The #1 Reason Your Sales Calls Aren’t Becoming Clients and What to Do About It
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[00:00:00] The moment has arrived for your sales call But, you're a little apprehensive, cause you know, these conversations can go in a lot of different directions.
[00:00:11] but despite everything you feel good, you and the call hopeful. And then crickets. Or if you're lucky you receive a, this wasn't the right fit email. Which is always hard, but you know, at least you have closure. In today's episode, I'm going to help you understand the number one reason sales calls don't convert into clients. And I'm going to share some very specific things to do to increase the chances
[00:00:39] the person you're on a sales call with becomes a client.
[00:00:43] Welcome to the sales by you podcast, where I talk about all things sales, tips, tools, strategy, and mindset, all the things that help you build a lead to client sales process that works for you. I'm your host Celina Guerrero sales and LinkedIn coach. I help consultants and service providers attract high quality leads that become their best clients. If you're responsible for signing clients in your business and are ready to feel more confident and knowledgeable, so you can reach your biggest revenue goals,
[00:01:18] then this is the show for you. Welcome.
[00:01:21] All right, so let's get into it. What is the number one reason your sales calls don't convert into clients. Well to explain this, I want you to think about a musician or an athlete, for example. In both cases. They train and practice. For a very long time before their five minute performance or their. 62nd run. At the time of this recording, the Olympics in Paris are coming up. And I see these athletes and I think, oh my gosh, like so much pressure, right?
[00:02:03] They flown to Paris from all over the world. And they literally have some times. I don't know, what's a hundred meters sprint, like 20 seconds. Or gymnastics, right? Like five minute routine. or, I don't know if it's fencing or whatever, It's a solo sport.
[00:02:19] You go against your competitor and your inner out. Like, that's it. That's kind of crazy. How does this relate to your sales calls?
[00:02:28] the thing that they have in common is that 95%
[00:02:34] of the performance. Is really Related to what comes before.
[00:02:40] most of the quality of the performance comes down to what happened before those 10 seconds. Uh, you know, that five minute performance. So the number one reason your sales Karls aren't becoming clients is because the 95% of what came before it wasn't aligned with your client. Or you simply weren't doing enough and I'll explain.
[00:03:04] What are the key things you need to do before you get on a 60 minute sales call, to make this person. Contract ready client ready? We're going to talk about three things. These three things are foundational to having success
[00:03:23] In the moment of the sales call. So number one. they need to know you help people like them. I know this kind of seems obvious perhaps. But they need to know that you actually help people like them. I have been on calls where I was like, not the right person. And I'm like, why am I no call with this person? Number two, they need to believe that you actually can help them.
[00:03:46] And number three is they need to trust in like you, so let's break that down. Number one, they need to know you help people like them. For example, I help people who have service-based businesses. I don't help people with product-based businesses. so just saying, right, like, let's be clear.
[00:04:03] They, I, yes, I do marketing and sales and LinkedIn coaching and training, but my expertise does not apply to people with product based businesses. Okay. So. Number one, they need to know you help people like them. How do you do that?
[00:04:21] This is the answer.
[00:04:22] Your marketing should be exclusively targeted at people with the specific problem you solve. How do you accomplish that marketing?
[00:04:33] You need specific messaging and marketing that says I help this type of person with this specific problem. And this might be a good time if you're listening to this and you're thinking. Mm, not sure. To just step, take a step back and look at your content. And saying am I being specific? And if you do the people who can't, who you cannot help, will disengage, which is what you want. Right.
[00:05:03] And the people who see themselves in your messaging will lean in, they will keep tuning in. All right. So number two, you now need them. To believe you can help them. Meaning there has to be a sense of belief there. Okay.
[00:05:21] So, for example, if you help, let's say boutique retail businesses sell more. Okay. That's your, that's your, your consultant and you help boutique retail businesses sell more products.
[00:05:35] Somebody might know that, but they have to believe you actually can help them, right. Just because you do something right. And belief doesn't come easily. So how do you accomplish that? Marketing. Sharing past client experiences. Here's how I help this boutique retail business. Go from here to there. Sharing insights for what works and what doesn't. Right.
[00:06:00] What are the tips and tricks and, and foundational, principles, best practices. That boutique retail businesses should do in order to sell more. Right. So it's really just aligning this idea of, uh, first of all, making sure you're very specific on who you help, how you help them, and then giving them case studies and insights around that.
[00:06:23] So that there's a, a level of belief.
[00:06:28] Number three, they need to trust in like you. Right. They might understand that you held boutique retail businesses are more, they might even believe you can do it, but if they do not like you, they are not going to hire you or they just don't trust you.
[00:06:45] They're saying, ah, I think this person has done this, but there's something about this person that just doesn't align with me. So, how do you accomplish this? Marketing. S specially video audio.
[00:07:00] Okay. Why do I say that? Because I'll tell you, I don't think I've ever worked with anyone that I have seen on, uh, uh, some form of video or at least audio, or certainly haven't gotten on a sales call. If I can not see them on video. Right. It's just the humanity, if you will, of how you communicate, Yeah, just how you communicate, how you show up in the world.
[00:07:22] Because if you think about it, video in a sense is a little bit of relationship building at scale. Like I think of relationship building as a one-to-one relationship, but if you are in a video format and you're communicating, they know you are communicating, it's not your copywriter, it's not AI, right. they can literally imagine what it's like to work with you right there sitting across the table from you when they see video.
[00:07:46] or audio, of course, podcasts, very intimate, um, in someone's ear. so these two particularly work well on the trust and like factor. So it's super simple marketing attracts. Educate and builds trust. All right.
[00:08:04] Now, I just want to kind of get to the sales call piece. Let's assume you've done all of these things, right. Um, then your sales call, which is only 60 minutes is probably going to go really well because they show up to the call pre-sold in quotes. If that's a term you like, so they already know you can help them.
[00:08:27] They believe that you can help them. And they like you.
[00:08:31] Okay. So really closing on a call is really like the final loop on that trust, factor it. And honestly, Sales called to some extent is a little bit of a vibe check because they've already checked the other boxes. Right. Um, and this is what I really, really, really want to emphasize with you. You cannot convince people. That you help them. That they make them believe you can help them and make them trust in like you in 60 minutes, it's too much. There's no sales closing magic. There is no. Discovery call fairy dust. Okay, so please stop saying things like, I don't know how to close, right.
[00:09:17] Or I'm so bad at sales call. Right. Yes. There are bed best practices in a sales call, but it's really just about being yourself because you already are an expert. Answering questions and concerns and building rapport, right? You simply cannot be expected to build a trusting inform relationships in 60 small minutes. Okay, so take the pressure off. And no that attracting and converting leads into clients is about. A balance between marketing, which is that educating piece. And the sales call.
[00:09:56] All right, so let's summarize, what can you do?
[00:09:59] This episode is sponsored by the CONNECT membership. The mission of CONNECT is to give growth ready consultants, executive coaches and service providers who use LinkedIn, a place to get the skills, strategies, mindset and community support they need to increase their revenue. If you're responsible for signing new clients in your business CONNECT is for you. For more information, go to joinconnect.co.
[00:10:32] Number one, get your messaging on track. Try to expand into some video or audio. Okay. Maybe develop some long form content, like a newsletter or a podcast so that they can get to know and trust you over time. And then when they get on the call with you there. You know, 75% convinced that you can help them, but they just want to talk to you first.
[00:10:56] Right? And if you are, selling to larger organizations, if you serve larger organizations, you're probably going to need multiple calls simply because you've got to figure out how you're going to work together and what you do relies on understanding who's involved in the organization, what is their infrastructure and how you're going to fit in together to help them achieve their goals.
[00:11:19] So it's not necessary. Really that you have it in one sales call, um, for certain companies. But just to say that once you've done a lot of the upfront marketing piece, those sales calls are already going to be filled with trust and it's going to be more of a fit. Okay. There's no magic. There's just being you.
[00:11:39] If you are an expertise, you just need to be, you. And like I say that one of the best tips I have for sales causes. Act as if there already are your client act as if, and when you act as if they're already your client, then it's just about really answering their questions. And like, uh, communicating and trust.
[00:12:00] All right. So if you are a solo consultant or service provider, The place that you can get your marketing and sales in sync. Is connect. It's a membership exclusively for solo preneurs to help them get their LinkedIn and sales game going. It's where you can get a coach. That's me and a community of team members who are trying to do the same thing as you, which is signed more business.
[00:12:25] So go to join connect.co that's, joined connect.co. If you're interested in getting a team around you, as you prepare your marketing and your sales calls for success. Now if you know, someone who's been struggling with their sales calls, do them a favor, share this episode with them and help them understand that they probably need to get their marketing in order.
[00:12:49] more than they actually are bad at sales calls. All right. And if you had aha moment, please follow or connect with me on LinkedIn and send me a message to let me know what your aha was or just that you heard the podcast. I'd love to hear from you. All right. That's all I have for you today. See you next time.
[00:13:06] Have a great week. Bye.
[00:13:08] Thank you for listening to this episode of the Sales by You podcast. If you heard something in this episode that made you think, I know someone who would find that really useful. Send them the link to this podcast. If you want to learn another aspect of improving your sales, follow the podcast so you can catch the next episode. And lastly, thank you for giving this podcast a review. See you next time.
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