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Hi this is Darla LeDoux of Aligned Entrepreneurs. And welcome to today’s Alignment Ask. Today’s question is actually requested to be anonymous.
“I feel like I am great at identifying and connecting with my ideal clients. But I have a hard time translating a conversation into a sales call. How can I direct the initial conversation into setting up a consult or a sales call?”
What a phenomenal question. It’s actually probably one of the most important questions people can ask, and I hear it a lot actually.
So there are two main ways when you’re having a conversation with someone, two things to keep in mind, that will allow you to discern if they might be your right client and direct them into a sales call.
The first is your energy. What is the energy that you hold when you are in this conversation and connecting with people? So first of all you’ve got to be in alignment with the work you do, understanding the clients and understanding your value. And then you’ve got to signal to them through the way you carry yourself and through the behaviors you have, that you are someone that can help them.
Wallace Wattles talks about this as the “impression of increase.” So you’ve got to BE in your life, walking through life as someone who gives the impression of increase. Because everybody is looking to increase and we are constantly assessing each other, right? Saying, “Can that person help me get to where I want to go or not?” So that is an inside job around how you carry yourself, how you present yourself, the thoughts that are in your mind. That’s the first piece, and the most important piece.
The second piece of advice I will give you around understanding how to shift that conversation into a sales conversation. Ask really pointed questions to discover what the person really wants.
A lot of times we shy away from asking these questions because our society does not necessarily appreciate us asking pointed questions. Right? We tend to be polite and nice and not really dig into what’s really going on. But you’ve got to find out what they really want. And in order to do that you’ve got to be comfortable being with people as they answer the question about what they really want. Right? You’ve got to be living your own dreams that you can be present with their dream.
So you ask what they want. If you are at a networking event for example, Rather than say, “What do you do?” which is everybody’s world’s worst conversation, say to someone, “What brought you here today?” or “What is this event going to help you achieve?” That way you get them to start thinking about where they’re going and thinking about their vision.
You might simply say “Oh my gosh, tell me about your big vision for your business,” or “Tell me about what you really want.” And if you start to have those conversations with people you will notice they go deep really quickly. People get present to what they really want.
Then you’ve got to tune in and say, “I can help them get that.” Or maybe you can’t. Everybody’s not your client but maybe you know someone or you have a referral that can help them get that. But you are constantly looking to find out what they really want and how you can help them get there.
And you don’t have to give a whole big explanation about how you can help them get there. Just the fact that you asked those right questions, that get them to think in a new way is going to signal to them that you can help them get there.
It’s not about telling them or explaining, it’s really about giving the signals to their unconscious mind that you are really their person. At that point you can say, “You know think I can help you achieve that vision, why don’t we set up a time to talk about that. And that is your perfect transition.
To recap:
There are two main things. The first is being really aware of your energy and showing up as someone who gives the impression of increase, and can actually influence them. And the second piece is to ask very specific questions about what they really want. Those are the two key ways to shift an average conversation into one that transforms.
I would love to hear your personal experience below this video. How have you turned a casual conversation into a sale without being weird or salesy? I would love to hear about it!