Today we’re talking about sales, that dirty word we hate to use but desperately need to sustain and grow a successful business.
But, what if instead of viewing sales as something that feels forced or false, we saw it as a chance to connect? Because ultimately your audience isn’t purchasing your product or service, they’re purchasing your story!
This is why today I’m talking to Ingrid Maynard, The Sales Doctor, about How To Sell A Story Not A Product.
Ingrid shares incredible insight into sales, as well as tactics you can implement into your business immediately. She discusses the power of storytelling and how to establish and maintain trust, in order to make that sale and a life-long relationship.
See the full interview below or on our YouTube Channel Victory TV, otherwise, keep reading the shortened version of our discussion for her expert advice.
Do you have any tips on how to find the audience you want to sell to?
Firstly be open to your audience finding you, and what I mean by that is not that you should sit back and do nothing, what I mean is that your clients will tell you who they are.
Next, make sure you’re having conversations about the problem that your solution or product solves, or what that can enable a business to do more of.
Then look at your network and find those people that can refer you to potential clients, having that reference creates immediate credibility and trust. Find your place and become the centre of that eco-system.
From there? Have an appetite for the work and plenty of patience.
How do you establish trust with a customer?
It starts with connecting with people. A mistake I’ve seen salespeople make is going in to get something rather than going in to understand what the customer needs and being open to the fact that they might not be the best provider.
You need to have an abundance mentality when you’re in sales, understanding that not every customer is right for you and you’re not right for every customer.
How do you formulate a story around your product or service?
The more personal and relatable the story is, the better.
You might have one story, that’s your story, but the way you tell that story and the details that you focus on might vary depending on who you’re in front of.
Make sure you take time to understand your story within a hero’s journey format; people like to hear about the struggle, but they also like to hear about the triumph. If you can formulate your story within that structure it will absolutely resonate, and the customer will want to be a part of your next chapter.
Don’t know what the hero’s journey is? Check it out HERE and use this as a guide to tell YOUR story!
Please leave your questions, comments or thoughts about how to master sales in the comments below. Otherwise, get in touch with Ingrid, and invest in becoming an expert in sales!
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