Selling for yourself is scary. Many VAs have come to me and stated that they suck at sales and just can not do it. Does that sound familiar to you?
A prospect located you online he contacted you and you had a great consultation call. You go back to your computer and knock out a killer offer, submit it and wait for an answer you know will come.
but… Nothing. You continue with an email or maybe a quick call to confirm that they have accepted the offer. And then you wait … and wait and wait a little longer.
All you hear are crickets. Ghosts.
I know it can be frustrating and hurt your self-confidence. Since development 90 days VA, I often hear, “Esther, I had a potential client, the counseling call went great, but then they never went.”
Well, the problem is … okay, true bomb: You suck at sales.
Talking about yourself too much, not listening to what the customer needs, and not being able to close the deal are just some of the reasons you do not move customers from the initial referral to the contract.
I recently spoke with Renee River; A sales strategist, TEDx spokesperson and owner of Renee Hribar International on the reasons why many women find it difficult to sell and what to do to improve their skills.
Many women struggle with impostor syndrome, the inner struggle with the belief that you are not what others perceive you to be. Women tend to wonder if they are worth the money they need to collect, or if they are good enough to be in the position they hold.
Selling and tinkering with money, especially your product or service, can be a real struggle for some women. B 90 days VA, We have a whole series of thinking dedicated to helping women deal with self-perception and gain confidence in themselves.
Here are 3 tips to become more confident in sales.
Tip # 1: Be a good listener
When it comes down to it, people are people.
Everyone wants to be listened to and heard, but being an excellent listener is essential and requires practice. You need to hear exactly what your customer is asking for because that is what they expect you to provide. However, chances are that when they tell you what they need, it means something different to them than what it tells you.
To be an excellent listener, practice the following:
- Be attentive and present
- Keep an open mind
- Listen to the words spoken and try to imagine what the speaker is saying
- Do not interfere or force your solutions / ideas
You may be the best podcast editor out there, but if you do not hear what your client expects, you will end up submitting a section far below expectations and losing all credibility and references.
Be a great listener!
Remember it is not about you, but about the customer. To build a relationship you need to listen and learn how the customer communicates.
The consultation call allows you to actually talk to the prospect, and reduce the chance of ignoring emails. Speaking directly to the client allows you to start building a relationship. After all, sales are about building relationships.
The call or video chat will help avoid scaling the scope down the road. for example; You expected the job to be a $ 50 job and it turns out to be closer to a $ 500 job. Remember to keep your counseling / interview conversation short (about 15-20 minutes) and tell them you have a hard time stopping at a certain time.
Tip # 2: Ask great questions
Great salespeople ask great questions, According to Rene. After really listening to what the customer is asking for, now it’s your turn to ask great questions.
Repeat the picture the customer just described to you when we indicated what they needed. Do not take to heart what they have said, many people will withhold information or they will not be able to express what they need in words. It’s your job to be curious and ask the right questions.
To be able to ask the right questions you need to do some research before the conversation. Search on Google, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook. Find out who the customer is and understand his brand. Do they have a website that states their mission statement or vision?
You need to know this to understand the direction of the company. Then you can ask questions that come to the forefront of what the customer needs.
Avoid asking boring, vague or musty questions that will provide only superficial answers, such as, “What are you struggling with?” These will only waste time for you and the customer.
Examples of questions worth asking will be:
- What is the timeline you want the job to complete? (Describe exactly the job they told you)
- Have you hired anyone in the past to do this?
- What is your budget for the scope of work?
- What are your expectations at the end of the job?
- Do you think this is a one-time project or do you have another job?
For social media, some specific questions might be:
- Why do you want to have a social media manager?
- What worked and what did not work for you in the past?
- Who is our target market?
You should rephrase the answers to the customer so that they understand that you have heard them and that you are both clear on all the points discussed. The answers to your questions will help you determine the scope and cost of the project.
As human beings, we communicate all day, every day; However, we can do a pretty bad job much of the time.
Tip # 3: Be prepared and take a step back
Rene stated that there is a process for sale, and following a process we plan for ourselves allows us to feel good and be confident about what we bring to the table. You bring a valuable asset, one that your client has come to you to discuss.
If they knew how to do what you do, they would not talk to you. You’re the expert here.
Do not make the discussion strange by doubting yourself or allowing your emotions to pressure you. Staying calm and not fussing over what price to offer, or if you can do the job, will help you sound confident and give the client the impression that he is talking to the right person to do his job.
Do not feel pressured to provide a price during your consultation call. End the call with a statement that you will accept the offer together and then get back to them within a certain period of time. Be sure to keep track of your guaranteed timeline, if not earlier.
Ending the conversation and a statement that you will follow in the future will allow you to take the time to do all the necessary research on pricing, prepare a well-organized offer and be prepared to shake it up and explain your offer in detail to the customer.
Your bid should have a time limit. During the show, let the customer know that the price is valid until a certain date and your calendar fills up and you want to make sure they get into it now.
The secret sauce to selling yourself is to be confident in yourself, be a good listener and ask great questions, and once you have done your research and were ready, provide what the customer wants.
Your expertise is valuable and worth offering. My course, 90 days VA, Go through all the things you need to move to an online job and be confident in your interview skills and getting the right clients for you!
We discuss the consultation call, the interview and so much more to help you rock and get the show paid off! Along with learning how to interview prospects, the course teaches step by step the most sought-after virtual skills sought by online business owners.
See how you can invest in yourself and succeed. Check out my free master class here!
In 90 days of VA, Esther teaches her students how to research and recreate up-to-date blog content for the VAI website. Donna is the student we chose this week to present what she learned in the course. Get to know her:
Donna is a virtual assistant that helps individuals and small business owners in social media, content development and project management. When she’s not creating social media and blog content she likes to travel and hang out.
She is a 90 Day VA company and helps with everything from email / calendar to project management to make her clients’ lives easier.
