Scottish novelist and travel writer,
Robert Louis Stevenson, once said
"Everyone lives by selling something."
As coaches, we sell ourselves on a daily basis.
Approaching people,
starting conversations,
creating insights,
and offering transformational coaching sessions.
Yet most of us identify sales conversations
as the most dreadful part of the coaching process.
So, why do we find it so hard?
It's prime time we break this vicious cycle
and befriend selling.
Hi, this is Ajit Nawalkha
and today I'm sharing with you
three reasons why selling is so important
for your success as a coach
and four effective tips to help you master it.
I want to start by clarifying
why all coaches must learn how to sell.
Selling is not only about enrolling new clients,
it's also about creating and communicating
your personal brand.
Reason number one why you need
to know how to sell.
It's the best, if not the only, way
to let the world know what you have to offer.
You might be the highest skilled coach in the world,
but if you aren't able to show yourself
and your skills, you won't capture the
attention of your prospects or the market.
The second reason is that
it helps you build relationships.
It's clear that coaching is based on relationships
and we know that people do business
with other people they like and trust,
so it's crucial that you're able to
effectively share your story with the world
and connect with others.
Just be mindful of the fine line between
openly sharing and being overly pushy.
Oh, you must be Kramer.
I've heard about you.
When done right, selling can be a great way
to build personal and professional relationships
that will later translate into business growth.
The third and just as relevant reason
you need to sell is to build your credibility.
If your prospects don't believe
you can create the results you're offering,
they will most likely not seal the deal
with you as their coach.
Sales is about commitment and delivery.
If you can commit and deliver,
you build credibility.
This strengthens your personal brand and attracts
more prospects and potential clients your way.
Okay, we can all agree now that
we need to work on honing this skill,
so how can we master the art of selling?
Here are my four simple and effective tips
you can use to master the art of selling.
The first tip to selling is not to sell at all.
What did you say?
Stop focusing on selling
and start focusing on serving.
Most times, we are so much in our heads
thinking about how, when and what
we're going to pitch to our prospect,
we don't pay attention
to what is happening with them.
Focus on listening to your prospect
and serve them first.
Use this time to understand their current state
and ensure they fit your ideal client profile,
and that you are the right person to help them
achieve their goals.
By giving them a taste of your coaching,
you start building a deep connection
and rapport with your prospect.
You get the chance to open their minds
to new opportunities and possibilities,
and show them the potential that lies ahead
if they decided to continue the conversation formally.
Who would say no to that?
Sell crazy someplace else.
We're all stocked up here.
Remember: the easiest way to sell
your coaching services is to not sell at all.
The second tip is to stop trying to sell anything.
Let's say you're finishing a conversation
with a potential client.
They feel connected, they had insights,
they're ready to roll with you,
they ask you, what's your offer?
And you open a 20-page booklet
of every single coaching package that ever existed
and start numbering them down for your prospects
to choose the one they like most.
A massive fail.
That's a huge no-no.
Don't try to sell everything or anything.
Too many choices can be overwhelming
and you'll end up scaring your client away.
You've had the time to listen to them,
understand their dreams and challenges,
and you should by now have an idea
of what they need to reach their goals.
So offer them a package
that will give them what they need.
The key to mastering the art of selling is to
first, gain a deeper understanding of
what your prospects' needs and realities are
from their perspective.
If you're just getting started,
you should spend some time
preparing in advance for your sales conversation.
Because nobody is going to hire you as a coach
if your eyes pop out of your head in disbelief
when your prospect is speaking.
A great way to avoid this
is to make a list of the most common
challenges and issues your ideal clients face,
so you're aware of them beforehand
and are better prepared to talk about them
in any given situation.
So, prepare for your conversation,
listen to your prospects' challenges,
and offer them a solution you can deliver
and that fits their needs.
The third tip is to understand the upside.
The upside is the positive part of the situation.
It's how you can improve your prospect's life
or their business.
It is understanding why your prospect
would want to solve their challenges.
In short, it's the value you're selling.
Your role is to help them reflect about their pains
and possibilities that may come up if they solved them,
but they need to be the ones
to put the two and two together.
You can ask questions like,
if you could solve the challenges
that are holding you back right now,
how would that make your life happier or more fulfilling?
Or what would that mean
in increase revenue in your organization?
Once they have this realization,
they'll immediately see the value in what you're selling,
and won't think twice about enrolling to make it happen.
The last tip is to know your worth.
A sales conversation isn't a sales conversation
without talking about the price.
Many coaches undervalue themselves
when pricing because they dread asking for more.
But remember, you're serving your clients.
You're helping them create
a better life for themselves
and the price is just an exchange for your service,
so you can create a better life for yourself too.
Seems pretty logical, right?
Hell yeah!
It's not only about putting a price,
it's knowing your worth.
Make sure the price represents your value,
your expertise, and your time.
The more experienced you are,
the better the results you create,
the higher you should value yourself.
The right price also gives a sense of authority.
It's like buying an Apple product,
for all you Apple lovers like me.
We know their products are
more expensive than other brands,
but we buy them anyway because
we trust the brand and its quality.
We know its worth.
Shut up and take my money!
Make sure you're selling something
your ideal client desires and needs,
and that they're willing to invest in creating.
But also take into consideration
their ability to cover your costs.
Discuss your prospects' budget
to avoid the situation where they
give you objections over the price.
This could be a big turn-off from closing the sale.
Now I have one last piece of advice
I want to share about knowing your worth
that you should also consider.
Sometimes you will meet great people
who want and need your coaching services,
but they won't be able to afford it.
This happened to me once.
I met this amazing person
who fit my ideal client profile perfectly,
but they couldn't pay my fees.
I decided to offer them one free coaching conversation
in which they had amazing breakthroughs.
A few days later, contacts from this client
reached out to hire me as their coach
paying my full fees.
Turns out this person had a great network
and referred me to them,
which opened a lot of opportunities
for me to grow as a coach.
So, keep in mind, sometimes
putting a price on your work can be overridden
by opportunities to hone your skills
and expand your network.
Let's recap on the 4 tips
to master the art of selling.
Firstly, serve, don't sell.
Secondly, don't sell anything.
Thirdly, understand the upside.
And lastly, know your truth.
What do you think is the hardest part of selling
or what is your best piece of advice
to hone your sales skills?
Share it with us in the comment section below.
Don't forget to smash that like button
and share it with someone
who can also use this information.
Subscribe to our channel
for more amazing content like this
delivered to you weekly.
Thank you so much for watching
and have such a phenomenal day.
you