Acts of Kindness

It’s World Peace Day today!  Today encourages us to be kind to others and to teach others to be peaceful.

There are many ways to cultivate peace in the world and in our business; through our actions, our thoughts and even our language.  We often think that the only form of violence is through action, but our thoughts and words carry with them a powerful energy that has an impact on the world around us too.

There is a great book by Marshall B. Rosenberg called “Nonviolent Communication, The Language of Life” in which he shares a way of communicating to peacefully resolve personal, professional and political differences. In it he reminds us that we have a choice in every situation, and changing our language to reflect that deepens our compassion for ourselves and others.

So today, what can you do to cultivate peace in your world?  What can you commit to doing differently in your thoughts, words or actions for one day?

Here some ideas for service providers:

• Offer a free snack or drink to all your clients today
• Offer 10% or $10 off their next treatment to all who come in today
• Raise your awareness of your thoughts.  Become aware of thoughts of anger or resentment towards others and practice compassion remembering we’re all on our own journey
• Be mindful of the words we speak to others – are we putting the other person down or “in their place” to make us right?   Practice listening and understanding the other’s point of view even if we don’t agree.
• Meditate.  Be still.
• Have fun!  Do something playful – something that brings you joy!  Have a draw or contest at your office that encourages happiness.
• Donate a portion of your earnings today to a cause close to your heart.

 Be the droplet that starts the ripple in the pond.

 “A smile is the beginning of peace.” – Mother Theresa

5 Tips for Overcoming Objections and Uncovering What’s Really Holding Your Buisness Back!

Let’s cut to the chase – whether you’re an entrepreneur or not, we all fear – and will do anything to avoid – rejection! From asking for the business to asking someone out on a date, underneath, we know what we’re really asking is, are we acceptable to the other. We’re asking “Do you want me?”, “Do you like me?”, and “Am I (or what I’m offering) acceptable to you?”  It’s a vulnerable position to be in.

To make matters worse, many people interpret objection as rejection.  In the case of the entrepreneur who must grow their business to survive, avoiding asking people to work with them can lead to the decline of their business.

An objection is a form of challenging the information that has been given.  An objection might sound something like: “That’s alot of money!” or “I’m not sure that I’m ready to make a commitment to work with you right now.” 

Whatever it is, at the heart of most objections is a need for more information.  One of the biggest mistakes most people make when confronted with an objection is interpreting the objection as a “no” (rejection) and ending the conversation. 

Service providers please note: Overcoming objections isn’t about convincing people to buy what they don’t want. It’s about sharing information about your offering – fully, and allowing the other person to decide – with all the information, if your offering is right for them.

If you find that you face objections frequently, this process will be valuable for you to get to the heart of what’s blocking your success too.

Here are 5 tips to overcome objections and discover what may really be holding your business back.  When faced with an objection:

1. Remain curious and impartial: Frame this as the beginning of another conversation, not the end of your time together.  Breathe, be still and stay calm (Hint: don’t run away!)
2. Rephrase what you hear as the objection to be sure you understand it fully. This shows your concern, that you hear them, and allows you to clarify what they are saying.
3. Ask & Listen: Remain curious about the person and the situation. Eg: “I’m always open to new ideas and suggestions for packaging my offering in ways that are most valuable to my clients. What would you value most?”  Or, “What is the price you’ve paid in the past or that you feel is in line with the value we offer?”  Listen to what they say.
4. Ask if there is anything else: If you feel that you’ve answered the objection, this is a good time to discover if they have any other questions or concerns about your offering/you/your business etc.
5. Answer the objection and ask if that answers their concerns; “This is an important step.  It wraps up the conversation, and let’s them know that you’d still like to work with them.  Thank them for taking the time to share their thoughts and opinions with you.

Reframing an objection as an opportunity to go deeper and better understand your potential clients is liberating!  Instead of dreading and avoiding the possibility of rejection or objection, view it as an opportunity to learn more about the other person and your own business.

How to Overcome Common Negative Beliefs About Selling

The number one thing that keeps people from engaging in selling interactions is their negative beliefs about selling.  Having these beliefs is no surprise really.  We’ve all heard the negative terms used to describe sales people and the sales process.  When we’re putting people down we use terms like; huckster and used-car salesman.  Then there are the parody’s on TV like Herb Tarlic the salesman from WKRP, or the tragic protagonist that almost kept me out of my sales career – Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman.

No one wants to be “sold to” or “taken”, which are things that we associate with the sales process.  As a matter of fact, right now in North American society one of the most maligned and despised groups of people are telemarketers!  Am I right?  So much so, that in both Canada and USA our governments are even stepping in to “protect” us from their calls!  As if they’re dangerous to our well-being.  We need protection from them.  So no wonder we all want to shy away from, in any way, shape or form, being even remotely connected to this sales image.

Underlying our distaste for the sales process is the feeling of powerlessness.  What we hate most of all is feeling that we’re being forced into a decision that we will later regret.  There’s even a term for that – buyers remorse – because it happens so often.  We feel bad about ourselves as if it’s a poor refection on our intelligence or our decision-making skills.  “We should have been smarter about our decision.”  “Why did I let him/her talk me into that?”  These are some of the things we may say to ourselves after we consider the item back in the comfort of our own home.

As a service provider who needs to sell their services and products to grow their business, how does one get past this belief that is so ingrained in our culture?

Redefine what selling is to you.

When I started my career as an Athletic Therapist I never imagined I would have a sales career.  When I naively got into my first sales position, I struggled primarily with my negative beliefs about selling.  My big turning point was when I redefined myself as an educator.  I learned that when I was speaking to the right person, at the right time, and giving them the right information, they could decide if my offering would work for them.  This took the pressure off me to “make them buy” from me. My approach changed, and I grew my business.

If you struggle with negative beliefs about selling, here are some steps you can take:

1. Describe all the things you hate about sales people and being “sold” to:
2. Describe all the ways that you and your business are different from that image:
3. Think of a recent positive selling interaction where you were purchasing a service or product.  What did the person you purchased from do well?  What could they have done differently?
4. How will you change your approach in selling interactions for your business?

The primary way to avoid making a potential client feel uncomfortable in a selling interaction is to ask for permission before sharing information.  If someone says “Yes, I’d like to hear more”, or “No, I don’t have time”, you can avoid what I affectionately call “telemarketers syndrome’!

Join us again soon!  Next time we’ll be talking about “Selling with authenticity & integrity!”

What is Selling?

Selling, at its essence, is a conversation with a purpose.  Really, that’s all it is.  What that means is that whenever you are having a conversation with anyone related to your business, it could be considered a selling conversation.  These can happen anytime, anywhere.  The purpose of a selling conversation could be to build relationships, understand clients’ needs, or to promote, advocate or gain acceptance for what you offer.

How does that fit with your approach to selling?

The barrier that many people who may define themselves as “sales reluctant” come up against is the view that selling is separate and isolated from everything else they do.  Selling becomes this whole other awkward, uncomfortable thing that happens under only certain specific conditions.  Seeing selling as an integrated part of what you do every day makes it much easier to incorporate into your skill set naturally and authentically.

My definition of selling is broad and continuous.  Having had very successful corporate sales career in healthcare, I have learned a thing or two about how to build strong relationships and make selling a win/win for all parties.  They key is to make it a natural, ongoing part of your business relationship.  And I don’t mean that you should be selling to your client in every interaction 24/7, but that you can flow in and out of various stages of selling at any time.

Most business relationships start with introductions and getting to know the person.  If there may be a fit to work together, you flow into asking and answering questions.  The next phase is asking your potential client if they’d like to work with you.  This basic formula can happen in as short as a couple of minutes or go on as long as it takes.

The important take-away from this, is to begin to shift your perception of what selling is, so that it works for you.  No one is telling you what you should or shouldn’t do; after all it is your business.  These are just clues to give you ideas and perchance to reframe past negative experiences.  The goal is to offer you the greatest opportunity to grow your business and have the success you desire!

Visit us again soon!  Next time we’ll be discussing “How to overcome common negative beliefs about selling!”

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