What Really Matters?

Do you enjoy marketing and selling?

I do. A lot, actually.

But it’s not always been that way.

I think back to when I first started selling personal training. I couldn’t stand it.

I was very uncomfortable asking for money. I just couldn’t rationalize how someone could invest $300-400 a month for training.

That was almost what I was paying for rent and more than my car payment.

I was closing less that 20% of the prospects I sat down with. (18% to be exact.)

At that point I recognized that something had to change. It was about me…not the prospect.

So I thought back to my time as a baseball coach.

There I was ‘selling’ parents on sending their son to play for me for the next 4 years and choosing our school over all the rest.

The most valuable thing in their life. Their child.

And they were investing a substantial amount of money to do it because we had virtually no scholarship money to give them.

If I could make that sale – I could make this one.

The shift in perspective changed everything. Before long I was closing more than half of the prospects I sat down with.

I enjoyed it so much that I became a student of it. Then I started training others.

Now, my material on selling has been used by thousands (there are even some people selling ‘their system’ and using testimonials about results from people I personally sales trained) – and it all started with making the shift to having confidence.

So if you don’t enjoy marketing and selling – I thought I’d do my best to simplify it for you today.

To help you gain comfort like I did.

Let’s start with Marketing:

1. Marketing begins with gaining someone’s attention.

That’s it. What can you do that will gain the attention of the person you potentially want to train?

You just need to get their attention in a way that makes them interested in learning more.

2. The next step is maintaining their attention.

This is harder. Think about all the things you’ve subscribed to, bought or even shown an interest in over the past couple of years. How many do you still give your attention to?

To move someone from prospect to client you have to maintain their attention from the time they become aware of you until the time they want to buy.

3. You must position yourself as an authority.

Really, getting someone to buy is a matter of attention, authority and timing.

If you can get and keep their attention, then you need them to see you as an authority. Someone who has the capability of solving the problem they want solved. Someone they feel they can trust to lead them to where they want to go.

4. You need to be there when they’re ready.

That’s the timing piece.

You might think they are the right person – they meet all your qualifications. But if they’re not ready to buy…it’s not happening. So you need to maintain their attention and be seen as an authority until they’re ready to work with you.

That’s marketing.

Everything we get caught up in are tactics. Referrals are simply a way to get attention and gain some authority since your client is presenting you as someone their friend should trust.

A Facebook ad is simply a way to gain attention.

So as you build your your approach to marketing…think about these 4 components and figure out how you are most comfortable accomplishing these 4 tasks. Play to your strengths and as long as these 4 are done, you’ll be a marketing success.

Now, on to Selling.

1. They need to Know, Like and Trust You.

For the most part, we buy from people that we know, like and trust. Sure, there are exceptions – but if you don’t hit all three of these, they aren’t buying what you have to offer since they’ll likely be buying an opportunity to see you 2-4 days per week.

2. Get them to tell you where they want to go.

After you get them to know, like and trust you – ask some variation of this question:

“If you joined our program and we were sitting down again in 12 months – what would you feel like you would have needed to accomplish or would have had to happen for you to feel like you’d had great success?”

Get them to say what success is to them. To paint a clear picture.

3. Then determine what they think needs to happen to get there.

Once you know where they want to go…and more importantly, they know – then ask what they feel has to happen to get there. You can say something like this:

“OK, so for you to enjoy that success and achieve those goals, what do you think has to change or has to happen for you to get there?”

Allow them to sell themselves on what needs to change in their life.

4. Share how you can provide what they feel they need.

Now they’ve told you where they want to go and what they feel needs to happen to get there.

Tell them how you can provide what they said they need and how you can help them get the result they want.

That’s it.

You’ve shown them how you can solve the problem they feel they need solved to get the result they’re seeking.

It’s not some tricky close.

It’s not 25 questions you need to ask.

It’s not a flip chart presentation.

It’s making someone feel valued, asking them what they want and what they feel they need to get there – and providing a solution.

So there you have it…my approach to marketing and selling.

I hope it help you enjoy these critical pieces of having your Ideal Business…because when you do, everything else becomes easier.