Tag: sales conversation

If you practice Steps 1-4 as I’ve been teaching you to do in this series, a rise in self-confidence will occur as a natural result.

In other words, if you identify the thought that is keeping you stuck, and then replace that thought with one based on Universal Law (Steps 1 and 2), you’ve dealt with the part of your problem that you are consciously aware of.

However, it is often difficult to identify the real problem.

For example, earlier in this series, I told you about my client who was afraid to make sales calls because he cared so much what people thought about him.

I helped him to understand this was because he was still trying to get approval from his father, and because he didn’t accept himself.

Therefore, every sales conversation became a conversation with his father, where he wanted his prospects to accept him, too.

Not only does that kind of neediness repel clients, but if he’s seeking approval from his clients, he can’t help them. For instance, he won’t say what they need to hear if they might get mad at him as a result.

That’s not serving the client. That’s serving his own ego needs at the expense of the client.

Confidence from the Inside Out
When you put a new roof on your house, you don’t want to just slap new shingles onto a rotting roof deck. You want to make sure the decking is sound.

That’s why in Steps 3 and 4 I had you go deeper, into your subconscious, which, in fact, directs your results.

To change negative beliefs in your subconscious, I asked you to identify the cause of what you want, and then take bold action toward that goal.

For instance, the cause of deep friendships in your life is to be a friend yourself, and to take bold friendship actions on a daily basis.

By taking bold action, you get a new result, which your subconscious has to accept. That creates a new belief that then begins to direct even better results. And step by powerful step you begin to change your life for good.

This naturally infuses your entire being with confidence from the inside out.

Acknowledge and Celebrate
So here we arrive at Step 5, where you begin to see those fruits of your diligence and hard work.

The life you want is beginning to unfold before your eyes, and your confidence continues to grow. As your confidence grows, you take bigger and bolder actions, which creates an amazing upward spiral of results.

That’s wonderful, but don’t just gloss over your success.

Don’t just move on to the next big thing, without acknowledging your accomplishment, without saying to yourself: “Hey, look what I did!” Without feeling that healthy flush of pride, and letting it rush through you.

That’s why Step 5 is about acknowledgment and celebration.

I want you to pause for a moment to look back at how far you’ve come.

Revel in your new-found, unshakeable self-confidence.

And give yourself a big pat on the back for a job well done.

Did this happen to you?

Did you get stuck or confused as you tried to apply Steps 1 and 2?
(As you tried to determine the thought that keeps you from seeing the results you want, and then replace that thought with one based in Universal Law?)

If so, I encourage you to try again.

It’s almost certainly the case that you got stuck because weren’t working on the correct problem.

You see, most of us have layers and layers of stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, so it can be a real challenge to accurately identify the thought, belief or story that is the core of our difficulties.

In other words, your issue likely isn’t what you think it is.

Case Study: Fear of Sales Conversations
For instance, a student of mine had a lot of fear come up around sales conversations and thought the core problematic belief had to do with the outcome, so he might have created this Step 1:

I can’t do sales conversations because I’m afraid they won’t be successful.

While that might be true, it wasn’t the problem that was keeping him stuck.

The real issue was about his father.

He was a grown man, but he kept getting hooked into an old story that was triggering fear with other people. He had the secret hope and wish that his father would stop rejecting him and start accepting him.

Because this was all subconscious, every sales conversation became a conversation with his father.

He wanted his prospects to accept him. He needed them to accept him, because he didn’t accept himself.

Once he realized the right problem, he could then apply Steps 1 and 2 correctly:

Step One: I want to do sales conversations, but I can’t because I might be rejected, which triggers the rejection I felt from my father.

Step Two: I can do sales conversations because the outcome doesn’t matter to my self-esteem. Whether the person chooses to work with me or not, I accept myself. I am worthy just as I am.

Can you see the difference that would make?

Freed from his need to be accepted by the people he wants as clients, instead, he can show up powerfully and serve them.

A Common Problem
I used my student’s story, because it’s very common.

Many people desire approval more than money, but most people aren’t aware of that. They just struggle and don’t know why.

When you’re making sales, you’re putting yourself in the position of being rejected more than being accepted. That is a mathematical fact in business. More people say no than yes, and that goes for every business on the planet.

So you have to get to the point where you approve of yourself, and you are your own authority.

That’s what this series is all about.

So try again with Steps 1 and 2, and begin to kick your core problem to the curb.

And then with Step 3, next time, you can finally start seeing the results that you want in your life.

(Click here to find the earlier Step 1 and Step 2 articles.)

Hi David!

Thanks so much for this opportunity!

I’m resisting picking up the phone and contacting my prospects, because I’m unsure as to how to start the conversation. Do you have any suggestions for how I can open these types of conversations?

Thanks so much!

The opening of a sales conversation is one of the most overlooked AND most important parts of the process. It is so essential that it has the power to make or break the entire call.

Why is it so important?

It is vital that you maintain control of the conversation from the very beginning. In order to do this, you must establish control right from the start and make sure YOU are leading the conversation.

IF YOU DON’T, it is very difficult to regain control and you will not make the sale.

There are three parts to a solid opening:

1. Greeting: Tell them who you are.
2. Purpose: Tell them why you are calling.
3. Ask: Jump right into my Compassionate Conversion Flow Chart

You must have a reason to start the conversation. If you don’t have one, create one!

Example: “Hi ______. This is Jane from _______. You recently subscribed to my list and I’m calling because I’d love to learn about you and your business. What is the biggest challenge you are currently facing in ________?”

Lastly, remember to be calm, confident and in control.

PS: The Neagle Code: Directions for Life is a weekly no-cost program that is open to everyone! Each week, I'll select and personally respond to one question received via the above “The Neagle Code” page that I feel in my heart will help the most people. (You may choose to remain anonymous if you wish, with our full support.) It is my deep, heartfelt intention that ~ in answering your questions ~ I may provide you with the Universal Truths that in committed application, will set you free. Simply submit YOUR burning question at: www.DavidNeagle.com/ask-david to participate.

Hi David,

I'm experiencing a recurring problem. My prospective clients are saying YES enthusiastically at the end of their discovery calls, so I send an invoice and the itinerary for the program…then silence… Usually what happens next is they email me to say they've changed their mind or they ignore my follow up emails completely. I know this pattern is reflecting my own inner rejection issues because when it happens I feel hurt and disappointed. What do I need to do to move past this both in terms of inner-work and a strategy for receiving payment? I deeply desire to be of service and I'm sick of riding this particular merry-go-round.

Thanks for considering my question.

Hi Lauren and thanks for the great question!

My suggestion for you is to immediately STOP sending invoices.

Let me explain. When you have a prospect that is enthusiastic and ready to buy, you must ask for a commitment. It’s one of the only ways to know if they are actually serious or just wanting to get off the phone with you.

I recommend that once you get the verbal commitment from a prospect, you immediately ask for a deposit.

This allows you to gauge their seriousness, and work through any price or money objections while you’re on the phone with them.

The truth is…no matter what people “tell” you, if you don’t have a financial commitment, you don’t have a commitment at all.

My feeling is that you’ve been resistant to that because you fear judgment of some sort, and you’re avoiding the “no”.

But what’s happening is you’re getting the “no” regardless.

PS: The Neagle Code: Directions for Life is a weekly no-cost program that is open to everyone! Each week, I'll select and personally respond to one question received via the above “The Neagle Code” page that I feel in my heart will help the most people. (You may choose to remain anonymous if you wish, with our full support.) It is my deep, heartfelt intention that ~ in answering your questions ~ I may provide you with the Universal Truths that in committed application, will set you free. Simply submit YOUR burning question at: www.DavidNeagle.com/ask-david to participate.

If you’ve done any sales conversations at all, you know that the number-one objection that prospects present as a reason not to buy your product or service is money.

You get to that point in the sales conversation, and they say, “I don’t have the money,” “Our funds are allocated elsewhere,” or “We’ve got medical bills or tuition or too much debt.”

No matter how they phrase it, the solution for banishing that problem forever from your sales process is the same.

Don’t Buy Into Their Lie
The first key to dealing with any kind of objection that prospects present is to discern the real ones from the excuses.

The real objections are challenges, so you deal with them as such. Excuses are lies or beliefs in a false reality.

“I don’t have the money” is a lie.

How do you deal with this lie?

Well, first, you have to apply Pillar 1 and influence yourself.

You have to accept that money is never the problem. The problem is always urgency.

For instance, imagine a homeless drug addict, somebody who is really down and out. That person is a lost soul, trapped inside a reality that the addiction has created.

Have you ever heard of addicts who can’t get the money to buy their next fix?

No, because they always find a way.

Now, don’t get into the judgment of how they do it. That doesn’t matter. The point is that they do. And that homeless addict’s reality is much more dire than any prospect’s you’re going to be talking to.

They come up with the money, because the urgency is so great. They’ll do anything to get the money for their next fix.

So, when prospects tell you that they don’t have the money, remember that drug addict, and don’t buy into that excuse.

Instead, work on your prospects’ sense of urgency, because the urgency isn’t great enough for them to do what they need to do to get the money.

Whether that’s negotiating with their spouse to reallocate savings or getting a loan or raising their rates.

If you deal with their objection from a money place, you’re dealing with it from their reality.

And you will never influence them from their reality, because their reality says that they can’t get out of that reality.

So how do you influence them?

Remember Clarity?
You bring them clarity, which, in turn, will create urgency.

So when you encounter the money objection, ask your prospects this question:

“What’s going to happen if this problem doesn’t change?” and have them see what the exact outcome will be.

Whether that’s facing the health consequences of diabetes, or poverty as an elder, or the loneliness of remaining single if they don’t want to.

Remember, part of the problem is that they’ve pushed this negative scenario into some nebulous future, where they don’t have to deal with it.

By bringing it to the present, they will face it.

And that clarity will bring them the urgency to change the outcome.

They’ll realize that they don’t want to tolerate their problem one minute longer, and, all of a sudden, they’ll find a way to get the money for the solution they need.

And, if they really are your ideal client, the solution they need is yours.

Hi David!

After studying your sales strategy, I can say that I can now make a fair number of sales. HOWEVER, the problem I’m experiencing now is that I can’t seem to KEEP the sale! In the past month four people have contacted me 3-4 days after I’ve sold them, and told me that they needed to back out.

What am I doing wrong???

Thanks so much!!

One of the most overlooked parts of a sales conversation actually happens AFTER the sale has been made.

Let me explain.

Once the sale has been made and you have received a deposit, it is crucial for you to continue the conversation by telling them what to expect.

Example:

“You know, you’ve just made a big decision to invest in yourself and grow. And we know that anytime your ego feels threatened you will create circumstances in your life to get you to change your mind or to stop moving forward. So let me ask you something. What’s going to cause you to change your mind?”

This accomplishes two things. It lets them know what to expect so if they start to create chaos, they can quickly identify it for what it really is. And second, if they decide to change their mind, you can resell them using their own words.

Example:

“When we spoke a couple of days ago, you said that overwhelm can derail you. Now you’re telling me that you are overwhelmed and can’t move forward. Isn’t this interesting? Your ego is paying a mind trick on you, so let’s go back to the truth…. (and then you re-engage them in the resale conversation).

If you end your conversations using this technique, you’ll find that your new clients will feel well informed and will be more likely to stick with their initial commitment.

PS: The Neagle Code: Directions for Life is a weekly no-cost program that is open to everyone! Each week, I'll select and personally respond to one question received via the above “The Neagle Code” page that I feel in my heart will help the most people. (You may choose to remain anonymous if you wish, with our full support.) It is my deep, heartfelt intention that ~ in answering your questions ~ I may provide you with the Universal Truths that in committed application, will set you free. Simply submit YOUR burning question at: www.DavidNeagle.com/ask-david to participate.

In this series, I’ve been showing you how to close sales in 15-20 minutes. That’s how long it should take you to ask the four main questions of the discovery conversation, which I shared with you last time.

If you asked the fourth question, “How badly do you want your situation to change,” with a compassionate authority that encourages your prospects to be authentic, they’re likely to have an emotional reaction.

They may be in tears. They may be excited. Or somewhere in between. But however they respond, by that response, you will know whether or not they’re in.

Secure the Sale
Let’s say they are going to buy. That’s the outcome I’m fully expecting you to experience as you apply these five pillars.

With their authenticity, with their laughter or tears, they’re saying to you, “Yes! This is what I want. I’m committing to you emotionally. Give me a directive as to what to do.”

In a moment, I’ll demonstrate the wording to use, but what you need to do at this point is secure their commitment. Ask them for their credit card number.

Ideally, you can turn the call over to an assistant, who can get the number, give the person a contract, and get him or her on your calendar.

But whether or not you’re the one taking their details, it’s crucial that after you secure their commitment and before you get off the phone with them, you take the next step of creating momentum.

Create Momentum
Creating momentum means that you give them something to do that gives them an immediate taste of the transformation that’s to come.

If you don’t create momentum for your clients right away, if they have to wait weeks before your event or program begins, they’re very likely to go into buyer’s remorse and start wondering if they’ve made the right decision.

So give them a step of their solution immediately, perhaps an exercise to do, and at the end of the call, briefly describe the powerful outcome the client should expect.

Commitment + Momentum = Powerful Outcomes for All

For instance, I might say:
“That’s great, Helen. Give me a credit card, and let’s get this going. I’m so excited for you right now that you’ve made this decision. Your life is going to be so different over the next year that you’re not going to believe it.

“I’m going to pass you on to Liz, now, who is going to get every call for the year set up for you and give you the first exercise I want you to do. So we’ll be set up for our very first call, and I’ll talk to you in a couple of days. Sound great? Perfect.”

That’s it.

Don’t go fishing for doubt by asking them if they have any questions. Any questions they have can be dealt with after the call.

Leave them on that high note of feeling that they’ve gotten what they wanted.

Let them relish in their commitment and the beginning of the powerful momentum that will take them where they’ve been wanting to go for a very long time.