Does the idea of “coming across sales-y” make your skin crawl?
If you’ve ever rewritten a call-to-action on an Instagram caption 4x because it felt too pushy or felt a pit develop in your stomach when you started “pitching” on a Discovery call, I’m talking to you.
The good news is you’re not alone. Sales is a scary subject for lots of entrepreneurs. And – I’m gonna be savage here (so don’t say I didn’t warn ya)– it’s also impossible to make a living online if you’re scared s-less of selling.
It’s true: Whether you’re hopping on sales calls or simply setting up an automated email sequence, you have to sell *in some form* to make money.
Luckily, all hope is not lost. In fact, you can make sales in an authentic and non-pushy way with just a few simple-yet-impactful tweaks to the way you approach sales in general.
Below, I’m breaking down a few must-know techniques for less push-y (but still effective) sales:
1) Build Genuine Connections First
This probably goes without saying, right? Whether you connect with your audience through social media content, an automated email funnel (packed with personality, obvi) or while you’re on an actual sales call (or DMing with a prospect before a sales call), you can’t skip this part. But what does it actually mean?
You should get to know your ideal clients’ problems, needs and desires thoroughly through actual market research. You can’t sell anywhere (or with any true integrity) if you don’t know what people truly want and need. So put the time in to find out.
2) Provide Education and Value
One of the easiest ways to make more sales in a non-sleazy way is to offer boatloads of value and education before you actually ask people to throw down their cash.
Again, this applies whether you’re pitching in your content (like an email sequence) or on a sales call.
You can also do this in your content by focusing on your client – and the transformation your offer provides – not just your product or offer and/or your own expertise. What’s in it for them?
Providing value like this doesn’t just prove you’re an expert (although it totes does), it can also make you feel less weird about asking for the sale. When you’ve given so much already, it won’t feel as strange to ask for money in return.
Of course, you’re not just providing education and other valuable content for education’s sake. The goal is to show your ideal clients that you genuinely get (and care about) their needs and problems, and then to your offer products & services as solutions.
But by doling out education first, you position yourself as an educator and someone who helps others make informed decisions and smart purchases – whether that includes buying own products or not. And guess what? This actually builds more trust. Turning people away when it makes sense to – or steering them in another direction – can actually pay in dividends in the long run.
3) Never Plunge Right Into a Pitch
When you’re on a sales call, make sure you’re asking your prospects questions about themselves and their current struggles – and desires. And then, listen. Actively.
Validate their feelings and acknowledge their perspective (a quick statement, “I totally hear you about hating writing emails, and you’re not alone” will do) before presenting your offer as the solution. Making them feel seen and heard first is one way to make the entire “pitching” process feel much more natural.
4) Leverage Social Proof
If you *reallllly* “just can’t” with sales, I do have some good news: You can let others do the selling for you – through social proof, that is. Incorporating glowing testimonials, raving reviews and sweet success stories into your marketing (or sales calls) is an easy way to show others what’s possible (without actually “saying” it yourself).
And here’s another hot side tip: Save alllll these love notes from past clients & customers somewhere you can access easily in a pinch. That way, if you’re ever having a “down day” or a day where you’re not feeling quite as magical & powerful as you truly are, you can just take a peek & instantly be reminded of just how many lives you’ve radically transformed.
When you know deep-down-in-your-bones that your offer legitimately benefits your audience, it’s so much easier to sell it without feeling weird. Ask me how I know.
5) Try “Soft Close” Approaches
Non-aggressive, “soft close” techniques can make both you and your prospect more comfortable with the whole “sales process.”
If you’re on a sales call, this might mean swapping the popular assumptive close (which might sound like, “When would you like to get started?”) for a summary close (which would sound more like, “Based on what we’ve discussed, it sounds like our Pinterest management services align perfectly with your goal of getting more traffic to your website. What are your thoughts on moving forward?”). This approach allows the customer to reflect on the value you’ve presented without feeling pressured.
If you’re selling via email sequence, it might mean providing your peeps with time and space to make their own decisions, on their own timeline. Maybe that requires implementing longer launch timelines (so people don’t feel intense urgency and FOMO) or offering more budget-friendly or accessible down sell options for those who didn’t buy your main offer.
6) Offer Trials or Money-Back Guarantees
Another easy way to feel less sales-y (but still make sales)? Offer trial periods or a moneyback guarantee. This way, you give clients & customers a behind-the-scenes opportunity to “see” the value inside whatever you’re offering – without any chance of “buyer’s remorse.”
This can work especially well if you offer digital products – specifically something like a membership with ongoing access, or a product that ‘locks’ or drips out content.
How can you feel icky about selling something with a guarantee, and the option to “opt out” if they discover it’s just not for them?
7) Hire It Out
If all else fails, you can always simply hire a sales team (or even just a sales-savvy VA) to handle that part of your business. If it’s not your zone of genius and you can’t “fake it til you make it,” then why not try outsourcing it?
Of course, there are a million sales techniques out there. Selling (without feeling “the ick”) can be your reality. Go ahead & try out some techniques, then keep what works and ditch what doesn’t sit right in your heart. At the end of the day, though, don’t forget that you offer a valuable service or product(s) – and selling is simply just letting others know you have a solution to their current issues. And there’s absolutely nothing gross or sleaz-y about that.
