Sales for the Business is like Milk for a Baby

In speaking with most of our clients over the past few weeks and leading a Mastermind call this week, what's become clear is that everyone is struggling with sales. Whether they are seasoned sales experts, okay at it or brand new, the struggle is real.

Marketplaces are changing. The way business is done is shifting and the psychology behind buying seems to be evolving. Anyone who tells you different is either in denial or doesn't want you to know in hopes of getting you to purchase through the same old brain patterns you've always purchased.

In light of all this, I thought it would be great to share a blog I wrote several years ago about Sales. Please read below.

From 2019

Whether you’re speaking at an event, filling a new program, or just trying to make some money – no business can survive without sales. The number one reason most businesses fail is not due to of a lack of marketing, bad customer service, or bad reviews – it’s because of money being brought through the door.

Why sales is important to every business

Businesses are like a babies – sales is the milk.

An unfed baby cannot grow, no matter how much other love you give it. Not engaging in sales is like not feeding your newborn.

There are so many misunderstandings about sales in the marketplace.

Selling does not make you salesy. Here’s are some things that do.

Not listening – people know when you’re just waiting to talk and not really getting what they’re saying.
Being Pushy – listen when people say no or not now. It’s fine to follow up with people when they are ready.
Being Inappropriate – relationships are the basis of all sales. Making the ‘ask’ before establishing or reestablishing the relationship will have you seem salesy.

It’s hard to sell.

Selling can be hard for people, but only when they don’t do it regularly.

We happen to live in a time when everyone is selling everything and a lot of what’s being sold in any marketplace is poor quality and can’t be trusted. We’ve also been acculturated that salespeople cannot be trusted. So, of course we’re apprehensive about being perceived like the type of people we’ve been trained to avoid.

However, selling is not only normal, but necessary. And, no matter how much you try to avoid it or minimize it, we’re engaged in it every single day. Just about every conversation we have is some version of a sales conversation.

For now, here’s what we want you to know: selling is actually like any other activity we engage in that’s not natural to us. It takes time and practice before it becomes natural. If you do the work, it not only becomes easy, but can be fun and really rewarding. The people you’re meant to reach and help rely on you to do this work.

Sales is not just something you do.

Of course there’s the part of sales where you pick up the phone and have the conversations and make asks.

But sales is a process. It’s a process which requires many touch points and lots of follow up.

Most people don’t follow up.

It’s why they don’t make the money they could.

OR, the money they deserve.

Sales is all about following up

The business owner’s job is to follow up and reach the people they’re meant to serve. Your follow-up should be part of a process. There’s many things that need to happen during that process. Every business will have its own unique process but there are some essentials that apply to almost any business model:

Market
Generate leads
Qualify leads
Nurture your leads based on qualification
Make an Offer
Close
Follow-up

Notice: marketing is a piece of the sales process. It’s a big piece, but it’s a piece meant to support the sales process and forward sales. There is no reason to market if not to sell.

Speaking can be both marketing and selling – more to come on when to sell or when to market from the front of the room in next week’s blog (don’t miss it!).

Our minds can't be trusted when it comes to Sales..

We will find every excuse to avoid selling, especially when we don't enjoy it. We'll get distracted by something a client needs, our website, email – anything to avoid.

But remember, watering fruit does not get you fruit. You have to water the tree or the fruit will dry out and the tree will fail to yield fruit. You won't get what you need, the tree won't get what it needs and you'll both be compromised or fail in fulfilling your purpose.

Things you can do now to succeed at selling:

Schedule daily time to work on sales. Trust and empower the person who wrote the schedule. Don't mess with the schedule. Have the maturity to do what's in your calendar and to trust the person who put it there (YOU!).
Practice in the mirror. Doing mirror work while mocking what you might say in a sales conversation will quickly show you what parts you need to work on and what parts you're strong at.
Start making asks in your daily life. Ask your partner/spouse/roommate to do something you'd normally do. Ask for extra customer service next time your shopping. Just start making asks that make you uncomfortable.
Start sharing about what you're selling with anyone who will listen. You don't have to sell anything to those you share with, just share. Get in the habit of talking about what you do. Do so proudly.
Become someone who others can sell to. This doesn't mean you'll always buy, but stick around for offers and let people have sales conversations with you so you can learn what works and doesn't work about those salespeople's conversations and methods. All the learning you need is completely surrounding you. Start taking advantage of it.

For more information on sales, or for personal support with selling, please contact info@redelephantinc.com.