Stop Selling and Start Helping

Guest Contributor: Hueina Su
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One of the intentions of our Coaches Mastermind Group is to share resources that could enhance our coaching and/or business-building skills. At last month's meeting, we decided to add business skills presentations to our regular meeting agenda, in addition to the coaching skills & foundation principles that we take turns to present each month. We would like to invite speakers to talk to us about various business skills such as marketing, PR, sales, networking, public speaking, website design & optimization, etc. We couldn't find a speaker for this month, so, in the interim, Lois and I were asked to talk about what we have learned from Michael Port's Book Yourself Solid. Michael Port was interviewed by iPEC Coaching founder Bruce Schneider last week on his E-Factor show, and that's why I started reading his book again. Lois decided to talk about identifying your ideal client and niche. I decided to talk about the Super Simple Selling System.

I met Michael Port 2 years ago at the ICF (International Coach Federation) NYC-chapter annual conference, where he was one of the speakers. At that time I was a regular participant on his Think Big Revolution weekly calls, and I like his upbeat and empowering attitude on the calls. He strikes me as very warm, sincere and authentic, and very likable. I also likes that he honors his integrity. So I made a point to attend his breakout workshop at the conference and bought his Book Yourself Solid CD set afterwards (his book was not published yet).

In the 3-CD set, he talked about the Simple Selling Process, and it includes an extensive version and a condensed version of the process. That's what I presented to the group. However, I just looked at his hardcover book tonight, and found that he kept the condensed version and called it Super Simple Selling System.

Anyway, if you're like most people, you probably hate selling with a passion. Nobody likes a typical sleazy used car salesman, or the fear-based advertisement. But, as an entrepreneur, especially as a service professional, you obviously need to master, or at least get comfortable, at the selling process.

What I learned from his book changed my perspective about selling and greatly surprised my mastermind group members. First of all, he said, "You are not selling your products or services. You are not even selling yourself. You are selling a solution." That point alone shifted my perspective about selling. The focus is no longer on "proving" how good my products are, or how good I am. The focus is on offering a solution to the prospect's challenges.

The Super Simple Selling System that's outlined in the book sounds more like a coaching session than a sales session. He stressed the importance of keeping the conversation positive and empowering for the prospects, and keeping self-criticism out of it. He also asked us to "stop selling and start helping". When you are in the "helping mode", just as in any coaching sessions, you listen deeply and ask powerful questions to help the prospects zoom in on their goals and vision. More importantly, you help them visualize achieving their goals, really feel it, and come up with action steps to achieve their goals. This is exactly like a coaching session, where I ask empowering questions to help my clients clarify their goals, make them concrete, visualize their success, and create a step-by-step action plan.

You are providing a solution to the prospects, instead of trying to push a product on them. When you look at the selling process this way, you are in the "helping mode" and you are their partner in the problem-solving process. So, it only seems natural to ask the next questions:

"Would you like to have a partner to help you achieve your goals?

And, would you like that partner to be me?"

When I finished my presentation, I could see that everyone seemed so relieved to hear this information. None of us like selling (the traditional way), but, with Michael's new selling concept & process, we get to do what we love to do the most -- coaching and helping others!

Use Your Mastermind Group To Share Resources

As small business owners we are typically strapped for resources. It can be hard to find the additional time in the day and money needed to start new projects. This is where your Mastermind Group can be of help to you.

Chances are the investments that you have made in your business can also be of benefit to your fellow Mastermind Group members. You have access to products, services, and information as well as experience in areas that the business owners in your Mastermind Group could use.

Similarly, the other members in your group have made investments in their businesses that could help you. As an example, at my meeting last week with Mastermind Group #2 - The Focus Group, one of the members is trying to build a media strategy. On top of the Press Release Builder Tool that I put together to help entrepreneurs, I offered to share my media contacts who have been helpful for my business.

My member will be able to use the media connections that took me years to build up. Similarly, he has helped other Mastermind Group members by sharing his knowledge, contacts and resources. By leveraging the resources of your Mastermind Group members you can quickly bypass the learning curve that is often required to make a project a success.

Have An Area For Members To Share Resources Between Meetings

6 months into my first Mastermind Group I asked the members what I could do to make the groups even better. A common response was having an area where they could connect with each other and share resources in between meetings.

In our meetings the members are frequently referring to contacts, websites, tools, books, and other information that have helped them grow their businesses. They recommend the best places to go, the best people to use and the best ideas that they have leveraged.

The members loved the wealth of resources. The problem was if you did not take down the information on the spot it would be lost. Members would often email me asking for the name of website of an item that was discussed at a meeting three months ago.

We solved this problem by creating a section in our members only online forum off our website. Each member now gets a login and a password that gives them access to the forums. After members share their valuable tips in the meetings they can post it online for everyone else to refer to at any point in the future.

Some of the three groups that I run use this feature more than the others but it has proven to be an effective way to keep all of our information together and have it as a place for people to come back to and connect with in between meetings.

The tools are free to set up and are fairly easy to use. I would recommend that every Mastermind Group have an online tool for the members to share their resources with each other and add more value to the group.