The One BIG Thing Freelancers Forget In Their Sales Conversations

When you first start pitching a prospect it usually goes a little something like:

“Tell me about your business”

“What are your goals?”

“What are you looking for help with?”

...Those questions don't attract that person to you. It just gives information.

There is one vital aspect that most people forget to include… but it can make a world of difference between victory and defeat!

So today we’re onto step 2 of the Sales V.I.C.T.O.R.Y. Method. Be sure to check out Step 1 (V- Be well-Versed) in case you missed it.

V - Be well VERSED.

I - INTIMACY & relevancy.

C - CHOOSE your thoughts.

T - TRIAL close to build trust.

O - OBSERVE to cover objections.

R - Get your no REPS in.

Y - YOU are the secret ingredient.

So, what do most freelancers miss out on in their sales conversations?

INTIMACY.

Intimacy + Relevancy = Victory

We know that our clients have a problem they’re trying to solve.

We know that we have a solution.

So we know that our offer is relevant to them...

...But the thing that most people skip is intimacy.

Scott Oldford defines intimacy as creating real relationships by telling your story.

When you focus on genuinely helping real human beings, intimacy and strong relationships are a natural result. This happens when you focus on: connection, conversation, and community.

“The people you serve crave a real connection with a real person.” Scott Oldford

In a sales conversation, that means you ask enough deep questions to really understand them and make an honest recommendation for their business that will serve them.

Ask Deeper Questions

When was the last time you spent some time really connecting with a potential client?

I’m talking about taking a moment to step outside of the casual “shop-talk” and ask deep questions that let you truly see into that person’s life, or even spend time listening to their story.

Those are the important moments.

(and they’ll also place your services above the rest!)

When you ask questions like:

“What are you passionate about?”

“What keeps you up at night?”

“Besides for the money, why do you want to hit 2 Comma Club?”

You start directing the conversation in a way that makes them feel heard and valued.

Get To Know The Prospect

Direct conversations aren’t the only way you can get a deeper understanding of someone either.

We live in a world of technology, which has given us a whole different way to peer into someone’s life, naturally making intimacy skyrocket.

Check out people’s socials!

People will share so much of themselves with their followers.

They’ll write entire paragraphs with parts of their story and history woven into it!

This access makes it easier to spark a conversation with them.

We see this all the time with chatbots! They automatically pop into people’s DM’s, making that first interaction easy, and they’ve increased intimacy just by sending that first message in a private 1:1 conversation, rather than just an email that’s 1:many.

(And it doesn’t have to be a chatbot sending that message. It could be you!)

You could be the one reaching out, making that first connection, and creating a higher relevance for your product, because you’ve increased the intimacy!

Take The Time To Listen

It’s not always about what you say.

Here’s a story about how LISTENING helped me make the sale:

In 2009, I was selling educational books door-to-door.

I met this mom whose son needed help with math and reading...my books could help with that! (Relevancy)

But did I start pitching and rambling all about how cool the books were once I found out their son had a problem?

Nope.

I gave them my time and I asked deeper questions. The mother opened up to me about how much her son was struggling with school and how difficult it had been for him… how he had been bullied… how they have been searching everywhere for a solution…

And I just listened.

When she had finished sharing her story, I asked if I could show her a demo.

She immediately asked the price - because she didn’t want to waste my time. (heard that before?)

I awkwardly blurted out that it was $300. 😬

And she went ahead with the demo anyways...even though she was worried about the price.

We sat with her son, went through the demo, and I asked him if he would use the books if he had them…

Which he promised his mom he would.

All of a sudden, his mom got up without saying a word, left the room, and came back with $300 cash in her hand, telling me she had been saving it and wasn’t sure what she was going to do with it, but thought these books could help her son.

She said thank you for coming by. 👉 SHE. THANKED. ME.

She thanked me for selling her something.

Her son needed help with math and reading, and I had the books to help (this is the relevancy!)

By giving her my time and letting her share her story, she helped me understand the bigger problem, which could be solved with my product. (this is the intimacy!)

What people are going through matters more than a quick sale.

When you open a line of communication that’s more emotional and gives people time to share their bigger problems, it can often become clear how they can be solved…

And why you’re the perfect person to help!

Pairing the relevance your service or product has for a client with an intimate connection, can be a powerful way for you to gain new clients (and ones that stick around).

Building intimacy is one of the many things I’ve mastered on my sales calls, and it’s why I have about a 75% close rate on my sales calls (and about 20% I usually turn down as not the right fit).

You already know the importance of achieving Victory in sales, but the "HOW" is hard to get on your own.

The truth is: developing your sales skills is crucial to achieving the growth you seek in your business and in your life.

It’s a problem worth solving!

I’d love to mentor you.

Would you like to be mentored?

If you’ve read this far, you’re one of the first to know about my upcoming Sales Victory Mentorship Program 🎉 starting in January 2022.

In my 8-week Sales Victory Mentorship, I'll train you on my proven sales process, so you can close more 1:1 sales calls, and I’ll give you the critical feedback you want LIVE, so you can get higher-paying clients.

I’d be thrilled to help you connect with your clients on a deeper level and close more sales.

Apply for a Discovery Call with me today, and never miss adding intimacy to your sales conversations ever again (and learn so much more!)

💗 Tracey