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Stop Treating the Sales Process Like a Needy Girlfriend

Guest post by: Jackie Mckay

Article Overview: I know how much you love your work. We light workers are passionate, heart centered people. We were planted on this earth to help people. It’s in our blood. Trouble is that you have to turn a profit if you’re going to be in business. And my guess is that no one ever really taught you how to approach prospective prospects and turn them into qualified clients – in a heart centered way – consistently.

Stop Treating the Sales Process Like a Needy Girlfriend

I know how much you love your work. We light workers are passionate, heart centered people. We were planted on this earth to help people. It’s in our blood. Trouble is that you have to turn a profit if you’re going to be in business. And my guess is that no one ever really taught you how to approach prospective prospects and turn them into qualified clients – in a heart centered way – consistently. Because of our passion and our naivety, holistic practitioners tend to treat the whole sales process like a needy girlfriend.But the sales process is just like engaging in any new relationship; it’s automatically known that you must not come off as a Needy Nancy. You can’t assume you’ve got a new client just because they say they’re interested. You must listen well, take your time, prepare yourself and move slow.

So, let’s flesh out the top 7 things you must consider if you’re serious about helping more people and converting new prospects into paying clients. Ready, set…here are some things to consider:

1. People buy from people they know, like and trust. People want a connection.People want to be heard. People want to be listened to. Therefore, make sure the first words out of your mouth are about building an authentic connection with your prospect.

2. People don’t want to be sold to. However, people will work with you if they know you can solve a sacred struggle, pain point or a problem. So, before you start networking, get a clear picture of your ideal client and their exact struggles. You want to be able to create an authentic connection and then inquire about their current and past struggles. Can you see why it’s so important to build a connection first?Most people aren’t as open to being vulnerable and sharing their struggles until they feel connected with you on some level.

3. People aren’t buying from you because of your passion. If they did, you’d probably have a wait list of clients! People use services from people who have positioned themselves as a “trusted advisor”. Think of your own trusted advisors- they may recommend certain actions but they certainly don’t come across as a sales person. Be the person who asks a lot of questions and really listen to that human being in front of you – with no agenda.

4. What sinks most networking situations isn’t so much your words but more importantly your “being-ness” or the way your energy comes across.Instead of going in feeling as though you need to “get clients”, ground yourself prior to the event or before the phone call. (I meditate each morning and say a prayer to the universe) Try not to be to scripted but also be prepared so that you don’t ramble.

5. Don’t pitch your services or try to convince your prospect of anything – especially if you don’t know if you can genuinely help them or not.

6. Learn about their goals, not just their current situation. Get in touch with their vision of how they would want things to be different so that they’ll feel open to hearing about how you can help.

7. If you are certain you can help the prospect suggest you schedule an exploratory session to see if working together would be the right fit. Don’t ask for them to book an appointment right away.

When you put all of the above seven ideas together, can you see where in the past you may have been coming off like a needy girlfriend – perhaps coming on too strong, rambling on and moving too fast?So now that you know, shift your energy from a Needy Nancy, prepare yourself internally and prepare your core marketing message. Then stand back in amazement of how easy it is to sign on new clients.

Your Action Step:



Prior to your next networking or speaking engagement take a little extra time to review your ideal client’s struggles and pain points. Prepare your thoughts and intentions.And while you’re in the process of chatting up your ideal prospect remember there is no need to move to quick or to rush into things. If you have taken the time to get clear on your results and benefits and if you communicate that in a clear way while remembering you are only being sent to have a loving and curious conversation, I will guarantee this will have you stand apart from the crowd. How could anyone not want to work with you!?

If you are still feeling uncertain about the sales conversation and would like a step-by-step guide of exactly what to say and in what order, I have recently created my own personalized script that I’ve been using for years. It works beautifully and won’t make you feel “strategic” or gross.

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Article Tags: advisor, clients, ideal prospect, new clients, universe



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