What is the impact of your beliefs on your ability and commitment to attract and convert your ideal prospects? What’s the impact of the belief of yourself, the role you have in people’s lives, and the value they receive in working with you? It’s huge! Your belief is a major factor in the energy, effort, and activity that you put forth in the lead generation activity to fill your funnel and the sales conversations that convert those prospects. Beliefs’ Impact on Your Sales Your level of belief constantly changes. Working from your baseline of belief that was developed by all your life experi ..read more

Impact. It’s the missing ingredient for many sales conversations and conversions. Impact is the consequence of what is going on with your prospective client, and the consequence of what will happen if they use your service and work with you. Why is impact important? Because without discussing impact, we’re missing the key motivator and the sense of urgency that will help that person make a confident decision and/or make a change. The Change Cost of Selling Your Service Think about it. When someone starts to work with you, they are going to have to make some changes. For example: They’re go ..read more

“How are you today?” “Sorry to hear about the Packer’s loss last weekend, what was your highlight of the season?” “How has your day been so far in the new location?” “How are the kids?” What do you think about those questions? Maybe you’re thinking, “Oh, the dreaded small talk!” Well, “small talk” is only small if you make it so. You see, each of those questions can be a powerful STARTER to a fuller sales conversation…if you guide the conversation in that direction. That’s why the initial questions in any conversation, especially in a prospective client conversation, need to be SMART! Smart ..read more

Ahhh, the excitement of a prospective client sales conversation: Finally, someone is interested in you and your services! And it seemed to go well. They were even smiling at the end of the conversation. Then…(crickets chirping)… Now what? You don’t want to appear desperate, aggressive, or too “salesy” after all. How can you follow-up and be there for them when they are ready to take the next step or talk again? With a follow-up system/campaign! Following are the best practices I’ve curated over the last decade. Best Practices for a Successful Prospect Follow-Up Campaign Do not “check in ..read more

Head. Heart. Hands. No, it’s not a nursery song (i.e. “Head, shoulders, knees, and toes…”). These are the three areas we need to engage with our prospective clients in sales conversations. Why? Because engaging their head, heart, and hands is how we involve and immerse them in the experience that builds trust, connection, and commitment with them versus having them be passive observers. Take a Cue from Hollywood – Movies Make Money We can look to a lesson from the movie industry in this area. (Those are never words I thought I’d write.) The movie industry’s goal is to get more butts in seat ..read more

“Measure twice, cut once.” That’s how I started the first article in this two-part series about the most boring habit. And it’s the ONE key habit you should develop to have better sales conversations and success. “Measure twice, cut once.” This adage is about preparation, and when it comes to preparation for sales conversations there are two levels that you should consistently complete to increase your probability of success. I covered the first level in the previous article. As a recap, that first level of preparation is getting ready hours or even weeks in advance of the conversation, eit ..read more

​Spoiler alert: In this article, I’m going to focus on a topic that many people consider boring. Because of that you may want to close it out and watch more rescue dog videos (oh, maybe that’s just me). I encourage you to keep reading and not look away because what I’m discussing today is one of the key ways to increase the probability of success in your sales conversations. Let’s start with an old adage: “Measure twice, cut once.” That’s what goes through my head as I’m doing my geeky DIY home projects. It’s a message about preparation and making the time to ensure that what you’re about t ..read more

“You get what you’re looking for.” It’s just one of dozens of “Jeanette-isms” I heard from my mom when growing up. And now as an adult, I can see how true this statement is. We do get what we’re looking for in many life circumstances, and in sales efforts. Here’s how I see it coming into play in sales situations, especially when faced with concerns or objections during our sales conversations. Common Objections Advisors Face We get what we’re looking for when we believe that a particular concern or objection is likely going to be raised, or believe that it should be raised, because on some ..read more

Do you remember the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears? Goldliocks was a little girl who entered the bears’ home while they weren’t there. Then, seeking to fit in and feel like she was at home, she tried their porridge, their chairs, and even their beds. She ended up falling asleep because she was so comfortable and felt peaceful. That’s what we want with our prospective clients! No, not for them to crash on our couch. We want them to feel so comfortable, and at home, with us during the sales conversation that they make that decision to work with us. How do we do that? We right-size. W ..read more

“But why?” The two words you should never say or ask when a prospective client shares a concern, an objection, or an unfavorable decision. Why? That’s what I covered in the last tip. This tip is about what we should do instead, which I call the Stop, Drop, and Roll. Stop, Drop, and Roll through Sales Concerns and Objections When someone shares information that is a concern, objection, or unfavorable decision, the strategy that keeps the conversation moving and increases your probability of a good outcome is to: Stop – Stop our mind from thinking ahead and stop our mouth from talking. Drop ..read more