A Sales Tactic for People Who Hate Sales

Let’s get right down to it. We’re talking about the S word. Yep, you know the one. This word is one most people (especially easily overwhelmed and/or introverted people) avoid talking about: sales.Did you think we meant something else? (Edgar would never be a potty mouth, sheesh.)Now before you run away from this particular S word, let’s talk about what sales means for you:

• Revenue
• Freedom
• Notoriety
• Connection
• Reach

So getting into sales mode can really change the way you run your business, huh?But sales doesn’t have to mean hard selling tactics taught in seminars around the world.Sales can be personal. It can have purpose. You can enjoy it. And, best of all, your potential customers can WANT you to sell to them.Before we dive into the HOW, let’s go over WHAT sales is really about. It’s about a journey.

I Need a Hero

The Hero’s Journey (as defined by thewritersjourney.com) is a pattern of narrative identified by the American scholar Joseph Campbell that appears in drama, storytelling, myth, religious ritual, and psychological development.  It describes the typical adventure of the archetype known as The Hero, the person who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the group (aka, your potential customer going through your program/product/service).Its stages are:

1.   THE ORDINARY WORLD. The hero, uneasy, uncomfortable or unaware, is introduced sympathetically so the audience can identify with the situation or dilemma. The hero is shown against a background of environment, heredity, and personal history. Some kind of polarity in the hero’s life is pulling in different directions and causing stress.
2.   THE CALL TO ADVENTURE. Something shakes up the situation, either from external pressures or from something rising up from deep within, so the hero must face the beginnings of change.
3.   REFUSAL OF THE CALL. The hero feels the fear of the unknown and tries to turn away from the adventure, however briefly. Alternately, another character may express the uncertainty and danger ahead.
4.   MEETING WITH THE MENTOR. The hero comes across a seasoned traveler of the worlds who gives him or her training, equipment, or advice that will help on the journey. Or the hero reaches within to a source of courage and wisdom.
5.   CROSSING THE THRESHOLD. At the end of Act One, the hero commits to leaving the Ordinary World and entering a new region or condition with unfamiliar rules and values.
6.   TESTS, ALLIES AND ENEMIES. The hero is tested and sorts out allegiances in the Special World.
7.   APPROACH. The hero and newfound allies prepare for the major challenge in the Special world.
8.   THE ORDEAL. Near the middle of the story, the hero enters a central space in the Special World and confronts death or faces his or her greatest fear.  Out of the moment of death comes a new life.
9.   THE REWARD. The hero takes possession of the treasure won by facing death. There may be celebration, but there is also danger of losing the treasure again.
10. THE ROAD BACK.  About three-fourths of the way through the story, the hero is driven to complete the adventure, leaving the Special World to be sure the treasure is brought home. Often a chase scene signals the urgency and danger of the mission.
11. THE RESURRECTION. At the climax, the hero is severely tested once more on the threshold of home. He or she is purified by a last sacrifice, another moment of death and rebirth, but on a higher and more complete level. By the hero’s action, the polarities that were in conflict at the beginning are finally resolved.
12. RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR. The hero returns home or continues the journey, bearing some element of the treasure that has the power to transform the world as the hero has been transformed.

That's a lot of steps.

‍The sales process of The Hero’s Journey takes place in steps 2-5. This is the zone we’re living in today. And don’t worry! There actually IS a simple sales formula with you for your next “pitch”. This form of selling is designed to make both parties (the seller and the person being sold to) comfortable from beginning to end, honoring the journey our hero is on along the way.How? By being human! Nothing will sell your products and services faster than treating people like human beings. You know how your mom always said “treat others the way you want to be treated”? Well the same adage applies to sales and we’re going to put it to work in your business.Did we sell you on it yet? Awesome.Ready for that killer tactic? Here it is….

1:1 Calls

Every time sales calls comes up as a way to bring in new customers, we hear the moans and groans in return. “Ugh. Getting on the phone?! I know, I know, I need to do it.”

But there’s a trick - you don’t have to do it all the time for this to work. 1:1 calls work best for higher priced products and services. It’s a great trick to pull out of your back pocket (if your yoga pants have pockets, that is) when you’re ready to sell something that might not be the easiest amount to just hand over. So it’s not for your $9.99 Kindle book but it IS for your $999 private coaching program. Got it?

‍Here’s the 1:1 Sales Call Breakdown:

‍1) Clear a week (or two) of your calendar.

Setup a scheduling tool and include a link to that scheduler in email conversations with prospective customers. Make your calls no more than 20 minutes so they stay focused.

‍You can do this with a small targeted segment of your email list (perhaps they’re tagged as interested in your program based on clicks they made in previous emails) or you can write down a big list of people who you think would be a perfect fit and email them each individually. The latter gets a better response typically but the former is a great option too.

‍2) Get your favorite work-appropriate beverage and get on those calls.

Have a dance party in your living room or get tons of rest the night before - whatever you need to show up as your best self. These calls are designed for you to ask lots of questions and for them to talk. Give them space to talk to you about their desires and what’s bothering them and take lots of notes on your end. Here are the two key questions to be sure you ask:

• How do you see yourself solving [the problem that they stated]?
• Can I send you more information on [your program/offering]?

3) When they say YES! to your second question, promptly send them the information they need.

4) And this is the most important step: follow up. But not just any follow up is going to cut it here. Here’s a Zen Master secret to follow up. Ready? Record a voice memo. That’s it. Whatever you were going to type into an email, simply record a little voice memo on your phone and then send it off in as an email attachment. It’s that simple!

Repeat as often as needed to get to the point of a Yes or a No from your potential customer (it really won’t take more than a few exchanges). You will be simply AMAZED at the response a voice memo will get you. It’s personal, it’s succinct, and it’s unique. So do it before everyone else does.1:1 Sales Calls can be fun, easy, and full of compassion. You aren’t being a pushy salesperson. You’re being human and listening and asking questions and sharing information. That’s it! No hard sell, no “buy buy buy!”

‍From Hero to Customer

‍Sales isn’t all that horrible anymore, is it? Sure it’s still hard work, but that hard work can be fun if you let go and lean into those relationships a bit more. When you remember that your future customers are on a hero’s journey and you use a little personal touch to guide the way, you’ll love sales more than you ever thought possible.

Do you use 1x1 calls for your sales process? How do you embrace sales a bit more in your business?