and what they want, they feel understood.  Ask yourself: What is the problem, need or desire that my client is trying to solve? How does my client feel about the problem? If you walk away and can’t remember anything you learned about the client, their problems, their frustrations, their goals, and dreams, you’ve missed the mark.

Are you selling the airplane or the destination? Are you spending your time talking about the product, its benefits, its unique features, how it compares to other more inferior products or services? Or are you sharing how it can solve their problems and fulfill their wants and needs? Notice that you have to know what they are looking for in order to take this next step and that is why you must be curious about them in the previous step. No one buys an airline ticket so they can sit on the plane cheek to cheek with a stranger and eat bad food for four hours. They buy the ticket because it gets them where they want to go. They are buying the result or the destination. Ask yourself: What does my ideal client want and how does my product or service solve that problem or meet that need? What is their destination and how can I get them there?

Are you expressing both empathy and authority? Most people buy from the heart, but they need enough evidence to get them there. Make sure you can verify the results through a logical means then follow that up with a testimonial that shares how your product or service solves their emotional needs as well. For example, if you are a financial adviser, share the financial benefits of investing so that money grows and the relief and comfort in knowing that you are prepared for retirement. Ask yourself: What are the facts I need to share about my product or service? What are the emotions that my client can expect to experience if they purchase my product or service?

Sales can become your new love language if you focus on helping your client meet their needs, instead of selling something to meet your needs. And in the end, you will accomplish both.

Did you miss my last series of classes on sales? Register below for the next Zoom classes on sales (Can’t make the day or time? Don’t worry all the classes are recorded so you can watch them later):

July 26th @11:00 Create a message that sells

• Learn the ingredients that are necessary to create a message that engages the listener with a memorable story so that they can’t wait to buy from you

July 27th @1100 Create marketing that sells

• Learn key words, phrases and subject lines that customers can’t help but open and read. Learn key strategies for keeping clients engaged and buying.

July 28th @ 11:00 Create a system that sells

• Learn how to create systems that provide consistent follow up and develop ongoing relationships without sounding salesy or spending all day on social media

Register here: upcoming classes on sales

 

Lynne’s session – Clarifying Your Message – was chock full of information and guidance. She used a seven-step formula to guide me through the steps of walking my clients through their story. Lynne is a natural educator and explains complex lessons in a way that is easy to understand. If you are a business owner having trouble getting your message out to the world, take Lynne’s class!

~Lori Lyons, Igniteyourmarketing.com