I don't do sales - I let my passion do all the work...
For many, the word "sales" has such an icky connotation...
That's because a lot of people approach sales in an icky way...
Fortunately, I learned my lesson early and now, I approach sales in a completely different way, :)
I recently had an interesting conversation with a young photographer.
Aside from covering a ton of geeky and techie photo babble, he asked me about sales.
Before he could even utter another sentence on the topic, I quickly responded:
“I don’t sell shit - I let my passion do the talking.”
No click-funnels. No crazy CRM setups. No upsells. No scarcity tactics. No special deals.
No bullshit.
I illustrate my passion for what I do and who I serve in various ways.
First, I spend a large portion of my time creating valuable and compelling content.
Then, I organically engage folks who have shown interest and appreciation for this content.
And when these followers are ready to talk to me about the specifics, I enthusiastically communicate how my expertise can help solve their pain points.
It’s really that simple.
You see, authenticity for me goes well beyond the photos themselves.
It’s found within every step of the process - from people discovering me online or through a referral, all the way through the actual photo session itself.
I don’t ever pressure people into a sales decision immediately - I prefer to nurture and develop relationships with potential clients until they are ready to pull the trigger.
Is it important to remind followers of my services from time to time? Of course.
But, the decision to work with me always rests with the other person, so, I don’t feel compelled to grease the wheels and force them into pulling the trigger prematurely.
In fact, pushing someone into a decision could lead to some mediocre results.
This is why my focus solely on value.
And, when the client is ready to have the discussion, I deeply immerse myself in getting to know them on a deeper level, and my passion for solving their particular content puzzle kicks into overdrive.
I love this part of the discovery process because we’re laying the foundation for an amazing exchange;
Whether on a call or in person, I often find myself in a flow state where we uncover how to visually translate their expertise to visually punctuate all the amazing stories about their businesses, brands and lives that they want to share with their tribes.
Usually, people laugh at me over how worked up I get - I'm of the pacing, talking with my hands, variety - but, it’s that passion that draws them to me, so ultimately, I laugh along with them, :)
And, it’s that passion that fuels the purpose and meaning in my life, so, I don’t ever plan to curtail it anytime soon!
Although this method might not work for every entrepreneur, I can tell you that the young photographer to whom I was speaking was pumped and motivated to go about it in the same way I do.
It’s a pretty powerful, authentic and, dare I say, magical, way to go about your business, :)
What is your “sales” process, and how does it differ from mine?
PS - For those of you who aren’t in the know, I mail out these blogs 3x a week, and lemme tell you, they’re a real party, so, if you’d like to get in on this, sign up for it here and I’ll throw in a free gift for you...because I care, :)