Selling Points: How To Be Great At Sales Without Seeming Salesey
Recently, our Fearless founder Madeline Pratt was interviewed for Thrive Global in an article titled, How To Be Great At Sales Without Seeming Salesey. We’re highlighting some of her main points below––her selling points, if you will.
Make Sure What You’re Selling Has Value
“My entire career has been built around my ability to build relationships that lead to sales,” says Madeline. “I believe that we should sell like we would want to be sold to. Great selling is about educating and empathizing with the customer to build connections, and when the time is right, that customer will trust you enough to transact with you. It should never be about pushing or selling someone on something they don’t need or aren’t ready to invest in.”
Whenever and wherever possible, provide value. Don’t just “circle back” with folks for no reason, they’ll sense that you’ve got a sales agenda and that it’s disingenuous. Instead, offer value. “I like to circle back with previous prospects and share articles or other information like a radio segment that I’ve come across that I believe would interest them,” says Madeline. “I also make a point to see prospects as people, and whether they work with us or not, I always keep an eye out for ways to connect them to other folks and opportunities in our network so they associate their relationship and experience with me and my company as valuable and beneficial to their business.”
Always Go For Quality Over Quantity
One of the most important ways to generate leads that are of quality is by being crystal clear in your marketing and who you’re meant to serve.
“A common mistake that businesses make is thinking that lead generation is about quantity,” says Madeline. “So, they mass market and pull in as many leads as possible. I strongly believe there’s nothing worse than wasting your time talking to folks that aren’t a fit for what you offer and never intend to become customers.”
Make it a huge focus in your company to make sure your marketing is designed to repel away people that aren’t a good fit. That way, you’re only focusing energy and attention on leads that actually have the potential to become paying customers that you actually enjoy working with. “Occasionally some folks that aren’t a fit for us or aren’t ready to commit to a purchase still show up in our pipeline,” says Madeline. “I make a point to never chase these people. However, if we’ve had an initial conversation with someone and they’re still feeling unsure, that’s when I know I need to focus on delivering them more details to educate them on how we work, and the benefits of what we have to offer.” This can be done by providing them with another opportunity to discuss your services or introducing them to an existing customer that was facing a similar problem prior to working with you.
Don’t Be Afraid to Challenge Old Systems
Being “salesy” isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The negative connotation has a lot to do with our cultural connotations around selling and money in general. “In our western society, we still see selling and talking about money as tacky or taboo, which is ironic given the capitalist construct we operate under,” she says.
Instead of the traditional seven stages of a sales cycle, which are usually broken down to versions of Prospecting, Preparation, Approach, Presentation, Handling objections, Closing, and Follow-up, Madeline has her own approach to selling. “It’s broken down into Qualifying, Engaging, Discussing, Proposing, Closing, and Onboarding,” she says.
“I am an absolute ace at Engaging, because this moment is really about hearing the story of what the client is struggling with, and then offering up information about what you have to offer that could help. The key to this comes down to really listening.”
Choose The Best Communication Strategies
“I think that texting is the most invasive means of communication, and should be avoided entirely when selling,” Madeline says. “Nothing repels me more than a company texting me without my permission.” Again, the goal is to sell like you’d want to be sold to, so don’t be that person texting someone to sell them something they never indicated any interest in.
Instead, try video calls so you can make a human connection with the particular person you’re aiming to bring onboard. “Clients who have heard about me or my company’s work appreciate the opportunity to connect with me and get a sense for who I am as a person,” she says. “And I get an opportunity to get to know them and get to check my gut if they’re actually a fit to work with me and my team.”
Potential clients don’t always remember what’s been discussed, so make a point to always follow up with a clearly detailed email that outlines what was covered on the call and the next steps that were outlined––whether that’s signing a proposal or setting up another call.
5 Ways To Successfully Close a Sale, Without Being Pushy
Set clear boundaries & expectations. This is a critical way to let potential buyers know that you mean business. The more clearly you can communicate with customers about the timelines, the information that is needed to prepare them to purchase, and the value that will be delivered, the more they will trust that you have a process in place to support them as a customer and live up to the conversations you’ve had thus far.
Confirm you’re on the same page. Sometimes things change during the sales process. A virus happens. Someone leaves the company. Budget numbers are reconfigured. Part of being empathetic is understanding that things change, and checking in with your prospects to see if something has shifted so that you can both adjust your plans accordingly.
Leave space to ask further questions. Questions are always going to come up after the fact. Folks will forget what was said on a call or come up with an idea or issue that needs to be addressed in the days after you propose to them. That means that you need to do your part to be accessible and available to demonstrate your value by asking if they have any further questions and answering them as they arise.
Offer more education & resources. Just because someone is uncertain about making a purchase does not mean they’re a “no” or that they won’t be a “yes” in the future. One of the easiest ways to demonstrate that you’re the right person for the job is to offer them education and resources upfront for free. Whether this is free training or just a whitepaper that could help them make an informed decision, it is always a good idea to offer resources that make your prospects see you as a source of valuable and trustworthy information.
Ask them if there are obstacles you can help with. You know the adage, it’s not you, it’s me? Well sometimes that “me” is a business leader, a boss, or a team member. Or some other obstacle inside of their organization that can’t seem to come onboard with the purchasing decision, even if your prospect is ready to purchase. Make a point to ask the folks that you’re engaged with if there are obstacles blocking your way, and show them that you’re on their side by offering them support and resources to remove them from your mutual path.
Wanting more? Read the full interview with Madeline on Thrive Global!