Do sales calls give you the heebie-jeebies? You’re not alone! As a lifelong introvert, I used to get unbearably nervous about sales calls. But over time, I learned how to confidently crush a sales call. Now, I want to teach you to do the same!
Here are my top mindset shifts for gaining confidence in sales calls. (And if you’re a designer, be sure to check out my free workshop to learn more!)
TRANSCRIPTION: How to Confidently Crush a Sales Call
Hi, I’m Galen from Local Creative Co. and today I’m going to be talking to you about how I, as an introverted web designer show up confidently to sell on sales calls, sales calls, discovery calls, whatever you call them. They can be really stressful for new business owners, or even if you’ve been in business for quite a few years, you are not immune to feeling stressed out before you hop on a call to sell someone or convince them or twist their arm into buying your services.
Most people don’t believe me when I tell them I’m an introvert, but it’s true. It has taken me a very long time to show up confidently on video, show up competently, public speaking, and especially to show up confidently on sales calls with potential clients, because then it feels like there’s money at stake.
And it’s really tough to try to tell somebody why they should hire you over somebody else.
Today, I’m going to share with you a few of my favorite strategies and mindset shifts that helped me close 83% of the sales calls I was on last year.
These tips really changed my business and I can’t wait to share them with you. So hopefully they can help you close more sales to.
The first thing I wanted to remember before you ever get on another sales call, again, is that this conversation is just as much of an opportunity for you to get to know the client , as it is for them to get to know you.
You might be concerned that they’re not going to like you, that they’re not going to be impressed by you, that they’re not going to think your business has done enough work, or they’re not going to like your process, whatever it is. Right? You’re going to be concerned about all these beliefs that they may or may not have about your business.
But what you really should be thinking about is, is this client going to be an ideal fit for me? Are there any red flags that I should be keeping an eye out for? Or is this someone that I’m really excited to work with?
When you think of it that way, it’s really just two people coming together to have a conversation, rather than somebody coming in to look at your business with a magnifying glass.
Now the other thing to keep in mind, and this may be an unpopular opinion, but I have feeling there’s going to be quite a few unpopular opinions that I talk about today, but it’s that you are not getting paid for this sales call. At least most of you probably aren’t charging for your sales calls. So you don’t need to over-prepare.
If you’re not getting paid for your time to come onto this call and have a conversation with somebody, you don’t need to spend hours researching their brand and trying to figure out if they’re going to be a good fit before. You actually have a chance to talk with them.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t do any research. You may want to read through their intake form again, check out their websites, dock their Instagram a little bit. You can do a little bit of research, but again, you’re not getting paid for this time. So don’t over-prepare and stress yourself out, feeling like you have to do all this research before you show up live.
When it’s time to actually show up for the call, remember that it’s just a conversation, take a deep breath and realize that it’s just two people talking and getting to know each other. And the nice part is they’re the ones who are actually going to be doing most of the talking. If you are asking the right questions.
A sales call is a perfect opportunity for your potential client to share their, wants their needs, their desired outcomes for the project and any potential pain points or concern that they might have before getting started.
Find out what they hope to get out of this project and maybe why they haven’t been able to get those results on their own.
Now if their wants and needs aligned with your brand and your business, and they are someone you are truly excited about serving, they have just given you all the information that you need to be able to sell them on the services that you offer and buy, sell. I just need talk about it in an authentic and natural way.
Inside of my group coaching program, simplified designer, we go into detail about my sales process on these calls and what that looks like from start to finish. But today I’m going to focus more on the confidence aspect. If you do want to learn more about my entire process as a designer, you can check out my free workshop about how to work less and make more as a web designer.
Go check it out. I’m going to put the link in the description here.
Once you’ve made the decision that you actually want to work with this person. You want to validate their concerns and make them feel heard. Then you want to start to walk them through your process from start to finish, keep it really simple, keep it really high level. And just describe what it’s going to be like to work with you and how you are going to address any concerns that they have throughout the project.
I think one of the biggest reasons I see people lack confidence on sales calls is because they don’t see themselves as an authority. They don’t see themselves as having enough expertise in their field to be able to offer a quality service to their ideal clients. I have a little bit of a different view on what it means to have expertise and to show up as an expert in your field.
You do not need to be the best in your field. You do not need to know more than every other person out there who does what you do. You just literally need to know more than the person you’re talking to, because then you can guide them. Then you can share what you’ve learned with them.
And the good news is if somebody signed up to hop on a call with you to learn more about your services, it’s probably because they’re not an expert in that field. Therefore you are an expert to them.
They came to you with a problem and you can be the solution to that problem.
Another reason. I think people really lack confidence on sales calls is because maybe they’ve had bad experiences in the past, or maybe you’ve just been told no a few times. And that really stings the ego.
My number one tip for selling, or just showing up in your business in general, whether it’s on stories on Instagram or sharing a new video about your service to YouTube, whatever it is for you make sure that you don’t take it personally. If somebody says no or decides not to work with you.
There are a million reasons why somebody might not decide to work with you right now. Everything from budget concerns or things going on in their personal life, or maybe they just didn’t feel the connection the same way that you did.
That is a hundred percent okay and to be expected for anybody that runs a business.
What I want you to do instead of stressing out about quote unquote failed sales calls, when they’re not really failed sales calls, there’s no such thing. Everything is just a learning experience. But what I want you to do is to actually look at the numbers. And the data behind your sales calls and figure out where there might be a gap or where there might be a loophole in your process.
For example, are you getting on a call with everybody and their mother who inquires about your services? Maybe you have a lead quality problem. And you’re getting people on sales calls who automatically aren’t a great fit for you, but then you spend 30 minutes talking to them and it takes all that time to figure it out.
Maybe you could put some starting at pricing on your website, or you. I could add a couple of questions to your contact form to help filter out those people.
Or maybe you’re getting great people on the sales calls, but there’s just a disconnect somewhere in the questions that you’re asking and the conversations that you are having with these ideal clients.
When you actually look at the numbers, you can get an unbiased view of what’s going on in your business rather than taking everything. Personally, the numbers show a much clearer picture and you’re able to take calculated actions to figure out what you want to do next, to improve your process and improve the outcome of your sales calls.
If you enjoyed watching this video, let me know in the comments below. If these tips are going to help you show up more confidently on your next sales call.
If you’re a designer, make sure to check out my free workshop, linked in the description where I walk you through all of the changes I made to my business to double my profit all while working less.
As always. Thanks so much for tuning in and I’ll see you next time.
My Top Mindset Shifts to Confidently Crush Sales Calls
1. Treat your call as an opportunity to get to know your potential client.
When you get right down to it, a sales call is just a conversation. It’s not a performance, interview, or interrogation. Instead, treat it as an opportunity for you to get to know your potential client. This is where you’ll make sure they’re a good fit for your business.
Go into every sales call with the mindset that you’re just getting to know a fellow business owner. If they’re a good fit for your business, things will happen naturally.
2. Remember that you aren’t getting paid for this call.
This might be a controversial opinion, but it’s still worth mentioning. Too many business owners stress themselves out with hours of pre-work before their sales calls. Personally, I think it’s unnecessary and a disservice to you as a business owner.
Remember, you aren’t getting paid for your pre-call research or the call itself. Do some basic snooping by reading the intake form, checking out their website, and scrolling their social media. But don’t spend too much time and energy on it. You’ll learn everything you need to know on the sales call.
3. Structure your call so your potential client does most of the talking.
Plenty of introverted business owners avoid sales calls because they aren’t confident talking about themselves or their businesses. But if you structure your call right, your potential client will do most of the talking! Focus on asking open-ended questions like…
- How do you feel in your business right now?
- What results do you want to see out of this project?
- What’s your biggest concern about investing in this type of support?
You’ll still need to walk them through your processes and address their concerns. But first, you need to get to know the client.
4. Focus on making your potential client feel heard.
Now that you know your potential clients’ goals, pain points, and concerns, it’s time to validate their concerns and make them feel heard. Making a sale–especially as a service provider–is all about gaining trust. Show your potential client that you listened to them. It will go a long way in building the relationship.
5. Remember, you are the expert!
To confidently crush a sales call, you don’t have to know everything. You just have to know more about your service than the person you’re selling to.
If someone completes your intake form, they already view you as an authority. They wouldn’t seek your help if they didn’t think you were more knowledgable than them in this area. On the call, remember that you’re helping this potential client solve a problem. Recognize that you’re the expert in this conversation.
6. Don’t take the rejections personally.
Hearing a ‘no’ from an ideal client always stings a bit, but try not to take it personally. No one (or at least no one I’ve ever met) has a 100% conversion rate. ‘No’s’ are a natural part of the sales process. Plus, there are millions of reasons a potential client might not decide to work with you right now. Most of them have nothing to do with you or your business.
If you find yourself receiving a lot of ‘no’s’, turn to the data. Track your conversion rate, and try to see where the disconnect lies. Are you taking calls with unqualified leads? Do your prices tend to shock your leads? Do you address common concerns? Find the issue, and then make tweaks to your sales process.
Want to learn how to sell with confidence?
Check out my free workshop for designers to learn how to scale your business without the constant hustle and overwhelm.