Social Media – Shelley Willingham

I think at one time or another we all have struggled with this to some degree. We all have heard the old saying, “ABC…Always Be Closing,” and there is a lot of merit to that statement. The close should be a natural last step in the progression of your meeting. It should not be looked at as an isolated event. If you do everything right through the process, the secrets of closing will be revealed.

Unfortunately, there are many people who still look at the sales process as an adversarial one….”I have to get them before they get me.” That’s a pretty old school way at looking at growing your business.

First, you need to see yourself as a consultant, not just a sales person. To discover one of the primary secrets of closing you need to ask yourself what value you bring to the relationship. Anyone can push a product or service, but by positioning yourself as a business consultant, you are setting yourself apart from everyone else who is trying to just “sell” something.

Does it take more effort? Absolutely, but the dividends pay off.

When you are talking to potential new customer always ask yourself if the information that you are providing is something that they need. To do this, you have to make sure that you do a thorough assessment of their current situation before offering solutions.

Sometimes you can be so excited about what you have to offer that you dominate the conversation with all the great things you can do. Remarkably, this is one of the secrets of closing that is often overlooked. Imagine going to the doctor and immediately getting prescribed medication without anyone asking you what’s wrong. That’s what a lot of “salespeople” do and wonder why they walked out of the meeting empty handed.

You can pretty much drill down the reasons people buy to two points-to avoid pain to get pleasure. How does your offering solve either of these issues? You can’t answer this question unless you know what brings them pain and what brings them pleasure. After you know the answer to this, you can have a business conversation (not a sales pitch) about how your service, opportunity or product can help. Use these secrets of closing to build your million-dollar enterprise.

So, before you have your next meeting, remember these three points:

Build Value-You are more than just a salesperson. You are a business consultant.
Identify what is important to them before you start providing solutions.
Closing is not an isolated incident. It is natural once you have laid the foundation, built the trust and proven yourself to be a professional and someone that your prospect would be eager to partner with.

I consider myself a serial entrepreneur. I’ve started many businesses in my life, some extremely successful and others…not so much. Risk adverse…that’s what happens when you get older, have children, a mortgage, car payments, college tuition and all those other fun things that make us adults.

I’ve talked to so many people who are frustrated working for somebody else and have a great idea for their own venture, but few are willing to step out. So they settle into a life knowing that there is so much more out there, living for the weekend when they may dabble in their passion a bit and dreading Sunday nights in anticipation of going to a job that they know they’ve outgrown. Can you relate? I know I’ve been there.

When you know you are capable of so much more, it is self-defeating to not pursue your dreams. So after talking to many people about this dilemma and even looking deep within myself because at times I’ve had problems moving forward, I’ve identified the 5 main reasons why you more than likely have not stepped out to pursue your dream. Maybe just one describes you or maybe you can relate to all of them, but know you’re not alone.

I’m gun-shy. I’ve attempted to start a business before and failed. I’ve actually failed a few times.

I’ve had an unsuccessful business before. It sucks when it’s happening. If this is you, you know exactly what I’m talking about. More money going out than coming in, trouble making payroll, not able to pay yourself…I could go on. The hope is you learn from that experience and can look back and see where things went wrong. I’m not going to inundate you with a ton of stories about how failure is the road to success because I‘m sure you already know that.

I just need you to know it can be true for YOU so you can get back out there and take your shot. Now you know the pitfalls, what to look out for. You’re actually in a better position now than when you started. Experience is the best teacher and failure is the PhD. Don’t dwell on the past. Embrace the lesson, accept what you need to do differently and gear up to start your new business head on.

I don’t have a support system.

You can already hear it, “I know you’re not going to leave a ‘good job’ to start a business!” Insert eye roll here. Bless their hearts…they mean well, but don’t entertain them. Everyone is not wired to be an entrepreneur. We’re cut from a different cloth. Your passion and your dream are all yours. Everyone is not going to understand. And you can get started on your dream while you’re still working full time. Don’t entertain people that aren’t going to support your decision.

As a matter of fact, keep it to yourself and let your success do all the talking. I promise you there are people out there ready and willing to support you in this journey. Create your support team-the people that keep you motivated and focused on your success during this process. Also, check out my Facebook group, Bounce like a BOSS! This group is focused on supporting aspiring entrepreneurs, we’ll have your back….this is YOUR tribe! We have people still working full-time for someone else, people who have just taken the leap and seasoned entreprenuers to help guide you through the process. And yep, it’s free!

Click here to join Bounce Like A Boss-The Facebook Group

I know I want to do something, but I don’t see how it translates into a profitable business.

Or maybe you have soooooo many ideas you don’t know where to start. Do you have a hobby that you can monetize? Is there a special skill that you have that you can teach others? Maybe you love your job but you don’t want to work for anyone else. You want to take those skills and consult. Maybe you want to go a completely different direction and try something new.

What would you do for free? What sets your soul on fire? What makes you happy? What is something that people complain about doing but you LOVE doing it? You would be surprised what people pay for. Think it through, do the research and come up with a plan.

I’ve never run a business before. I’m afraid I won’t be successful.

Suck it up, buttercup. I want you to change the way you’re looking at this. What if I told you this nagging that you feel every day that there is something else you’re supposed to be doing is not about you? It’s about the lives you are going to change once you step out and finally commit to being true to who you are.

If you give in to your fear and don’t move forward, how many people may suffer by not having the benefit of your gift? Don’t be selfish…do it afraid! Clearly define your vision for your new venture and see yourself being successful. Anticipate potential roadblocks and come up with solutions. Don’t stay stuck. Develop a plan…may not be next week, may not be next year, but figure out a plan and work toward it. If marketing is not your thing, get help. Afraid of sales? Find a coach or a mentor to help you. You can start learning while you are still working.

I don’t have the money.

Ahhhh, money. Makes the world go ‘round, right? I started my first business with about $200. True story. Depending on what you are going to do you can get started with very little money. If you’re still working make a plan to put aside a certain amount each month into a ‘freedom’ fund. Even if it’s $25 each time you get paid, do something. Is there a way you can start your business as a side hustle until you’re ready to go full steam ahead? Get to hustlin’!

According to a November 1, 2016 article in Forbes magazine, “Multiple studies from Intuit to The Freelancer’s Union predict that at least 40% of the workforce will be freelancers in the next few years.” That translates into opportunity for you. The timing is perfect.

Get a few clients and use that income to fuel your business. Just to make it easy, say you bring in $100 with your side hustle. Put $50 into your dream account, $25 towards marketing for your next client and $25 in your pocket. That’s just an example but I think you get the point. The important thing is to have a plan and commit to it.

You can do this. Take baby steps and celebrate short-term wins in the process. Will it be easy? Absolutely not, but things worth having rarely are. If you got all the way to the end of this article I’m convinced you have the desire to make a change in your life and an impact in this world. Develop a plan, give yourself a timeline and make it happen! See you at the top!

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