No-one should lose customers because of this

I walked into a shoe store over the weekend.

And this clerk came up to me with a smile and a very simple question:

“Do you need any help?”

And what followed was one of those sessions where you find yourself sitting on a ridiculously low leather sofa, surrounded by boxes, tissue paper and random shoes.

Then periodically getting up to inappropriately stomp, tip-toe and even chassé around the store to test against all eventualities.

Anyway, I ended up buying a pair, and paid a lot more than I expected.

But here’s the thing: without the assistance, I would have left empty-handed.

That’s what I did in the stores before this one.

I walked in, looked around, and no assistance.

Sometimes I’d even see clerks standing in the most inconspicuous corners of the shop floor, going completely unnoticed.

Not this clerk.

He stood out.

And he reminded me of how simple customer-acquisition really can be:

Smile, and offer assistance.

It all starts there.

You’re never too advanced to follow the basics.

“I don’t want to bother people…”

A lot of the people that come to me believe a variation of:

“Sales and Marketing is bothering people”

Here’s a better approach:

Step out of your own shoes for a moment and see this from your prospect’s perspective:

Would I feel “bothered” if you showed me a way out of a big problem I can’t seem to solve on my own?

No.

If anything I’d be inspired and hopeful.

When you consider how many lives you’re changing through your promotions,

You’ll no longer see it as a “burden” or “necessary evil” and more like a duty.

You’ve just got to come from the right place.

When you do that, people won’t just TURN to you for solutions, but they’ll PAY for them too.

The “Thing” they Actually Want

This is EXACTLY what is happening every day in business.

Your prospects are out there looking for something, but oftentimes it’s not the “thing” they actually want.

If you ask them, they’ll tell you what they “think” they want.

When someone tells me “I don’t like selling”

When someone tells me “I don’t like selling”

That’s not what they usually mean.

When we begin sailing upstream for clarity, we reach something that resembles this:

“I don’t want to argue, convince and push people to buy from me.”

Introversion isn’t a Curse!

And I know it can feel that way when all the business-building advice out there seems to involve activities that you simply don’t want to do.

I mean, sometimes it’s hard enough for your own friends and family to get words out of you, and now you’re expected to “build relationships”, “get your name out there” and ask strangers to buy from you?

And while to others it might sound ridiculous, you’re not going to stop searching for a way to grow your business without “people”… or at least with a lot fewer people than you’re “supposed” to interact with.

So what to do when you’d much rather go for a long walk, sketch a landscape or fiddle around on a spreadsheet than market yourself and “sell”?

Well, I don’t have all the answers but I do have a potential solution.

And no, it doesn’t involve stock trading.

Now to be clear, it won’t eliminate the need to be around people entirely: but we both know that’s not what you really want anyway!

However, it will give you the ability to reach your income goals with less marketing, fewer calls and a smaller number of clients to manage.

“I want to help everyone, but I can’t”

“…for some reason. I find it really easy to find new clients now, or at least ‘leads’: because we’ve made it that way, right? But, at the same time… I want to help everyone, but I can’t.”

– One of our group coaching members in yesterday’s session.

It’s really important to recognise and honour your own limitations.

This is especially true for parents of young families who are also running a business, like me.

Despite our best efforts to serve more people, we must face the reality that we can’t get it all done and it’s only a matter of time before our needs for rest and recovery catch up with us.

I gave this client specific advice related to his situation, but I’d love to be inspired by other’s experiences.

What are you doing to balance the desire to help a lot of people in your business with taking care of yourself?

Some problems are nice to have!

Case in point: this group coaching client is doing so well, he’s now a little overwhelmed with how much work he’s secured in such a short timeframe.

All this is made possible when you focus on the right activities to grow your business and invest in the right mentorship.

He showed up on time to every call, soaked in the training, asked questions and took action; now he’s reaping the rewards.

If right now, you’re overwhelmed for a different reason: maybe because you’re too busy marketing or figuring out what to do next…

And you’d rather have the problem of managing a wave of new projects (and income),

then you should check out the training video I put together recently (link in profile).

I share the same strategy this client is using to get these results,

as well as the 3 essential ingredients you need to attract clients who pay premium rates even if you’ve “just met” and you’ve recently opened your doors.

Let’s get you trained up and ready to take on lots of exciting new work!

This Children’s Classic Made Me Realise Where We Go Wrong in “Sales”

Almost every day, my kids ask me to read them this book.

I’m pretty tired of reading it so much,

I mean it’s not very intellectually stimulating for me anymore.

But today, I read it “differently”.

Or maybe I read it the same, but I got something different out of it?

I realised how this story so closely relates to one of the biggest and most costly mistakes so many of us make when “selling”.

Avoiding this lesson will make the already difficult job of selling our products and services 10-100x harder.

I don’t want that for you!

Wanting to share what I learned, I ended up sitting at my desk this morning and writing a full-blown article about it.

Check it out below and if you benefitted, pass the favour forward to one or two people you know who deserve to read it.

Tongue-tied

I know how easy it is to get tongue-tied,

And lose your posture when there’s so much at stake.

Questions like “what if they say ‘yes’?” or “what if they say ‘no’?”

Can keep you busy with all the wrong activities.

Inventing “to-do’s” and over-complicating what’s better simple.

Instead, take a different approach.

Ask the question:

“SO WHAT if they say ‘yes’ or ‘no’?”

Better still “How can I prosper no matter what they say?”

You’re smarter than you give yourself credit,

You just need the know-how.

And if you haven’t yet found a process that feels right,

You should check out my training (link in profile).

I explain a career’s-worth of client-getting failures in an hour,

And show you a better way to say what you do,

So you can start profiting from your conversations,

Whatever the outcome.

Where success can be found

Success can be found in the most inconspicuous places,

Like containers with labels different to its contents.

We might read it as “awkward”, “tough” or “uncomfortable”,

But inside is a treasure.

Case in point: that conversation you’re putting off,

Because it involves speaking about yourself in a positive light,

And asking for a fee that might be “too high”,

Or for decisions that might be “too soon”.

You could continue avoiding it to stay out of harm’s way,

Or you could “go for it” anyway, and see what happens.

Either way, you can’t predict the future,

So what is there to lose?

A moment’s rejection, if that?

But the upside can be huge,

A new client worth five of your previous,

Or a fast and easy project with long-term benefits.

When you start looking for those poorly labelled containers,

Things begin to change.

And the stuff you previously avoided, will seem silly in comparison,

To the new set of challenges, you’re now putting off.