How to Sell Without Selling as a Coach
/This is, after all, a business! And we have to bring in the sales somehow. But how do we do it and maintain warm, welcoming business relationships with our community at the same time?
If you’re ready to learn how to sell without being salesy and do it without pushing, prodding or bribing your followers into becoming clients or customers, continue reading! I'm going to share how to sell without selling in 3 ways.
Plus, I’ve got an added “bonus” tip that may also be hindering your ability to sell your products and services. This tip alone will help you to see if and how your mindset might just be affecting your selling technique. This tip will also come in very handy for learning how to sell without being pushy.
#1 Think of every transaction as an invitation
When we remove the “transactional thinking” in every move we make in our business, and instead, think of everything we’re doing as an invitation to the reader/follower to come along with us, be loved on by us, be served by us…our results will shift.
We’re still offering something in exchange for the follower’s response, BUT now, it’s got a warm, inviting feel to them, versus a “salesy” feel.
#2 Build relationships as you offer specific, valuable solutions.
Instead of looking at each interaction with your community members (whether that’s a “like” on a post, a view on a video, or a purchase from your online store) as something that just benefits YOU, you consider how it benefits THEM.
Are they encouraged, changed, inspired, helped by it?
What will THEY glean from it?
And this is just two ways to sell without being pushy.
#3 Give your special people an important place to belong.
All along the path of your business “Mission Map” (or funnel) you can create a place for each follower/reader/potential client to BELONG. In my business, I created a free community (just like we have here in Christian Coaches, too!) using Facebook for the forum (private free group) coupled with the Thinkific platform for the free library of resources, and an Email Service Provider (Aweber in my case) to “house” the materials, and give people a place to get to know each other and me. This then leads to organic, easy sales into the next thing (usually a lower-cost, low-commitment thing first) then higher cost offerings/programs later, and translates into profits for the company.
Focusing on these three simple ideas, to sell without selling, will take you far in profiting more in your business, without sacrificing your relationships for sales, or “turning your community off” to you and your emails, posts, and shares.
Another way to sell more, but not come across salesy, is to “Break Free of Desperation” in your business.
Here’s what desperation looks like in business:
Falling for scams or get-rich quick schemes that potentially harm you and your loved ones
People becoming numbers to you (or them feeling like another number to you - instead of a name!)
Being desperate for money - and letting it affect how you market and speak to people
Messaging in a pushy or salesy way - which ends up shutting off relationships for good
Taking part in scammy sales tactics that harms your community
If you find yourself in desperate circumstances, where you’re in great need for income, you may need to work an additional JOB or side gig for a time - to remove the desperation and meet the need. Sometimes, it’s as simple as surrendering that desperate feeling to God and asking Him to show you what to do or if this is a time where you just need to trust Him fully. (I’ve been through BOTH of these scenarios.)
Other times, He’ll provide through totally unexpected ways and maybe never wanted us to get off focus in your business over it. Still other times, I was led by Him to offer a creative solution to my community, quickly, and at a benefit to them, all while drawing in more income for me. It ended up being a mutual blessing (my $$$ need + quick, effective offer = fulfilling their need AND mine!)
Sometimes, this is about breaking free from the spirit of desperation emotionally.
What past hangup or mentality is keeping you desperate? In my case, it’s been a long-time, generational spirit of lack. I grew up in incredible poverty, surrounded by what I call a “poverty mentality” (which many times, felt equal to desperation!) What could be playing a part for YOU in your personal journey of growing into abundance, and coming out of lack?
Other times, I’ve noticed I’ve needed to break free in a spiritual sense from desperation. I realized HOW MUCH God wants to prosper me (and YOU!) and HOW MUCH He already favors us! He’s our loving Father who wants to give us GOOD GIFTS and gives us the ability to create wealth, through multiple streams of income and using our gifts and talents.
When we find FREEDOM from desperation, it looks like:
People before profits, hearts before dollars
Ministry shining through our biz - we are able to come out of the “me me me” mode and focus on/give to others more
An attitude of abundance that reflects in our business dealings
Opening up major doors for opportunity and promotion
Now, all of the above tips are about NOT coming across “salesy” to our community members, our blog readers, our video viewers and podcast listeners.
BUT…
What about those of us who struggle to actually TELL people we’re selling something? How to make sales of the services, programs, and products we’ve poured our heart and gifts and time into, with boldness?
It’s common to feel shy about telling your community what you have to sell, and I want to help you confidently sell MORE without being (or feeling) salesy. It’s just as important to fine-tune your selling ability as to temper any overly-salesy behavior.
Click here to get even more help to sell without selling in this video.
In the meantime, share with me how you feel you are doing. Do you struggle with selling without being salesy? Or, have you figured out how to make sales and sell without selling in your own community?
As always, I'd love to hear from you how your business is going - the good, the bad, and the in-between! When you open up and share, we can pow-wow and support each other better. And others here will learn from your journey as well. It's a win-win for the whole community.
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