If sales make you feel slimy, you’re not alone. But if you want to be in business, my tough love words for you today are that you HAVE TO get comfortable selling your offer(s). In fact, 85% of customers [or leads] report being dissatisfied with their phone experience even though 92% of all customer interactions happen over the phone. If you’re a coach booking sales discovery calls, it’s really important that you learn how to sell without feeling uncomfortable, or worse, making your potential new client feel uncomfortable.

The reason you’re squirming in your seat every time the conversation turns to the sale, is because you’re not feeling confident.

You’re not….

1) Confident in what you have to offer

2) Confident in your price

3) Confident in how you are communicating this to your potential client.

Sales is a transfer of authority, leadership and confidence. Thus, it is SUPER important that you learn to get confident when it comes to asking for the sale!

Here are 7 tips to help with the most common mistakes you’re [probably] making.

You care too much what people think

You are listening to the voices in your head from your ex boyfriend, your neurotic aunt, your high school bully and the boss who fired you. Their judgement is influencing your mindset and it’s time to reclaim your power babe! NOBODY ELSES OPINION MATTERS except the perfect person you know you can help. Stop caring about what the people who are not paying your bills think about your sales strategies. HELP THE PEOPLE YOU HELP. Tell them how you can help them. That’s essentially what your “sales pitch” is. This fear of judgement is especially true when you’re being visible on Instagram or other social media apps, but the data is clear: 78% of salespeople using social media outsell their peers. Forbes did some digging and discovered that no matter how you analyzed their research, sales reps who utilized social media outperformed every single one of their competitors who did not. If you want to make more money and make the impact you long for, you have to get visible on social media and learn to use it in a way that genuinely connects to your ideal customer.

You are lowering your price to make the sale

You are lowering your price to make the sale, resulting in a less than perfect person to work with. Once you have mentioned your price, remain calm, do not explain or excuses or apologize for your price. Allow your prospective client to process and respond.

You forgot that you have two ears and one mouth for a reason

You are speaking more than you listen. I get it, when the nerves set in many of us begin to ramble… on and on and on. Unfortunately, in sales, the power is in the pause. Your prospective client wants to feel UNDERSTOOD by you first. Once they have felt heard, and you truly know what their pain points are, you can share with them how you are the authority and you CAN help them. They will be way more likely to be open once they feel that your solutions have them in mind.

You aren’t asking for consent to sell

You are not asking for permission. THIS IS A BIGGIE! *enter the creepy car salesman analogy … * I think the reason we feel so passionate about NOT being the icky salesman, is because many times we’ve been blindsided by people imposing their offers on us. It feels suffocating, and it disrespects our boundaries. It also puts us on the spot, and then we get into defensive mode. NOT COOL. To do the opposite of this in your sales conversations, it’s actually quite simple: ask first. Easy as that… “hey [insert name], would you mind if I shared with you a little about my packages and how we might be able to work together? I want to be respectful of your time”… DONE. Then it goes without saying.. respect their answer. If it’s a no, don’t dive in. If it’s a yes, they will be in an open and safe space for you to share your magic.

You aren’t speaking WITH your prospective clients

You are talking AT rather than talking TO or WITH your prospective client. This is not a PITCH so to speak.. it’s a conversation where you are SHARING vs SELLING. This mental switch can change the energy and language you’re using in your sales conversations, which can make all the difference to the energetic space and connection you’re building with your prospective client.

You are not following up

You are not following up when someone declines your offer. A no is usually a “not right now”. Research shows we are more likely to purchase from brands we have had multiple exposure to. If you’re not following up after a no, you’re leaving money on the table, AND you’re showing your prospective client that you didn’t actually care outside of making the sale. Which I know is not true… you just don’t want to be annoying, or a burden. BUT if you truly believe that your solution truly transforms the lives of the people you help, how could it be a burden? [p.s. it’s not].

You are not being clear about the HOW + WHY to work with you

Be clear about HOW people can work with you AND WHY they should, in their own language. Call to Action’s are critical. Add them in obvious and less obvious ways throughout all your online interactions. Invite people to take action, make their next steps clear and simple, and use the language that they speak- not your insider industry vocab! When you’re using everyday language, make sure you’re selling the solution rather than the strategy, because the solution will tap into emotions, which is the most effective way to sell.

P.S Once you’ve made the sale, it’s critical that you have a referral program, as 92% of buyers trust referrals from people they know.

There you have it. How many of these rules were you breaking in your sales conversations? Comment below, I love to read your take aways.

Lastly, as promised, I will perpetually remind you that THE BEST IS YET TO COME.