Sales Tips for Reluctant Salespeople

If you are an entrepreneur, you are a salesperson. Every time you have a prospective client or a discovery call, you’re making a sales pitch. When you send an email or write a blog post with an offer – that’s a sales pitch. Creating an opt-in page? You’re making a sales pitch.

And you’re probably pretty good at it, too, or you wouldn’t be where you are today, would you?

So why do we continue to think we’re so bad at sales?

Because “Selling Feels “Icky”.

I hear this one a lot. You feel pushy or uncomfortable when talk turns to money. You don’t want to force anyone into a decision. You secretly think your rates are too high.

I’m going to be honest with you. This is one of those things that gets better only with practice. But the good news is, you don’t have to be on the phone with a prospective client to get that practice time in.

Instead, use the technique self-help gurus have been advocating for years:

Look in the mirror and talk to yourself.

When you were a little girl, did you ever dream of becoming a professional ballerina? I don’t know many women who didn’t, I know I did. I would put on my dance outfit and spin in circles in front of the mirror for hours! Why would any other business be any different?

Becoming a ballerina just wasn’t in the cards for me, however; I did learn a valuable lesson. A mirror is a fantastic tool. I suggest you take advantage of the ones you have.

Practice saying your rates out loud. Practice your transition from discovery to the sales pitch. The more you do it, the more natural it will sound, and the less uncomfortable you will feel when talking to a new customer.

Fix your mindset.

What if you weren’t selling anything, but instead were merely chatting with a friend about the incredible new product that was going to change her life? You’re helping your friend to improve herself by sharing your experience with this new product.

That’s exactly how you should think about selling your product or services. You’re not trying to get your prospective client to spend money. Instead, you’re offering a solution to her problems. You’re genuinely helping her to overcome some obstacle in her life or business.

When you can turn your thinking around from “sales” to “helping” you’ll find it’s much easier to have the sales talk.

Don’t be afraid of the follow-up.

Most clients won’t say yes with the first call, and maybe not even with the second. But good entrepreneurs know that many sales can be closed if you simply take the time to follow up. Send a quick email and invite your prospect to:

Schedule a follow-up call to answer her questions
Read some of your testimonials
Review your program outline or sales page
Or even join a different program of yours that might be a better fit

Don’t let that old “I’m not good at sales” thinking get in the way of making a real difference in people’s lives, and in growing your business and your profits. With these easy tips, you can quickly turn your sales blocks into a system for landing new customers consistently.

What do you think? Do you have any further tips or suggestions that have helped you? Why not join us inside the TVS Entrepreneur Workshop and share them, we’d love to hear from you!