The Sales Matchmaker: Recent Episodes
Janet Clark
Welcome to the Sales Matchmaker. Janet Clark, is the CEO and Founder of The Freedom Shift, where they guarantee more sales for high-level coaches and consultants. For more information, visit www.thefreedomshift.com
The Real Reason You Aren’t Closing More High Ticket Sales
“Selling A High Ticket Is Like Sharing A Life-Enhancing Solution.” -Janet Clark (25:23-25:32)
There's a lot of tips and tricks to increase the conversion rate. But most sales trainers in the high ticket world do not uncover their secret when it comes to sales strategies. This is where things have gotten complicated in our high ticket coaching and consulting service provider world. In this episode, Janet Clark shares the real reason you aren't closing more high ticket sales.
Part One of ‘The Real Reason You Aren’t Closing More High Ticket Sales’
You're most likely spending a lot of time working on content, building your funnel, working on your ads, your social media, your Google, your live streams, your YouTube, and podcasts. All those things that we spend a lot of our time doing every single week are not sales activities. They are marketing activities. They are not going to bring you qualified prospects to your sales calls.
There is only one way to get your ideal prospects onto the phone with you or a Zoom call. People who are ready to buy from you. And that is through one-on-one relationship building. So, all these other things that we do are great marketing techniques. They are tools to bring people into your pipeline. But they're not made to take them to that next stage where they buy your program or service.
“You have to speak to more qualified buyers to make more offers.” – Janet Clark (02:42-02:46)
If you want to close more sales, you have to make more offers. And it's that simple. We tend to use all the complicated systems to feel like we're attracting more people. We are using our valuable sales time to write blogs, record videos, interview people on our podcast, update our website, or post on social media. And we do this with the intent of attracting our ideal clients. And I'm not saying that you shouldn't be doing some amount of marketing, but marketing does not close sales.
You can sell your high transformation programs with very little marketing efforts. I look back over the evolution of my business, The Freedom Shift and I realize that the bulk of the sales that I have made over the last seven years are because of direct conversations. I’ve met most of those clients through social media and face to face events. The bottom line is that if you want more sales, you have to do more prospecting.
Closing high ticket sales need conversation, content, collaboration, and clicks.
Things like live streaming, building websites, writing blogs or any social media platform are useful to build your authority and your expert status. These are all marketing activities and they have a function in your business. But there's a difference between marketing activities and sales activities. Many people are ignoring the foundational steps to building a multi-six figure business.
Part Two of ‘The Real Reason You Aren’t Closing More High Ticket Sales’
There are many coaches, consultants, service providers, and agency owners who are building their businesses. They need you to help them grow their business. If you are a professional salesperson who knows how to prospect, build relationships, how to qualify buyers and close sales, you are a rainmaker. You will always be able to make money. If you know how to do this, you are never going to be broke. You are always going to be one of the elite salespeople because very few are good at it. And it's not because it's hard, it's because people have mental blocks about it.
We have created a couple of documents that we call our program blueprint or educational report. We send them out to people after we engage with them in conversation. By engaging the right people, we are going to generate interest with them. We are going to build up trust. We are going to nurture those relationships to the point where they will make an investment to work with us. And we see this as part of our sales process. This is business development. You can call it prospecting. You can call it conversational outreach, but it is a part of the sales process that we embrace, and you should too. Well, the truth is that prospecting is very relevant. It is very relevant to you as a salesperson. It is very relevant to you as a coach or a consultant or a service provider.
It's as simple as knowing how to leverage social media. If you want to succeed in sales, you have to know how to do prospecting because they're not going to come and find you. You have to go out and find them. So, if you're a closer and you refuse to hunt, then you are limiting your own growth.
How to Get Involved
Are you struggling with closing sales for coaching programs and services? Follow my 9 proven strategies for handling sales calls and double or even triple your close rates.
In the free download, you will learn:
- How to effectively use the 5 shifts to ensure that you will laser target what you are selling.
- How to effectively position your calls to easily convert them to cash and increase sales.
- The importance of connecting with your caller and guiding (not "closing") them to a successful sale.
- How to use your internal wisdom to have the ultimate sales conversation without using scripts or sleazy sales tactics.
Grab your FREE “Convert Calls To Cash” download HERE.
Grab your FREE “Convert Calls To Cash” download HERE.
The Art and Heart of High Ticket Closing
“You Have to Learn the Art of Making People Feel Heard, Accepted and Understood.” -Janet Clark (03:41-03:57)
Many disengaged salespeople tend to veer off course that impedes them from landing successful deals. This is one of the struggles a lot of people in the sales industry are facing today. In this episode, Janet Clark talks about ‘The Art and Heart of High Ticket Closing’ that will help you balance your logic and emotion when it comes to dealing with your clients.
Part One of ‘The Art and Heart of High Ticket Closing’
Most salespeople are still selling primarily based on logic. They use the problem solving approach and they believe that if they can just solve the problem, they're going to make the sale. If this were true, selling would be so much easier and we'd all be closing sales left and right because all you would need to do would be to present a logical plan and the client would end up buying it.
“Identifying customer needs is an essential core of every successful business.” – Janet Clark (05:30-05:49)
If it all revolves in logic, technically there wouldn't be a need for any human interaction because all you would need to do is create some sort of an automated presentation that takes your person through the logical solution. We know that isn't the case in high ticket sales. When we're selling a transformational program, we need to take a consultative approach. So, there's nothing wrong with bringing your prospects through some sort of economic analysis or a logical rationale for why this process or program that you're selling is going to be a great solution for them. It's great to discuss their return of investment and that is all part of the sales process. But there's another system that makes us human and that is our emotional system. That system includes our instincts, our gut feelings, the trust factor, and what comes up for us when we're making decisions.
One of the world's top hostage negotiators and he says that you can use human psychology to control conversations and get more of the results that you desire. But it doesn't mean that you use some kind of psychological maneuvering or techniques to grind somebody into making a decision, but rather you build them up through emotions and insights and connection and that way you have more influence with them, and you will get a better result.
Sales are about sharing a life-enhancing solution that will impact the lives of other people in a positive way.
When you're following a script, you aren't listening well to your prospect. You aren't responding to what the prospect is saying, you're just asking them these random questions and trying to move them through a process to get somewhere where you want them to be. And the result of using a script is that the prospect is going to feel manipulated and they're going to get defensive, which will destroy any level of trust. So, if you want to make the prospect feel comfortable and you want them to open to you, you're going to need to let go of the script.
Part Two of ‘The Art and Heart of High Ticket Closing’
Engaging with your client involves repeating three to five keywords from their previous statement. So, you see where the listening part comes in where you have to hear those three or five keywords and then you reply in the form of a question. Ultimately, how you ask questions is another one of the secrets to being able to land good deals and be able to get much better results.
“Sometimes all it takes is active listening to provide a true life-enhancing solution for your clients.” – Janet Clark (08:41-08:51)
You are validating their thoughts, their opinions, and their emotions by mirroring what they're saying to you and the way that they're saying it. It's copying with the intent to comfort them. It's a sign that you are in sync with them, that you are bonding and you're establishing rapport with them, which will build up the trust. The more you practice these things, the better you're going to get at them, and they become second nature.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
Why Cold Calling Sales Scripts Are Not the Way
“There Is No One Size Fits All Message That Can Meet Your Clients’ Unique Needs.” -Janet Clark (09:50-10:01)
Many coaches, consultants and high-ticket professionals still tussle when it comes to playing their cards right. The concept of scripted selling has been used for numerous years, but the inevitable failures caused by these methods constantly create a dreadful impact on sales culture. In this episode, Janet Clark talks about the concept of cold calling and reveal why using scripts is not the way to do it.
Part One of ‘Why Cold Calling Sales Scripts Are Not the Way’
Cold calling is basically interrupting someone whom you’ve never spoken with and doing it for the purpose of starting a conversation. It is defined as an unsolicited call, either by telephone or in person or in our new world through social media, which is direct outreach.
“It’s important to shift your mindset about cold calling and recognize that it is a way to fill your pipeline if you do it correctly.” – Janet Clark (02:34-02:55)
People tend to be unresponsive when it comes to cold calling because we associate it right with telemarketers who are calling us at dinner time or in the middle of our workday trying to interrupt us and throw up all over us whatever it is they’re trying to get us to buy. Cold calling is a critical part of the sales process and we must do a certain amount of cold calling and use the internet to fill our pipeline.
Come to think of it. You only have a few seconds to get somebody’s attention. And when you do, you must differentiate yourself from all the other interrupters out there. After introducing yourself, you must turn the focus of the prospect into something about them which means that you better know something about them. I’m talking about something a lot more personalized that would be considered conversational outreach, like tapping someone on the shoulder so that they notice you and then starting a conversation with them.
When you reach out unsolicited, you are interrupting people. So, you better make it worth their while.
The truth of the matter is that most of us are generating our own leads through referrals, word of mouth or organic outreach. Those methods are great, and we’ll continue to use those, but they are not predictable. The key to successful outreach is that you must be able to engage your ideal client in a personal conversation and you must do it in a complementary way.
Part Two of ‘Why Cold Calling Sales Scripts Are Not the Way’
So, really part of the strategic growth process to break out of that six-figure barrier is to get this dialed in, right? Who really is your ideal client and what is the irresistible offer that you have for that person? Those two things must be set in place to get on the radar.
“You must be genuinely curious about them and interested in them personally and in their business.” – Janet Clark (14:27-14:40)
Being curious doesn't always mean waiting to pounce on them with your offer. It means seeking first to understand and then to be understood. Don't try to sell them anything, just try to learn more about them. So, a lot of us feel this desperation to go out there and engage with someone so that we can make them an offer. Now ultimately, yes, we do want to make them an offer, but first we must figure out if they're in the market for what we have to offer. And the only way you can do that is by asking good questions.
At the end of the day, it’s an art and a science. You can become a highly paid expert in your industry but at the same time, you must remind yourself that you are there to serve and help people. You are going out there with the intent to share a life enhancing solution, but that solution will only enhance somebody's life if in fact they want that solution. We want some sort of a systematic approach to engage with people, bring them into your world, have a conversation with them, and bring them through the process to the point where they are interested in hearing about your offer.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
Why Hiring A Salesperson Ain’t Easy
“You Need to Be A Producer, or You Need to Hire A Producer.” -Janet Clark (12:50-12:55)
Sales is the lifeblood of any business which makes hiring the right person for the sales role important. Many professionals with years of experience struggle to find the right person with a strong job profile. The salesperson needs to be worth their weight in gold. In this episode, Janet Clark talks about the reasons why it's not easy to hire a salesperson and how to make it possible.
Part One of ‘Why Hiring A Salesperson Ain’t Easy’
There is one valuable skill that’s going to guarantee that you can get a match if you’re a salesperson. And, there is one skill that you need your salesperson to have if you want them to be able to land good deals. It’s the missing ingredient in 99.9% of the high-ticket closers out there. And that is being a sales producer.
“If you as a coach or consultant don’t have a sophisticated lead generation and nurturing process like the multi-million dollar coaches do, you aren’t going to have a marketing team.” – Janet Clark (09:41-10:10)
Here are some of the realities that are true in the marketplace today. So, the first thing is that there are many gifted people when it comes to selling but usually not on the job market. They are raking in big commissions selling something for someone else so you’re not going to get them.
The second is that as the expert in your company, you are the best salesperson by default. That is because you sell differently than a salesperson. Because you are the expert, you have a way of being able to do magic when you actually talk with a prospect.
The third thing is that thousands of people who call themselves closers are salespeople who expect you to provide a steady stream of qualified leads to put on their calendar.
The fourth thing is that you will be spending a lot of time chasing people around which is going to be a huge distraction from what you’re supposed to be doing day to day to serve your clients.
The fifth and the last reality is that the turnover rate for salespeople in our industry is high. In fact, even the biggest players in our industry, the ones that are making eight or nine million and hire coaches, churn and burn through salespeople at high levels.
Great salespeople with proven track records are rare gems. 99.9% of the salespeople are order takers. They expect to get those pre-scheduled calls on their calendar, and they have one goal in mind. And that is they want to close sales. They want to get on the phone, make the sale, get their commission, and move on. So, when your leads aren’t qualified or consistent, then you can’t always predict how many you’re going to get this week. The prospects need a little more time to make a buying decision, they're not ready to make a one call close. If they can't close that person, that's not money in their pocket so they're going to move to the next person.
What that means is they’re burning through a lot of your leads that you’ve spent good money on.
In a way, you can’t blame them because sometimes the coach or consultant that’s getting those leads for them isn’t providing them with the right leads. You probably have a lot of elements in place to bring you a brand recognition across all the different social media channels, it could be things like investing in some Facebook ads or offering an online course, but they’re not enough to sustain a really high level salesperson.
Part Two of ‘Why Hiring A Salesperson Ain’t Easy’
There’s a difference between a producer and a closer. The producer will prospect and fill the pipeline on behalf of you as a coach or a consultant on your behalf. If your automation is great you’re getting those people into your funnel which is fine. But for a lot of us, we don’t have enough automation and we’re doing it on our own. You need somebody to do that for you. That’s what a producer does.
“A producer represents you in your business to identify your ideal client and bring them into your world.” – Janet Clark (14:58-15:18)
Here's a staggering statistic. 80% of all sales are closed after five follow-up attempts. When you have a closer who is expecting to get on the phone and make that call right, then they'll do one more follow up call. But, if they're not doing the follow-up and nurturing the relationship after the sales call, you are leaving money on the table. So, the producer is going to have the wherewithal and the stamina and the persistence to continue to nurture and cultivate those people to become clients.
If you desire to make a lot of money and you desire to live a life of freedom, then you need to become a sales produce. A great producer will always make money and they can schedule and work on their own hours.
How to Get Involved
If you're looking for someone who will do systematic outreach, who will produce new leads for your pipeline, who will nurture and qualify the leads within your pipeline and who will enroll new clients for you, Janet Clark is the best person who you can approach. Reach out to her at Janet@salesmap.me
How the Best Salespeople Cope with Rejection
“You Can’t Allow Outside Influences To Impact Your Confidence. That’s How Top Producing Sales Pros Roll.” -Janet Clark (29:01-29:11)
Objection handling is one of the most challenging parts when it comes to dealing with clients. When a prospect raises an objection, that’s not a negative thing. No matter how much we set a winning culture in the marketplace through extensive sales training boot camps, coaches and consultants must realize that rejection is something that happens in the business world.
There’s no way that salespeople are not going to encounter rejection. In this week’s episode, Janet Clark, The Sales Matchmaker, gives invaluable insights into how the best salespeople cope with rejection.
Part One on How The Best Salespeople Cope With Rejection
When salespeople get rejected in a sales situation, it hurts because there are apparent feelings involved. However, coaches, consultants, and salespeople can learn how to cope with rejection and minimize the pain.
“We want to figure out how to overcome it because it's going to hurt your chances of making the impact and changing lives.” – Janet Clark (05:26-05:35)
Almost everyone has the desire to feel that sense of belongingness which is hard-wired into the human psyche. That’s the reason why we don’t want the people not to like us and we’re trying to fit in sometimes according to the standards of our society instead of embracing our uniqueness.
If you’re struggling to overcome the fear of rejection, you’re opening doors for other people to manipulate you and knock you off your game. It can even cause you damage to negative self-talk which is unhealthy both emotionally and psychologically. The bottom line is that, if you can stand on your own, you can build a lot more trust with people. Every interaction is an opportunity to build relationships and nurture trust, so even if there are bad days, it’s your ability to bounce back that matters. Reach out and get some help if you find yourself drowning.
You can recognize that rejection is not personal. It is based on circumstances.
It requires positive self-talk reminders to realize that it’s not always about you, sometimes it could be the situation that they’re currently in, causing them to make decisions that don’t match your expectations and envisioned endings.
No matter how destabilizing rejection is when it hits you, surround yourself with a community that will be your support network and can truly relate to what you’re going through.
“Make sure you have a community of people around you who are like-minded.” – Janet Clark (29:11-26:59)
Get a mentor who can help develop your key strengths, guide you in the process and help you to avoid pitfalls. Your self-esteem is so critically important. Think about your big missions in life and don’t ever let the fear of rejection get in the way of your destiny.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
The #1 Survival Technique for High Ticket Salespeople
“Sales Is The Lifeblood Of Every Business.”— Janet Clark (13:00-13:02)
Most coaches, consultants, and salespeople are missing standards, incentives, and structure in their business. The lack of systems is keeping entrepreneurs in the bottom 80% of sales results. Tune into this week’s episode of The Sales Matchmaker, where Janet discusses the #1 survival technique for high ticket salespeople.
Part One of the Survival Technique For High Ticket Salespeople
There is no magic bullet or secret sauce for sales success. There’s no sales tool, no automated tool that you can use. There are no gimmicks, there’s no script that’s going to put you over the edge. There’s no secret process. If you want to become a sales superstar, you must realize that the first hero of your business should be you.
“You have to do something different if you want different results.” – Janet Clark (4:44-4:47)
That means you need to add a sales pro to your team because you’re going to hire additional team members in the future in order to grow and scale your company.
Moreover, you also need to remove yourself from the sales process because that makes you the bottleneck of your business when you should be focusing on serving your clients which is why you started your business in the first place.
Part Two of the Survival Technique For High Ticket Salespeople
Without prospects in the pipeline, there’s no one to close. Building up a database for your team to work with could mean coming up with different marketing strategies such as paid advertisements, organic marketing, distributing podcasts, speaking on stages and more.
That’s basically how prospecting works. You are turning the cold leads into qualified prospects through a one on one interaction. That’s why you need a professional sales pro who is a master at conversation because it’s totally going to change your business revenue.
“The ability to be able to fill a pipeline and nurture prospects through it is what’s going to make you successful.” – Janet Clark (15:59-16:05)
The good thing about prospecting in our modern generation is that you can do it anytime and anywhere. When you master the art of prospecting, you’ll never
have to suffer through any kind of recession and you’ll always be in high demand. So, if you dream of creating your own financial freedom and you want to live a freedom lifestyle, it will require you a change of mindset.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
The Biggest Sales Mistake
“You Can’t Automate Trust. You Can’t Automate Personal Interactions.” -Janet Clark (13:49-13:54)
Many entrepreneurs build their business around their best customers. They create programs and services around coaching, building funnels, webinars, networking events, and organic outreach. Yet, they continue to struggle with inconsistent cash flow. In this week’s episode, Janet Clark shares the biggest sales mistakes. She explains what you need to get off the feast and famine sales cycle.
Part One of The Biggest Sales Mistake
There is no magic pill for selling high-end programs. Coaches, consultants and service providers need outreach and sales systems in place. And, dedicated salespeople need to adapt to new industry trends.
"Salespeople are no longer taught that prospecting is part of the sales job." — Janet Clark (12:47-12:53)
This is a critical stage of the sales funnels for salespeople to do online prospecting. Prospecting saves a huge amount of time on unqualified leads that aren't a perfect fit for your product or service. It's like trying to shop for clothes in a toy shop when you’re supposed to be at the department store.
There are many prospecting techniques such as warm calls, messenger marketing, webinars and more. Unfortunately, a lot of digital marketing agencies have come along and sold business owners on the idea that entrepreneurs do not need to do this anymore.
Part Two of The Biggest Sales Mistake
Companies cannot automate the whole process, then expect the leads to show up on the calendar and hope that a high-ticket closer takes care of all those leads for you. This is one of the problems that need to be fixed in the marketplace.
Even though entrepreneurs are living in a time where modern technology is continuously moving up, they need to connect personally with clients and that means you need to find the right person to do it for your business. That also means taking the necessary steps to really hire a well-rounded sales professional who can do the lead nurturing, qualifying stage and closing the sale.
The most common dilemma is that no one wants to do the prospecting part which takes time and special skills. The coach doesn’t want to pay the salesperson until they sell something. So, prospects must be created by the salesperson by simply initiating and developing conversations via social media.
“They need to realize that they have to hire a salesperson who knows how to prospect and is willing to do it.” — Janet Clark (17:33-17:40)
The goal of sales prospecting is to get those leads through the funnel and it won’t magically happen without doing some level of reaching out. If you’re a coach or consultant, you must find the right person for this task. If you’re a salesperson, you need to know how to reach out and build relationships. It is important to represent the coach or consultant at a very high level to represent their brand in the marketplace. And, in order to compete online, salespeople need to know how to build trust and nurture key relationships.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
The Real Cost of Hiring a Salesperson
“There’s the Cost of Lost Revenue If You Don’t Bring the Right Person into Your Business.” -Janet Clark (03:01-03:08)
Many entrepreneurs are spinning their wheels, trying too many different things and not gaining traction. There are important elements to execute to scale your
business past the six-figure mark. In this week’s episode, Janet Clark covers the real cost of hiring a salesperson.
Part One on The Real Cost of Hiring a Salesperson
The stakes are super high in terms of training newly hired salespeople. However, some business owners underestimate the financial impact of poor hiring decisions. If you bring on the wrong person, you’ve just handed over your entire business to somebody who could absolutely jeopardize your reputation in the marketplace and leave you back at square one.
“Nobody is going to get a professional salesperson without investing in that person one way or another.” – Janet Clark (24:02-24:08)
It requires spending a chunk of your time to recruit, train and get the right people on board.
Take it from Janet who has built her entire livelihood on being a professional salesperson and has experienced putting people through the Bootcamp process and constantly working at how to get people more successful so that they don’t fall off.
You’re pretty much getting an insightful idea that no matter what, there’s expense involved, most especially if they’re being held to a high standard.
If you get the opportunity to meet a potential high-level salesperson, they’re going to expect you to provide them with leads and that means you’re going to end up paying for those leads. On the other hand, if you meet someone whom you discovered isn’t a good fit for your company, you've poured all this money on advertisements and generating leads and you've got somebody who can't close them, which is really what happens most of the time because most of these people have never done sales before.
Having seen this as a struggle of many, Janet has worked with high-level business partners who are experts in sales and marketing to help many entrepreneurs find the best salesperson who will represent their business according to their preference.
“That’s why the Sales Map was developed and why we do what we do and how we do it.” – Janet Clark (26:37-26:44)
No one guarantees sales results, especially in the online world. Janet does. She recruits, trains, and places salespeople with expert-based businesses.
Qualified leads. More sales guaranteed.
How to Get Involved
If you’ve tried a lot of strategies yet you’ve failed miserably and you’re ready to scale your business, feel free to seek help from Janet. She has extensive experience in helping hundreds of entrepreneurs minimize the investment and maximize the ROI with a high ticket salesperson. You can email her at Janet@salesmap.me or visit her website at www.salesmap.me
Why Your Business Is Stuck At 100K
“You Need To Find A Salesperson Who Will Serve You At The Highest Level.” - Janet Clark (19:40-20:08)
The reality is that many coaches and consultants are stuck at $100,000 in annual business revenue. By becoming aware of these traps — you can create a solid foundation to get unstuck and scale your business.
Part One On Why Your Business Is Stuck At 100K
The feast and famine cashflow cycle needs to end. Most coaches and consultants are falling short of independence and financial freedom because they do not have all of their ducks in a row. They are creating bottlenecks in their business and they are wearing too many hats. The biggest issue is that entrepreneurs scramble around to generate more sales and are not able to fulfill on the backend. This can ruin a reputation.
“In business your reputation is everything.” - Janet Clark. (15:35-16:00)
Having a smooth fulfillment process will help customers rave about a company’s services and products to their friends and family. Incredible world-class value and transformation will increase credibility and a business owner’s reputation.
Imagine serving ten times more clients this year with proper marketing and sales systems in place. The first step would be to hire a salesperson who knows how to initiate conversations, build relationships, nurture those relationships, establish trust, and bring people into a normal conversation to close a sale.
Part Two On Why Your Business Is Stuck at 100K
Before a prospect ever gets on a discovery call with the salesperson, the salesperson must qualify the person beforehand through open-ended conversations.
The prospect should already know what your business does, what program is offered, how it works and has an interest in it. And, a perfectly matched salesperson will know how to manage the prospect in a good way. Imagine a 10x return on investment and no longer having to wear so many different hats.
“A salesperson is not an expense or a liability, they are an ASSET.” - Janet Clark (28:25-29:10)
Therefore, the next best step to surpass $100,000 a year is to get a salesperson onboard.
How to Get Involved
If you are a coach, consultant, or service provider who offers high ticket $25,000+ transformational programs and recognize the importance of elevating access and proximity, then you need a small team to handle lead generation and enrollments for you. Learn more about SalesMap and click HERE to book a call.
Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Join our SALESMAP program and be matched with a salesperson now.
How to Fix Your Sales Slump
“If you’re talking to people who are not qualified, they are not going to buy and you’re not going to close those sales.” -Janet Clark (8:05-8:11)
Janet Clark, The Sales Matchmaker, trains coaches, consultants and experts on how to fix their sales slump. Have you lost your knack for selling? Or, do you not know how to get a consistent revenue flow? Then, it is time to build out bulletproof marketing and sales systems.
Part One On How To Fix Your Sales Slump
Word of mouth, referrals, and organic marketing are not sustainable. There is a way for salespeople to nurture leads. As well as qualify them so, they turn into sales. Most business owners are sabotaging sales with broken-end systems.
“There are only 26% of salespeople who have a formal system in place to track the progress of their leads.” - Janet Clark. (10:31-10:41)
Filling your pipeline with ideal prospects is one part of the equation. Your systems should take care of all the preliminary work before your salesperson gets on a call. This is part of your qualifying “system.”
Business owners need to have a CRM, a Customer Relationship Management system. Each CRM should be programed to fit your business's specific needs. This is something we do within our Sales Map program.
Part Two on How To Fix Your Sales Slump
Strong marketing systems allow salespeople to get the right prospects into the pipeline. The CRM will show the salesperson exactly where the prospect is at on their buyer's journey. This allows the seller to have more relevant and heart-centered conversations.
This is why Janet created the Heartflow Sales Conversation System. It is a framework on how the sales conversation should flow. No more missing pieces of the enrollment conversation. Go to https://thefreedomshift.com/ep5-the-heart-flow-sales-conversation/ to hear more about the Heartflow sales conversation.
“Everything that we do in business is done better as a team.” - Janet Clark. (16:06-16:10)
Every coach, consultant or expert needs a coach at some point or another. This is because many consultants get into bad habits and they cannot figure out how to get unstuck.
How to Get Involved
We are here to help you get out of your sales slump. When you are ready to get your sales and marketing systems set up right, reach out to Janet@SalesMap.me. You will get a clear idea of exactly how those marketing and sales systems should work in your business.
Are You Optimized for Sales Growth
“The next stage of evolution in your growth is that you're going to need to bring on a salesperson.” - Janet Clark (22:14 - 22:19)
Introductory Statement. Overview of what the article is about.
In this episode of The Sales Matchmaker, Janet introduces the guest, Dan Nicholson, who is a financial wizard. They discuss the importance of recognizing the various systems that you all have to look at within each stage of your business. One of which is the financial system.
Most people don't associate entrepreneurship with writing an accounting standard. Anyone who takes the entrepreneurial route are more tuned in than a lot of other people to their God-given strengths and talents. There's something inside of you that's saying you're supposed to do it your own way. You're supposed to do it different and better and make a bigger impact. But then you come into this financial part of it, which a lot of people shy away from, and it becomes an intriguing area.
“When you're in sales, you're acutely aware of pricing bias, and anchoring bias and how you need to overcome that with your potential clients in the sales process.” - Dan Nicholson (9:02 - 9:18)
We have this unconscious mental biases within us that we probably don't even know are there. Even if somebody tells us they're there, we don't see it. And yet they will hurt us as we look at how we're going to increase our sales, what we're going to charge out in the market for the programs we're delivering, what our worth is in the marketplace, and our ability to be able to actually sell ourselves at a high ticket level.
For business people who don't have somebody helping you from the financial perspective, you are probably limiting yourself because you can't see your own biases and you can't see your own limiting belief.
One of the Basic Economic Principles is that Money is Fungible.
The idea is that you can replace money with other things that are tangible but of equal value. However, for so many people, the more money they get, the more they spend. So you need to ask yourself that when you do get your money, what are you going to do with it?
The book 'Profit First' is all about bucketing all the money coming into your business, making sure that you pay yourself first. As entrepreneurs, we know that's what we should do but we don't always do it. We have to make sure that there's some money put aside into the profit.
“One of my main principles is first we optimize then we maximize.” - Dan Nicholson (18:16 - 18:20)
Maximizing is what conventional financing is about. Optimize is about considering what is the most critical path or thinking about the outcome that you want a year from now. So the next level in your business growth is profit priority. The exercise is to think about what you want and lists it out.
If you want to hit these goals in two years or five years, you need to know how much do you actually need to make the business grow to make that happen. That becomes a much more systematic targeted way of growing.
How to Get Involved
If you are a coach, consultant, or service provider who offers high ticket $25,000+ transformational programs and recognize the importance of elevating access and proximity, then you need a small team to handle lead generation and enrollments for you. Learn more about SalesMap and click HERE to book a call.
Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Join our SALESMAP program and be matched with a salesperson now.
The 3 Big Objections and How to Overcome Them
"Most Salespeople Avoid These Conversations Like The Plague." - Janet Clark (9.39-9:56)
There are 3 common sales objections that a salesperson hears at the end of a conversation. There are no magic words and no savvy script that can help you get past these objections. Because in actuality, these are no objections at all.
Part One Of The 3 Big Objections and How To Overcome Them
Most sales training programs spend a lot of time on this concept of overcoming objections. Most of them will give you steps that you should use to overcome them.
There's always going to be some kind of a technique or tactic that most sales trainers are going to teach you about overcoming objections. A lot of times they'll give you this pre-scripted response and tell you to go practice them, and roleplay them.
You have to really start rethinking the way that you get to the end of these sales conversations. Because the three objections that you're hearing - money, time, partner - those three things are not the reason why your prospect is not buying from you.
If you are continually hearing these objections then you have to rethink everything about what you're doing with your business if you are the coach or the consultant. If you're the salesperson, you have to reassess the way that the coach or consultant presents what they're doing.
Part Two The 3 Big Objections and How To Overcome Them
There are five high ticket sales mistakes that you need to fix. Once you fix those, then you can go on to the next stage where, if you are still getting these objections, you have to figure out why and what you have to do about it. The first step in overcoming or eliminating objections is that you have to fix the 5 high ticket sales mistakes.
When it comes right down to it, those three objections are smoke screens. They're bluffs. They're not really the reasons why your clients are not buying from you. You should be able to knock those three things out as issues before you lay out your offer.
“In the words of Stephen Covey, in the 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,' you begin with the end in mind.” - Janet Clark. (8:19 - 8:27)
You have to go into every single sales call and make the following assumptions:
- This prospect does not have five thousand, ten thousand, or twenty-five thousand dollars just sitting in their bank account ready to hand it over to you for your program. You have to assume that they don't really have the money for this.
- The second thing you are going to assume is that there is another stakeholder. There is somebody else that's going to be impacted by this decision. And if this person makes this decision or doesn't, it's still going to impact somebody else.
- This prospect that you're talking to, who is more than likely an entrepreneur, a business owner or at some level of business, does not really have extra time to invest in working with you in your program.
You need to identify those things during your fact-finding stage in your sales process. You want to be able to have those discussions before you make an offer.
In the beginning part of the sales conversation, you have to ask your prospect what they know about the program, what they know about the success rate of the program, and what they know about the coach who is offering the program.
The goal here is, to begin with, the end in mind, go into your sales conversation, seeking to figure out if this person can answer just two questions: Do you believe this program works and do you trust the coach that is delivering it? Do you believe it will work for you?
When you can get to the point where the answer to both of those questions is yes, there is a possibility that you're going to make a sale every time. And your prospects are going to figure out how to get the money, how to get their partner to agree and find the time because they know that it's going to work for them.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“Did you know the average cost in time and money to recruit, interview, hire, and train a salesperson is $25,000 and only ⅕ of salespeople make it?” - Janet Clark (7:12-7:22)
There are 5 preventable high ticket sales mistakes that coaches, consultants, and agency owners are making in their business. If you know you are not closing the sales that you should be closing, pay attention closely to this message. Once you fix these five issues, you will be amazed at how your results improve to help you close more high ticket sales.
Part One Of Five High Ticket Sales Mistakes
Many coaches and agency owners are not targeting a specific ideal client. Instead, they go broad in their marketing. This is a huge problem. As counterintuitive as it may seem, it is better to focus on a narrower market. You can pinpoint your benefits and features to a specific industry and speak to the customer in language that resonates with them. Casting a wide net will not increase the probability of success.
“Craft An Offer That Appeals To Both Logic and Emotions” - Janet Clark (5:50-5:55)
Your competitors are out there and doing everything they can to make their offer very appealing. You have to know what your competitors are offering than build value into your offer to make it irresistible.
It’s going to make sense for your prospective client to look at the offer and make it a no-brainer for them. Something that they are going to say in their head… “Man, I would be crazy to pass that up.” This is what makes an offer irresistible.
Part Two Of Five High Ticket Sales Mistakes
Did you know the average cost in time and money to recruit, interview, hire, and train a salesperson is $25,000 and only ⅕ salespeople make it?
It could cost a coach $125,000 to bring on one good salesperson. Now, that doesn’t take into account the lost opportunity cost of not having a salesperson on board because that person could be generating $20,000 a month in sales. So, there’s another $240,000 in lost revenue. That is a huge number.
With our program called SalesMap, we know we can put a program together that eliminates all of the costs for coaches and consultants. It recovers the lost revenue opportunity and adds huge value to them. And, at a $25,000 price tag, that is a no brainer offer for them especially when there is an ROI guarantee attached to it.
Part Three Of Five High Ticket Sales Mistakes
You won't be surprised to know that 43% of coaches said their business comes from referrals. We all love referrals but if you are depending on referrals to run your business, you are going to be on an income roller coaster.
“You cannot control, predict, or rely on referrals every single month. - Janet Clark (9:33-9:40)
You want referrals to be the cherry on top, not the single-core of the way you bring in revenue every single month.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to be matched with your high ticket closer, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Email Janet@TheFreedomShift.com
OR Find out more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“The way you sell anything is the way you sell everything.” Janet Clark (1.58-2.02)
Have you ever been in an interview for a sales job or you worked for a sales manager who said to you, “Sell Me This Pen?” The reality is that many coaches, consultants, and agency owners are making costly mistakes when it comes to selling their programs and products.
Part One Of Sell Me This Pen: Don’t Sell The Features, Focus On The Benefits
Most salespeople tend to launch into features because they’re something that both the prospect and seller can visually see. And, when you want to sell something, you want to focus on the marketing messages that sell the transformation to potential customers.
As much as we want to believe product features will sell. They don’t. Customers care more about how your product or service will enhance their life. The destination will resonate very strongly in the customer’s mind, and that is what will trigger the sale.
“Share a life-enhancing solution.” - Janet Clark (2:13-2:37)
Part Two Of Sell Me This Pen: Explain How It Will Enhance Their Life
Discover how the pen is going to enhance the life of your prospect. It doesn’t matter what the bells and whistles are on the pen. What matters is does this pen represents something that the prospect needs and wants? If not, you won't be able to sell it to them.
You need to understand the psychology behind why do people buy. People are looking for status, safety, comfort, prestige, and convenience. Until you determine what your specific prospect needs, there is no way you would be able to convince them to buy anything; no matter how amazing your product or service is.
It’s never the feature that we care about; it’s the end benefit it gives us.
As a coach, consultant, or agency owner… you need to have your own unique system or program that offers some transformation for a business. The truth is that people are not laying in bed at night, trying to figure out what pen to buy.
So, if you want to sell your transformational programs or “this pen”, you need to get to know your prospect, build rapport, and ask them specific questions.
This is why I developed a HEARTFLOW framework that explains how to do high ticket sales. Tune in to the podcast to hear what each letter stands for when you are selling your programs and systems.
“You need to have your own unique system that offers transformation.” - Janet Clark (14:30-14:40)
Part Three Of Sell Me This Pen: Scale Up Your Business
The 10% of business owners who do scale up past six-figures into seven figures do 3 things differently.
Would you like for me to share with you what they are?
- 10% of people who do SCALE up have an irresistible offer targeted to an exact client.
- They have a system in place to consistently generate new leads to enroll new clients.
- They learn how to be a leader. They learn how to lead a team of people in a very effective way so they can retain TOP sales talent.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to scale up in your business and breakthrough six-figures and beyond, then you are going to want to reach out to me at Janet@thefreedomshift.com for more sales training and matchmaking. I have personally sold millions of dollars for TOP entrepreneurs and I know I’ll help you make more money, have more fun, enjoy life a lot more, and get to the point of FREEDOM.
Your Plan For Sales Mastery “Practice Does Not Make Perfect With Sales. But, It Will Make You A lot Of Money!”
-Janet Clark (8:35-8:40)
Many coaches, consultants, and agency owners feel they are not cut out to be a salesperson. And, everyone wishes they could do better at sales. In fact, many of the coaches that I speak to say, “I hate selling. I’m not good at it.” You are not alone. When it comes to mastering sales, there’s one teaching strategy that I use. It’s an ideal acronym for learning new sales techniques and remembering them. I call it, PLAN.
Part One of Your Plan For Sales Mastery
Practice: If you want to know why I’m great at sales and have closed $100,000 packages, it is because I’ve been practicing for DECADES. Have you ever watched major league athletes? They are continuously going out and practicing their techniques. And, you should too. In sales, it’s all about going out there and playing the game. Every one of us is different so, it is always going to be a new playing field. You are playing a new team. You are up against a new opponent. The challenges you will face in communication are always new and always different. Each time you get out there you will experience something different. You have an opportunity to practice your own communication skills. You are just going to get better, better, and better as you do it. If you feel you are not doing enough sales calls, then get on more. Keep practicing.
“You will not be great at sales if you do not know how to lead a conversation.”
- Janet Clark (9:26-9:34)
Leadership: A great leader is a strong, confident person who has a strong sense of self. You have to have the confidence to lend it to the prospect so they have it to move forward. If you do not have the confidence, then you need to hone in on it.
Another quality or characteristic of leadership is conviction and that means you need to be steadfast in your belief of what you are selling. And that goes for you if you are a coach, consultant or salesperson. You need 100% conviction that you are leading a client into something that will enhance their life or business.
The next thing is curiosity, a good leader cares about people. A good leader wants to understand what makes someone tick. They are genuinely interested in that person and they have a strong desire to help that person. This requires empathy, understanding, ability to listen, ask good questions and then be able to get people to open up to you. That is what leadership is.
“A great salesperson will not be afraid to hear ‘NO’ ten times!”
- Janet Clark (14:04-14:11)
Ambition: Salespeople who are really great will not stop even when it seems they will not get the sale. They are AMBITIOUS. Ambition means having a strong desire to do or achieve something that requires hard work. And here is the thing, in our society, unfortunately, most people are not willing to do the work. They want instant results. And, that is not the way it works.
Statistics show that 80% of all sales are made by 20% of the good salespeople. And, 20% of those people are the ambitious ones who will push through rejection even when it feels hard. The salesperson will find a way to present the offer in a slightly different way or condition to earn the sale.
“The opposite of networking is not working.”
-Janet Clark (15:36-15:40)
Network: Networking is the key to everything in sales. People will buy from people they Know, Like, and Trust. Whether you are a coach, consultant or salesperson, you have to have strategic alliances.
It’s one of the missing ingredients that high ticket closers face. They have not built a foundation of trust. That is one of the sad situations that we are finding ourselves in right now. Salespeople have lost the art of selling and the art of relationship building, prospecting, getting in the head and heart of the person.
It used to be networking took place outside of your workspace where you went to industry events, but it’s not imperative that you need to leave your computer in order to network. It’s totally possible now to build relationships with people all over the world through Zoom calls, LinkedIn, Facebook and all sorts of social media platforms.
How to Get Involved:
If you want to master sales and become one of the TOP 20% of salespeople or consultants in your space, follow this acronym PLAN and reach out to me at Janet@thefreedomshift.com for more sales training and matchmaking.
“You have to have an irresistible offer, and you have to know who your target client is for that offer.”
Janet Clark (3:16-4:10)
Are you salesperson ready? And, why it’s important to grow your team. You can double, triple, and even quadruple your business when you add a great salesperson. But first, you need to make sure you have the right offer in place.
Your Offer is your key to success because if you are one of these people who continuously customize your offer, you cannot duplicate and scale. You need to create your signature system. Otherwise, you risk being a commodity. And being a commodity typically leads to smaller profit margins and diminishes the value of your brand, your pricing, and the clients you attract.
“You want to have a proven program, that you already sold at high ticket level. And, you have gotten results from your clients.” - Janet Clark (5:20-5:50)
And, when you understand the sales process, and how to build long-term customer relationships, it will pay off in spades.
As long as you have been able to sell your program and have gotten results, then it is time to consider bringing on a salesperson. And because you have the track record of success, you now may share case studies and success stories.
Part One Of Are You Salesperson Ready: Have Your Own Trusted Advisor
One point that is super important, that most people do not think of is, having their own trusted advisor, someone who may mediate between the salesperson and communicate the programs offer. And as the sales matchmaker, and I have lived it and been there, and I can see where someone may fit, and receive the right salesperson to bring the connection and have things run smooth, to learn how to communicate.
Listen in for the whole podcast to hear the entire 10 point checklist to review and understand when you are ready salesperson ready.
“Do you have a plan on how to grow your business?” - Janet Clark (8:33-9:13)
When you bring a salesperson on, do you have the capacity to take on 3x, or even 10x the number of clients, and have the ability to scale? This is the question you need to ask yourself.
If you are already selling your program and have people raving about it, you can afford to bring on a salesperson. When a new client is enrolled, you just need to afford payout for commissions. And, usually, these commissions start at 15%.
How to Get Involved
If you are a coach, consultant, or service provider who offers high ticket $25,000+ transformational programs and recognize the importance of elevating access and proximity, then you need a small team to handle lead generation and enrollments for you. Learn more about SalesMap and click HERE to book a call.
Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Join our SALESMAP program and be matched with a salesperson now.
“You have to commit to yourself that you’ll only work with clients you love.”
Janet Clark (19:01-19:07)
When I started The Freedom Shift, I quickly grew it into a six-figure business. But I actually created a job from hell. Not only were the clients a wrong fit for me, but the services I had offered to do for them weren’t aligned with what I enjoyed or am good at.
I delivered the services I promised to those clients and went back to square one. I hired a mentor to figure out what happened. I’ve had fewer bad clients since then, and I now know how to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Three Reasons Why We End Up With Clients We Hate
Reason #1: Not Having a Clearly Defined Set of Deliverables
People hear what they want to hear, and clients sometimes misinterpret what we promise. For example, let’s say we have a 90-day program and our client doesn’t get the result in that timeframe that they expect. Does that mean that we failed to deliver, or did the client fail to implement the program? What happens if the client doesn’t follow the process and complains because they didn’t get the results they expected?
The solution to this common problem is to create a roadmap for clients where you define deliverables that are tangible and easy for the client to see. We implement a checklist clients can use to measure their progress throughout the program. It keeps them motivated and engaged because they see the progress they make.
“You need to have milestones and written expectations of what success looks like for your clients in your program.” - Janet Clark (8:50-8:59)
Reason # 2: Not Charging Enough
Coaches and consultants often sell their programs below their real value in order to establish a reputation and get some customer success stories. But in the process, we attract lower-level clients. Too many coaches don’t rise out of this stage quickly enough. Once you’ve received testimonials and have satisfied clients, change your rates to match the value you provide and attract higher-level clients.
“When you have a client who’s willing to invest at a higher level in their professional and personal growth, they’re going to be much easier for you to work with.” - Janet Clark (14:30-14:42)
Reason #3: Not Working with the Right Clients
Commit to only working with clients you love. Get clear on who the ideal client is for you. You started your business to help those people you love to work with. This raises everyone’s level of joy, freedom, and success. Clients get amazing results and you get great feedback that helps you build your business. Addressing the three reasons why you might hate your clients helps you create new relationships with the clients you attract. You’ll finally love your business and your clients.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
You can marry marketing and sales so that they work synergistically. That way, salespeople turn your leads into clients who are enrolled in your program.”
(3:44 - 4:06) - Nazim Agabekov
The disconnect between marketing and sales teams is one of the biggest reasons why leads fail to convert into paying clients. If you want to improve your sales and grow your consulting business, make sure that your sales and marketing teams are working synergistically.
"When you’re on a call with a prospect looking to make a life-transforming investment, you need to have energy and enthusiasm. But that energy is sapped when you’re talking to leads that aren’t a good fit for your services.”
(25:44 - 26:01) - Janet Clark
Qualifying leads for time, energy, and money can increase the likelihood that they’ll be a good fit for your services. It helps your salespeople guide them on the sales call as they help them make the life-transforming investment of joining your program.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“When you value yourself to make a higher-level investment, you’re automatically going to increase your rates.”
Janet Clark (13:50-13:58)
The double secret to doubling sales is a two-part solution, and combining the two lets you see exponential growth in your sales. You can double your sales once and then double them again in less than a year’s time. I’ve seen people quadruple their sales in one year using this combination.
Part One of the Double Secret: Invest at the Level You Want to Charge for Your Own Programs
The wrong mindset can cause coaches and consultants to get stuck at a sales setpoint in their business. But when you take action and do something new, your mindset and setpoint automatically change. If you want to increase your rates, taking action means investing in a coach or consultant who charges the same rates you want to charge. If you’re willing to pay $10k or $25k for a professional development program, you’re going to be able to charge $10k or $25k for your own program.
When you invest in yourself at a higher level, you reprogram your setpoint. Since your setpoint is subconscious, you have to change it through action. When you take action, the change is automatic, and you control your own setpoint. If you want to charge $50k for your program, then invest in a $50k program for yourself. You’ll get that money back as soon as you sell your first $50k program.
“There’s an absolute correlation between what you’re willing to invest in yourself and what you’re able to charge others.”
- Janet Clark (11:54-12:04)
Part Two of the Double Secret: Hire a Salesperson
In order to reinforce your new setpoint, you’ll need to go out and sell just one of your higher-level programs. As soon as you enroll somebody at a higher rate, it’s time to bring on a salesperson to help you. Since you’ve validated your program by selling it to someone, it will be easier for your salesperson to see the value in your program.
Once you have a salesperson on your team, you get to do the work you came here to do and make the impact you want to make. You share your genius with your high-level clients in a way that changes their lives.
“When you step out of the way to let somebody who’s good at sales and loves selling do what they do best while you focus on what you do best, your sales skyrocket.” -Janet Clark (19:31-19:50)
You’re not only going to double your sales once, you’re going to double them again and again because you move into your flow. I’ve seen this happen time and again with my colleagues, my clients, and myself. With this double secret, you can double your sales and achieve a new level of success in your business.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“When you’re stuck and your business isn’t going forward fast enough, you need something to jolt you out of it. Sometimes, the thing that will do it is counterintuitive.”
Janet Clark (1:21-1:37)
Selling yourself isn’t always easy. As a coach or consultant, sales calls can quickly turn into coaching calls when you’re so enthusiastic about your offer that you start to teach and coach rather than sell. Your ego and emotions can begin to drive the conversation, and you become so attached to the outcome that you’re more likely to perceive a “no” as a personal rejection.
It’s also difficult to know how to value your own work. You know your process from the inside out, and you want your clients to understand how you’re going to help them. So you take on any client who’s willing to pay you, even when they aren’t a great fit.
“When you don’t understand how to value your own services, you offer lower-price services and attract lower-level people.” - Janet Clark (10:57-11:24)
The secret to overcoming the barriers that keep you from selling your services is to sell them for someone in your niche who’s already selling a higher-level program to higher-level clients. It’s easier to sell a high-ticket program for someone else than it is to sell your own.
Selling for Others Can Shift Everything for You
When you’re not selling your own program, you don’t go down the slippery slope of coaching on a call when you should be selling. You realize that you have to sell the result and the transformation without getting bogged down in the process. You can defer their questions and keep the call focused on the question that ultimately needs to be answered: “Will it work for me?”
Your ego doesn’t get bruised when you’re selling for someone else, and you aren’t emotionally attached when you conduct the call. You focus on the prospect and use a heart-flow sales approach. Selling higher-level programs to higher-level clients shows you that you really can sell to people willing to invest at that level.
“The best way to gain confidence and double your sales is to go out and sell a higher-level program for somebody else.” – Janet Clark (14:44-14:54)
Selling higher-level services for another coach or consultant makes you money faster, helps other business owners, and gives you an inside look into their business, which you wouldn’t get if you weren’t on their team. It enhances your experience and expert status. It establishes your credibility in the marketplace and impacts your mindset and your confidence. Selling high-level programs to high-level clients can be the game changer you need to to become a more effective and profitable salesperson in your industry.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“The very idea of using a technique to connect with your prospect is the exact opposite of establishing a heartfelt and genuine connection with them.”
Janet Clark (1:06 - 1:18)
You must build a relationship with your prospects.
Sales techniques and tactics often violate the foundation of great salesmanship, which is based on building a strong relationship with your clients. If your prospects know who you are, like what you’re saying, and they have confidence in your ability to deliver results, you won’t have to use any manipulative tactics to close high ticket sales.
Using pushy sales techniques might work in the short-term, but it will harm your ability to succeed in the long run. As a high ticket coach or consultant, your clients must follow your lead to get the results they want. They’ll be reluctant to do that unless they trust you, and you won’t be able to deliver what you promised, which will hurt your reputation.
“Instead of trying to please too many people, be bold, be opinionated, and be authentic. Take a stand for what you believe in.” - Janet Clark (6:06 - 6:20)
The only way to help your clients succeed, and ensure your own long-term success, is to build genuine relationships with your prospects. Do that by making sure that your potential clients know you, like you, and trust you.
KNOW -How do you get people to know you, especially when you meet them online?
When you meet someone online, the medium might be different, but the principles remain the same as connecting with someone in real life. Your prospects get to know you by getting exposed to your content on a regular basis. They might read your blog posts, your emails, social media posts, or watch your YouTube videos.
Here are some critical aspects of creating compelling content that will allow your prospects to get to know you.
- Know who you’re speaking to. Be clear on your niche/your avatar.
- Communicate your expertise and highlight what makes you different from your competitors.
- Be bold, be opinionated, and be authentic.
LIKE - How to get your prospects to like you?
When you’re opinionated and bold, not everyone is going to like you. That’s great news because you only want to work with those that resonate with your message and what you stand for. When you put out content consistently through different channels, you’ll attract the right people that not only know you, but they also like you.
The other aspect of being likable is that you must be authentic. When a prospect meets you in real life (or over a Zoom call), you must come across as the same person they were expecting based on what they saw online. The only way to create consistency is to put out content that is authentic to who you are, what you stand for, and the service you will provide.
TRUST - Creating trust with your prospects online.
For your prospects to trust you, they must first know you and like you. Trust comes after they believe that you can get them the results you say you're capable of. They must view you as the authority on your topic.
One of the best ways to establish yourself as an authority is by educating your prospects through your content, as well as on the sales call. Use the sales call as a teaching opportunity. Teach them something that gives them a bigger perspective. When you provide value for free, it builds your credibility, and your prospect becomes more likely to trust you and buy from you.
“When your prospect believes that you are truly someone that is capable of doing what you say you can do, that’s when they will begin to trust you and see you as an authority on your topic.”
- Janet Clark (12:43 - 12:59)
If you can build a relationship with your prospects to the point where they know, like, and trust you, you will be able to land high quality clients on a consistent basis.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“Serving your clients should be easy and natural. When you’re trying to do something outside of your sweet spot, you’ll feel stressed and won’t get the results you want and deserve.”
Janet Clark (18:28 - 18:44)
The key to dominating as a coach, consultant, and sales professional.
Are you too broad in your business? Trying to do too much? Promising results you know you can deliver but don’t really want to?
My business partner, Tobin Slaven, recently posted on Linkedin on the importance of why every coach, consultant, and sales professional needs a niche they are passionate about. The response was so great that I wanted to share a sampling of the comments. If you’re interested in smoking your competitors, then continue on to learn the key to dominating!
“Unfortunately, though I could help [past clients] with that I didn’t enjoy it. It wasn’t fun for me. Frankly, I don’t think they were getting the results that they should’ve gotten because my heart and soul weren’t in it.”- Janet Clark (7:36 - 7:49)
As Tobin’s post explains, every sales and marketing training focuses on getting 100% clear on who you serve or your avatar. This is also called “niching down.” It’s the act of becoming relevant to a specific pocket of people. Tobin argues that when you are approached by people who wouldn’t be a good fit, even in bouts of scarcity, it is your responsibility to act as a lifeguard. You must provide highly qualified leads, not sales pitches, and send them on their way.
Here are some of the comments alongside my own personal thoughts in response to the importance of sticking to your niche.
- “I’m guilty of this myself, all the time.” That’s why we all need a coach! It’s super easy to instinctively know what to do and super hard to actually do it. Hire some help as soon as possible to keep you on the right track.
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“I think it’s interesting to know that when we do “man overboard” drills, it’s important to throw out only ONE marker right away to save the victim.” You can’t be all things for all people. If you’re not the ONE, then throw out the best suitable lead. Check out the book titled The ONE Thing if you want to learn more about this topic!
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“It really comes down to knowing yourself, who you can impact the most, and also what you truly enjoy.” Do you remember why you first started your business? Wasn’t it because you knew if you served the right person with your talent and skill you could make a huge impact? Take a step back to make sure you’re promising what you can and actually want to do versus creating the job from hell. 3. “I always believed if somebody could be better served by another coach, then it would be more in line with my values to let them go.” This is something that is really hard for all of us coaches and consultants. As we continue to build our businesses, it’s only natural for us to want and generate more revenue. However, this mindset will not serve you well in the long run. Attract the right people first to increase profit second.
Think of this concept in another way. If you needed open-heart surgery, would you see a general practitioner or a heart surgeon? Or if you were being sued and going through a divorce simultaneously, would you utilize the same lawyer for both? No way! You’d hire the person(s) most qualified for the job(s). That’s your aim: to stand out as the most qualified for the job.
“When you choose a niche, you become a player. You become an expert. Your brand becomes recognized.”
- Janet Clark (13:42 - 13:52)
The greatest reason why it is so important for you to have a niche is to gain visibility as a specialist in your field. You need to clearly understand who you serve, the transformation you offer, and why you are the best at what you do. Then you will attract new clients, receive referrals, and become a household name as you focus and develop your niche.
If you’re still struggling to get out there, start with outbound marketing. Create conversations that will help others recognize the problem you can solve. Then watch the snowball effect as it funnels inbound marketing attraction.
It’ll take some elbow grease. But if you put in the work, then you will rise from the competition and dominate your marketplace.
Pick your horse and ride it to get the results you want and deserve.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“If you're doing all the selling, you're limiting the impact and the service that you can provide to your ideal clients.”
Janet Clark (5:35-5:42)
Without great salespeople, you’ll struggle to serve clients and deliver the value of your products or services. If you plan on growing your business, you’re going to have to hire someone to manage your leads, qualify prospects, and convert them into paying clients.
Three common myths can make this process difficult for today’s business owners.
Myth #1: No one else can sell my program, product, service, etc.
Do you believe you’re the only one who can sell for your business? Do you think your product or service is too complex for anyone else to sell? Do you think you’re the only one who can connect with prospects and figure out if your offer is right for them? These beliefs can be a huge obstacle when it comes time to a salesperson for your team.
“If you want to create a life of freedom, you have to think differently about your business. You can’t be the person who does everything.” - Janet Clark (1:21-1:45)
Myth #2: A salesperson needs to have my background and experience.
Thinking you need a salesperson with your background and experience is going to make it harder, if not impossible, for you to hire someone and grow your business. Business owners often think a salesperson isn’t going to understand what they’re selling. But a great salesperson can learn your offer inside and out and communicate it to your ideal clients.
Myth #3: How am I going to interview, hire, train, and manage the right person? It’s too overwhelming.
Business owners who think that finding a salesperson is too overwhelming will just choose to do the selling themselves. But if you want to grow your business and make a bigger impact, you’re going to have to extricate yourself from the day-to-day selling. This frees up your time so you can focus on serving your clients and other important business tasks.
The Five Cs of a Great Salesperson
- Confidence
The confident salesperson has learned how to transform their doubts and negative self talk into self-confidence and forward momentum. When someone has done this for themselves, they can then help your clients do it, too.
- Conviction
Conviction is believing in your offer and the results it will provide to the right clients. A salesperson who has conviction knows the value of what you’re selling, and they love what you do. This helps them qualify prospects and determine if they’re a good fit for your offer. Conviction allows them to sell without having to coerce others. They know your product or service will deliver results for the right people.
“A good salesperson only needs a conviction that your product works, the willingness to gain product knowledge, and a genuine desire to enroll the right people into your program. - Janet Clark (9:51-10:09)
- Curiosity
The curious salesperson is more likely to learn about your ideal client. They build prospects up by understanding their needs instead of trying to just make a sale and score a commission. The curiosity needed to understand and elevate others allows your salesperson to elevate the status of your business. Salespeople who possess curiosity care about others and build trust quickly.
- Certainty
Certainty is knowing that your offer will deliver results and that the prospect is a good fit for your product or service. Prospects need to know that your product or service works. But they also need to know that it will work for them. When your salesperson possesses and communicates certainty, your prospect will be inspired to believe for themselves.
- Collaboration
Great salespeople are mavericks. They’re self-starters and can manage their daily activities to achieve the results they’re after. But they also recognize the importance of collaboration. They know that teamwork is what makes any company thrive in today’s marketplace. You want to find a salesperson who fits into your community and is a valuable member of your team.
When you let go of the common myths of hiring salespeople and you recognize the five Cs that great salespeople have, you CAN grow your business and achieve the freedom to step away from the day-to-day selling. Having the right offer and targeting the right audience are essential to growth. But creating an effective sales team will take your business to a new level of success.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“When you get into that ‘do-it-myself’ mode, you miss out on some of the biggest lessons and the biggest leaps forward.”
Tobin Slaven (19:31-19:39)
While obstacles are a given in the life of every entrepreneur, those who make the leaps ahead are the ones who tap into the expertise of someone else who has already faced that obstacle and found their way around it.
When you think you can figure things out yourself, you end up stuck in a rut. You may save money on the front end by not hiring a coach, but how much time have you wasted? Remember that the only non-renewable resource is time.
“When you need help, find someone who has faced that specific obstacle... and is on the other side, so they can guide you across more quickly.”
- Tobin Slaven (3:34-3:47)
Tobin and I have been working together to create a way to marry marketing and sales. In the process, we have learned a lot in this evolution of building an online coaching business. One of those things is that most coaches are being “DIM-witted.”
DIM stands for “Do It Myself”
Most coaches and consultants have already spent a lot of money on various programs that didn’t measure up to what they expected and feel gun shy about investing in another program. We tend, by human nature, to want to retreat and go back to basics.
“If we do it by ourselves without the guidance of somebody else, then we are shooting ourselves in the foot. We already know, because we are coaches and consultants, that it’s important to always have one ourselves.” -Janet Clark (4:51-5:08)
How the “DIM-witted” Idea Came About
If we are diligent, we can learn so much from our mistakes. Tobin spent time journaling the lessons he learned in his entrepreneurial journey that he really wished he had learned sooner. A pattern emerged. He, and so many others tend to jump over the earlier stages of sales and marketing. The right information at the wrong time can be so damaging to a business. It is important to do things in the right order.
Most coaches and consultants are focused on the last phase, which is using funnels, automation, and other means to deliver their solution in a one-to-many format. They skip over the first phase, which is having one-on-one conversations with the right people to deliver their solution in a one-to-one format. They feel that stage is too much work.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could scale the first phase? We have figured out a way to do just that. We now have a lead-flow process where we bring salespeople in to work with the coach or consultant so they can get out of the DIM mode and accelerate what’s happening in that initial phase. It’s completely possible to grow your business to seven figures just by scaling phase one.
If you are struggling with ads and funnels and your calendar is filled up with the wrong leads, then you’re probably attempting that last stage when you should be going back to the basics of having one-on-one conversations with individuals who are your ideal client.
Sales MAP (Sales Momentum Accelerator Program)
Many coaches and consultants aren't experts in sales and marketing. A great way to remedy this is in your scaling process is to put a team around you that DOES enjoy the sale.
The “Sales MAP” (Sales Momentum Accelerator Program) is a way for coaches to get back to basics. They can start focusing on getting more information from their ideal prospects while bringing a salesperson on board to find more of those ideal prospects for them.
Don’t Go It Alone
No matter where you’re at in your business nor how good you think you are at it, hiring a coach who has been doing this process for longer than you have can skyrocket your confidence and your results.
If you’re done being DIM-witted, and would like some help learning how to get back to the basics to scale your business, and devote your time to parts of your business that you’re actually passionate about, contact Janet and her team at The Freedom Shift.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“A sales professional is in the business of making people happy. That is primarily what you are here to do.”
Janet Clark (21:29-21:39)
There’s a big difference between being a “closer” and being a sales professional. But there’s a lot of B.S. being taught when it comes to high ticket selling. People are focusing too much on the tricks, tactics, and techniques that turn salespeople into “closers.”
Professional salespeople understand that there are five truths they need to live by to achieve long-term sales success while delivering real value to their clients. These five truths are rooted in the most important factors in sales - the relationships and trust you build with your prospects.
“The best way to become a successful sales professional is to relax, be yourself, and actually care about your prospects.”
- Janet Clark (6:16-6:29)
5 Truths of Professional Selling
Truth #1: All People Seek Happiness
Anything you do in life is done in the hopes that it will make you happy. Otherwise, you wouldn’t do it. Even the things we do for others give us some sense of happiness and fulfillment. We become happier seeing someone we care about get what they want in life. It’s human nature to seek happiness.
Truth #2: Happiness is Relative
The things that make you happy may not necessarily bring happiness to others. Every person has a unique way of achieving happiness. This drives their decisions and actions, and they find happiness in different ways.
Truth #3: Every Person’s Resources are Limited
Time, energy, money, and other resources are finite. As a result, we all have to consider how much of our resources we’re willing to give up in order to achieve happiness in life.
We make decisions on how we spend our time and money each day. So every person asks herself, “Will I be happier if I exchange my time, money, etc. for this?”
Truth #4: Everyone Must Choose
As a sales professional, it’s in your best interest when prospects believe that what you have to offer will fulfill their desires. But every person has to choose between a seemingly endless array of things that can make them happy.
Prospects recognize the limits of their resources. Everyone wants more than they can actually have. But we can never have it all because our resources are limited. So every person must choose between what they already have and giving up resources to get something else.
“Everybody is looking for one thing - They want the return to be greater than the investment.” - Janet Clark (15:40-15:48)
Truth #5: Every Person Has Their Own Unique Set of Values
Each person’s values will be different from someone else’s. Successful sales professionals recognize this truth and align the sales conversation with those values. The decisions they make when making a purchase come down to valuing one thing over another.
When you focus on the unique values of your prospects, you can begin to create a sales conversation that prioritizes their needs and offers a return that exceeds the investment they make. Most salespeople think of ROI in the context of “dollar for dollar.” But the ROI that most people are looking for isn’t always measured in dollars. It’s measured in the happiness they get out of the investment.
The successful sales professional connects with prospects and uncovers their true motivations. When you dig deeper, you discover what prospects believe will make them happy. Only then can you begin to deliver real value. The “closer” looks at selling as a win-lose proposition. The sales professional makes everyone a winner.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“I recognized very early on that I needed to hire outstanding, self-managed, professional salespeople who had an entrepreneurial mindset.”
Janet Clark (2:22 - 2:33)
My background in corporate sales.
Since we're celebrating the launch of the new podcast this week, it might be a good time to explain how I became the sales matchmaker. A lot of people have asked me about my story and how I evolved to become the person that matches coaches and consultants with the right salespeople that can effectively communicate their value to their target audience.
I started out in the corporate world in the Telecom industry, learning to be a salesperson. Eventually, I went from doing sales myself to managing sales teams and training salespeople. It was when I had to launch a new division in the telecom space that I first recognized that sales can be a lot more than closing leads. I had to recruit teams of competent go-getters that could get their foot in the door, establish communication, and craft high level complex solutions to close deals.
“I believe that anybody who truly wants to be an entrepreneur can do it if they have the right coaching and mentorship.”
- Janet Clark (5:22 - 5:31)
Inspired by the possibilities that high level sales presented, I ventured out on my own and started my own B2B sales agency. I loved that being a successful entrepreneur provided a recurring income stream, and the ability to create a life of freedom where I could create my own schedule and work from anywhere.
However, even though I was able to reach six figures with the sales agency, I felt like I could do more and have a more significant impact. I wanted to help others pursue a life of freedom. I believed that anyone who wanted to be an entrepreneur could do it if they had the right mentorship.
I felt called to work with entrepreneurs, mainly coaches and consultants. I wanted to help individuals bring their passion into the marketplace. My focus became helping turn dreams into reality by assisting entrepreneurs in the sales process and helping them monetize their services. That's how The Freedom Shift was born, which also happens to be the prior name of this podcast.
The Sales Matchmaker was born.
The Freedom Shift has been a journey full of successes, and some failures, which are nothing more than lessons to help you improve.
In the beginning of my journey I was having success, but I wasn't feeling fulfilled. That led me to join Inner Voice, a coaching program designed to help people on a spiritual path to find their calling and then turn that into a business.
Through the people I met at that program, I was able to connect with high level coaches like Ryan Levesque and Alex Mendoza. I started selling programs for them, which was a game changer and a life changer. I was able to learn a lot about marketing and sales.
While I enjoyed selling for other high level coaches, and still do some of it today, I wanted to shift my focus and build a business for myself that would be my legacy - something I could leave behind.
So, I started working with coaches and consultants to help them develop their high ticket programs and help bring it to the marketplace. However, what coaches would often look for is someone that could sell their programs for them so they could focus on the work that they're passionate about.
That need led me to create the High Ticket Sales Alliance, and I came to be known as the sales matchmaker. I would recruit salespeople into my Heart Flow sales training process, then introduce them to a coach who would align with their values and style.
We went one step further and developed an outbound system that leverages LinkedIn to bring in leads for the coaches that are highly qualified so that the salespeople could enjoy much higher closing rates.
“I created the High Ticket Sales Alliance to bring in salespeople, to train them, and to make sure that their values, vision, and integrity aligned so I could introduce them to my network of coaches and consultants.” - Janet Clark (15:16 - 15:47)
Over time, I have perfected this process. I help high ticket coaches and consultants connect with the salespeople that can effectively communicate what they have to offer and grow their businesses. If you're an entrepreneur looking to get matched with a salesperson, or a salesperson looking to team up with a high level entrepreneur, reach out to me, and let's have a chat!
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“When it comes to sales, it’s so much easier when you’ve been through what your prospect is going through. Unless you’ve invested in a program yourself, you’ll find it difficult to sell one to others.”
Janet Clark (18:52 - 19:14)
Nafissa Shireen is a self-made millionaire, the host of Living Forward TV and the founder of Living Forward Business & Lifestyles Inc., an International Coaching Company focused on Personal Development and Business Mastery. Nafissa brings together personal growth & subconscious reprogramming tools, along with practical business strategies, and specializes in helping entrepreneurs create multi-6 figure success after the 9 to 5, doing the work they love.
Mindset is critical for sales and entrepreneurship.
Like many coaches and consultants, you might be coming from a corporate background. Maybe you have experienced a lot of success in your career as a business person, or even in a sales role. Or, you might have had some experience selling high ticket programs for other consultants.
However, being an entrepreneur and selling for yourself is a whole different ball game than working for another business, regardless of how much success you’ve had. Your mindset, and how you think about your self-worth, are a lot more critical when you’re working for yourself. And don’t forget about the fear of rejection. It’s different when someone rejects a product you’re selling for another entrepreneur than when its something you’ve poured your heart and soul into.
“If you don't have a community to support you, find one. It’s just as important of an investment in your success as your coaching, marketing, or anything else.” - Nafissa Shireen (10:54 - 11:05)
More often than not, it requires a shift in mindset from being an employee to an entrepreneur before you start getting the results that you want.
Even though you might know a lot about business or sales, you may have to learn how to value yourself at a higher level, so you believe that you are worthy of charging premium rates for your services.
3 tips for shifting your mindset from employee to entrepreneur.
Don’t be the smartest person in the room. As an entrepreneur, having a community of people to support you, inspire you, and to give you feedback is one of the most vital elements of success. But are you seeking out people that are at a similar level as you are, or are you looking for entrepreneurs that are further along, the ones that stretch you? While the latter might be uncomfortable in the beginning, that group of individuals will be the catalyst to your growth as a consultant.
Take advice from the right people. Never hire a coach that hasn’t invested in a high ticket program themselves to teach you how to sell one. The investment isn’t merely about the money, but it’s also emotional. It’s a reflection of what they believe is possible for themselves. A good coach can have a tremendous impact on your career as a coach or consultant, so it’s best to seek out those that are operating at a high level themselves.
Have some skin in the game. Similar to a coach that has invested in themselves, you must learn to view yourself as someone worth investing in. You have to cultivate enough belief in yourself to know that the money you invest in a coaching program will reap much higher dividends in the future. Ideally, you’d invest an amount that’s a stretch for you. Not only is that a good way to ensure that you follow the training, but it will shift how you think of yourself and your business.
“Investing in yourself isn’t just financial, it’s an emotional investment.” - Nafissa Shireen (17:54 - 17:58)
This week, take some time to identify one step to propel your business to the next level. It could be joining a higher level mastermind, or finding a business coach that can help you identify the hidden reasons why you might be struggling with sales. It’s time for you to make the shift from employee to entrepreneur. Your clients are waiting.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
Connect with Nafissa on her website, and follow her YouTube channel.
“People don’t want to be closed. They don’t want tactics and scripts. They want genuine relationships.”
Janet Clark (30:27-30:28)
Think about what it would mean to you and your business if you had a process that would bring in two new high-paying clients every single week. Would that change your business and create the freedom you want?
It has for me! Through LinkedIn, we’ve been able to bring our lead generation and sales process together in a simple way to bring on new clients. It’s the perfect platform to create fast cash flow as a coach or consultant.
When you follow this approach from a place of authenticity and genuine desire to offer value, you’ll be amazed how effective, simple, and straightforward it is.
Here are the 7 steps to get 3-5 qualified appointments on your calendar every single week and close at least 50% of those leads.
Preliminary step: Define who your ideal client is and discover where they are on LinkedIn. For help identifying your ideal client, listen to episode 15.
Step 1: Start conversations by commenting on your ideal client’s posts.
By commenting on and complimenting something your prospect has posted, you’ll stand out from others who send connection requests without making a connection first. The key is to be genuine in your comments.
Step 2: Anchor your connection request.
Your prospect will now be more likely to accept your connection request because they will recognize your name as someone who is already following them.
Step 3: Compliment them and thank them for accepting your connection.
Once you’re connected, compliment them again. The majority of individuals on LinkedIn will start trying to do business the minute they connect with someone. You want to do something that sets you apart.
“Your compliment is going to set you apart because you’re interested in them as a person. That’s very different from being pushy. -Janet Clark (19:24-19:35)
Step 4: Get curious.
Engage the prospect through curiosity by asking questions about themselves and their business. Use the magic word “because” which puts people at ease. Say something like, “I’m asking because I'm really curious about what you’re doing.”
Step 5: Let it sit and disappear.
Answer them in a reasonable amount of time but don’t give the impression you’re just sitting there waiting to make a sale. In other words, don’t come on too strong.
Step 6: In the meantime, watch their newsfeed for additional comments or new content.
Look for opportunities to make additional comments so you can grow your relationship by expressing genuine interest in what they’re doing.
Step 7: Recognize the moment when it’s appropriate to pivot.
It may be a few days or even weeks, but when it feels right ask them more qualifying questions with a bit of mystery or intrigue. Open the conversation with something like, “I was thinking about you and have an idea I’d like to run by you. Would it be okay if I shared it with you?”
“Have conversations with people on LinkedIn. It’s not all that sexy, but it works!” -Janet Clark (34:28-34:35)
The beauty of these steps is that they’re scaleable. After first doing them yourself to figure out what to say that is authentic to you and genuinely engages with your ideal client, you can bring in a salesperson to do it for you. This is ultimately your ticket to freedom. As a coach or consultant, your goal is to develop a team that can run your business while you focus on serving your clients. You don’t need a lot of moving parts. All you really need are these simple seven steps.
As always, I’m more than happy to chat with you about this subject. Reach out to me at janet@thefreedomshift.com, connect with me on Facebook or LinkedIn, or just message me. I’m always happy to hear from those who are interested in ways to create their life of freedom. That’s what we’re all about!
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“When you create something that’s a no-brainer for your clients to say yes to, you have an irresistible offer that will practically sell itself.”
Janet Clark (14:22-14:23)
I have learned a simple path to cash for coaches and consultants who want to scale up to six or seven figures.
This simple path has had a dramatic impact on my results and is counterintuitive to the complicated methods many gurus are teaching, such as setting up sales funnels. The key is to make simple shifts in strategy and mindset in how you think about your offers and your program.
These shifts will make you and your program immensely scalable. In the near future, you’ll be able to bring on a salesperson to take over marketing and sales, enabling you to scale your business while your time is freed to focus on fulfillment.
“Every seven-figure coach has their own unique selling proposition, signature program, or point of view (the way that they approach solving the problem).” - Janet Clark (3:36-3:55)
You will need to have your own signature system as a coach or consultant and establish yourself as a prominent authority in some area. Otherwise, you become just another commodity and will get lost in the crowd.
Make Five Freedom Shifts to Stand Out in the Crowd
Freedom Shift #1: Become extremely clear on your ideal client.
When you worked with an ideal client in the past, you both were in the flow and got results. What were this person’s characteristics and demographics? Identify the five main characteristics of your ideal client and write them down. When you know who your ideal client is, your business will be exponentially more successful.
Freedom Shift #2: Sell transformation not information.
Many coaches and consultants make the mistake of creating a program that is based on a theory or a process they’ve learned in a coaching certification program. But most people aren’t looking for a process. They’re looking for transformation and for a coach or consultant who can deliver it for them. The most effective way to attract your ideal client is to model the transformation that you offer.
Freedom Shift #3: Create an irresistible offer.
Make your offer irresistible by speaking in your ideal client’s language. Understand exactly what it is they want from you and then describe your offer in a way that answers exactly what they want.
Freedom Shift #4: Stop focusing on closing and start focusing on conversations.
There’s no need to use sleazy manipulation tactics when you’re a coach or consultant. The keys to massive growth in your business are relationship-building and trust. Connect with them from the heart and find out what is driving them to want transformation. Find out how badly they want it and what they are willing to part with in terms of money and time in order to see their dream become a reality.
Use the 5 C’s to connect with people and convert them.
- Compliments. Endear yourself to the prospect by complimenting them where they shine.
- Conversation. Build rapport by having a conversation that’s about them, not you.
- Confidence. Exude confidence in your ability to help the prospect get the results they want.
- Curiosity. Ask questions to uncover passion, purpose, and dreams.
- Conviction. Be 100% convinced that the program you are offering will give them the result they want
Freedom Shift #5: Teach to sell.
Because humans are hardwired to love learning, the best way to sell is to teach. When someone learns something from you that shifts the way they think, they will view you as an expert and want you to mentor them so they can learn more.
“To be a really good coach and sell your programs, you have to have teaching moments with people. When you do that, you will attract those people who are perfect for you.” -Janet (26:59-27:15)
The path to cash may feel like a challenge, but it isn’t difficult. Putting these five shifts into practice is guaranteed to help you build a scalable business that provides long-lasting transformation for your clients.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“It takes more than just having the perfect offer. You need to know how you can get your message out to people.”
Janet Clark (2:11 - 2:23)
How to Communicate a Consistent Offer to Create Sales Momentum
As a coach or a consultant selling a high ticket program, you want to develop momentum and make consistent sales. At times, however, even though you’re on the right track, you may feel like your sales and marketing efforts are a bit disjointed. Maybe you’re not exactly sure which direction you need to go in, which could become frustrating after a while. To make it all click perfectly, you need to communicate your offer in a way that makes it irresistible to your prospects.
8 Things to Consider When Communicating Your Offer
The Offer - You have to create an offer that is irresistible to your prospects. When they hear about the results that they can expect to get from your program, it needs to be a no-brainer decision for them.
The Playing Field - Pick the right platform where you can target and communicate with your ideal prospects. LinkedIn is typically a great platform to find clients, but other platforms may be a great fit for you also. Regardless of the platform you choose, it is best to focus on one at a time.
Messaging/Copywriting - Find a copywriter that can help you communicate your offer in the right format to attract your ideal client. Your messaging should address your prospect’s pain and show them the bridge to the solution.
Media - Pick the media through which you will deliver your message to your prospects. It can be social media, chatbots, email, ads, etc. While you can eventually use more than one media, it is best to focus on one in the beginning, until you master it.
Deadlines - Give people an incentive to take fast action. Add a timeline associated with the decision you’re asking them to make. Always add a call-to-action in your offer, because your prospects typically won’t know what to do unless you give them specific instructions. It could be as simple as asking to click on the “Buy Now” button or to register for your webinar.
Guarantees - Remove as much risk as possible for your prospect to work with you. Show them that you have skin in the game as well. Money back guarantees will typically attract the wrong types of people. Instead, guarantee the results you promise, and commit to working with them till they achieve their goals.
Qualifying Process - Only sell to prospects that have been qualified through the marketing process. Identify candidates that need your program, and ones that are in a position to buy.
Sales Process - Finally, you need a sales process that is low-key, authentic, and genuine. It needs to be a process that your prospects enjoy going through, like the HEART FLOW model we talk about at The Freedom shift.
“A consistent flow of new clients is how you get great at what you’re delivering. It takes repetition to master your craft.”
- Janet Clark (10:35 - 10:45)
The Benefits of Developing a Consistent Offer
At times, it might be tempting to go to market with a brand new offer to attract new clients. While you might succeed in adding new people to your program this way, it will be difficult for you to deliver at a high level consistently. Having a consistent offer will allow you to bring in new clients regularly, which will generate sales momentum.
Here are some other benefits of having a consistent offer.
Mastery - A consistent flow of new clients is how you get great at what you're delivering. There are only a few obstacles that will repeatedly get in your way. Once you discover and overcome them, you'll achieve mastery.
Community - A consistent offer that attracts the right clients will help you develop a community with a vibrant life of its own. It will add value for future prospects, and create a synergy can’t be developed alone.
Self-Improvement - You community will call on you to be a better mentor, a better leader, and a better person. You will improve by associating with other successful people in your community.
Cash Flow - Consistent clients will generate cash flow that allows you to scale your business. You'll be able to grow your team, and invest in training so you can deliver better results for your clients.
“Your prospects are typically not intuitive about the action you want them to take. Be very specific and tell them the exact next steps.” - Janet Clark (19:29 - 19:39)
To communicate your offer to your ideal prospect and gain sales momentum, consider a couple of different things. First, target your prospects so that you can have a conversation with them. LinkedIn has developed into the perfect platform to identify and reach out to potential clients. Then take time to develop your Unique Selling Proposition, or USP. What is it that differentiates you from others in your space? Take some time this week and think about how you can simplify your message so that you can best communicate the core value of your high ticket program.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“Your offer is the gateway to the explosive growth that you are looking for in your own business, and your clients’ businesses.”
Janet Clark (2:40 - 2:48)
How to create an offer that communicates your unique selling proposition.
As a coach or a consultant selling a high ticket program, crafting an irresistible offer is a critical component of increasing your sales. Your offer can communicate your unique selling proposition to attract your ideal clients. Having a great offer is the key that will allow you to grow your business, as well as your clients’ businesses.
When creating an offer, the biggest factors to consider are the individuals you are serving, and their specific pain points. You should have some specific knowledge about the niche you’re targeting. You also need to know about some of your competitors in that space, so you can create a unique offer and fill any gaps in the marketplace.
“The most important thing to consider when you’re creating your offer is who is your avatar, or your ideal client.”
- Janet clark (1:40 - 1:47)
Once you have a solid understanding of your market, you can start putting your offer together. Your prospects will always want to know why they should choose you over someone else, and your offer needs to communicate what differentiates you from the others. Below, we’ll discuss 8 components that you can include in your offer to make it irresistible to your ideal prospects.
The 8 components to include in your offer to make it irresistible.
Results - Be concrete about the outcome that your clients can expect. The results you promise should be something measurable. For example, tell them they can expect a 30% increase in sales within six months, instead of only telling them they will acquire new customers. Also, this is where you can address their unique pain points. Share with them how your services will be a solution to their specific problems.
Value - Your client has to understand that the benefit of your offer far outweighs the cost or the investment, so that purchasing your services becomes a no-brainer. One way to increase the value of your offer is to create bundles that combine multiple services or products, and include bonuses that complement the bundles.
Value-Based Pricing - You need to price your offer in a way generates a healthy profit for you. You can do this by effectively communicating the enormous benefits of your program. When pricing your offer, take into account all of your expenses, and the value of your time. Be aware of what others are charging in your niche so that you can be competitive while adding value and increasing the ROI for your clients.
Incentive or Deadline - To prevent your prospects from procrastinating on taking action, give them a reason to act immediately. Incentivize them to buy from you within a specific period. Present your incentive as a limited-time offer instead of a discount. For example, if you charge $10K for a 90-day coaching program, offer to let them in for $7.5K if they join by the end of the week.
Risk reversal - Remove friction and increase sales by reducing as much risk as possible for your prospect. One way to do that is by assuming some of the risks yourself. Charge them a percentage of the price upfront and allow them to pay the rest when they achieve the results you’ve promised. Another way to remove risk is by guaranteeing the outcome they can expect by promising to keep working until those outcomes are achieved.
Community - As social beings, we crave connections. It's a universal desire to form bonds with others. We all want to be part of a tribe, or belong to people that resonate with us. Try to make your offer about a bigger movement that your client will be joining. Tell the story of how your program originated to create an emotional connection. Help the prospect find themselves in your story, and see how your services will fulfill that need for connection.
Social proof - Be sure to include plenty of testimonials in your offer. Your prospects want to know how others have experienced your product and what results they were able to achieve because of it. They are often interested in the program that has the best reviews and testimonials, not the ones that cost the least.
Call-to-action - This is one of the most critical parts of the offer. You can have great marketing and copy, but if you don't tell people what the next step is you'll lose out on so many sales. Think about the call-to-action as instructing and guiding your prospect on how to take advantage of your no-brainer offer. The coaches and consultants that are succeeding at the highest level always make an offer and add a call-to-action.
“If you include all the components of an irresistible offer, as you start speaking to your prospects, you'll learn how to tweak them and put them together so that your offer becomes a no-brainer to your ideal clients.” - Janet Clark (7:27 - 7:47)
While there isn't a perfect combination of all the components mentioned above that will work for every single prospect and entrepreneur, it's an excellent place to start. Incorporate them into your offer and then start speaking to your target prospects on social media platforms like LinkedIn. You'll soon discover how to tweak the 8 components and put them together in a combination that will make your offer irresistible to the ideal client.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high-ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“It comes down to the question of whether you have a sales problem, or a marketing problem.”
Janet Clark (1:44 - 1:54)
The key distinction between sales and marketing.
Do you often feel like you’re on sales calls with the wrong prospects, or that you’re missing some secret techniques to get them to spend money they don’t have? Maybe you keep investing in more leads, but you’re having a hard time closing any of them. You might conclude that you have to improve your sales skills, but it could be your marketing efforts that need adjustments instead.
Sales and marketing play different roles, but they are interlinked. Marketing is focused on generating and qualifying leads, and the sales people are focused on closing those leads, and on generating revenue. However, often what happens is marketing brings the wrong prospects to the sales calls, and consequently, the close ratio plummets.
“Marketing creates demand, and the sales process fulfills that demand.” - Janet Clark (2:54 - 2:59)
4 Marketing Factors to Qualify the Right Leads for Your Program
When your marketing and sales efforts function synergistically, it becomes a lot easier to enroll clients into your coaching or consulting programs. Here are four factors you can incorporate into your marketing to book sales calls with qualified leads.
Need - You need to identify prospects that really need what you have to offer. Your product or service has to fulfill a compelling need for your ideal client. Many coaches or consultants make it too risky or difficult for their prospects to commit, and they have difficulty closing. If they see your program as a no-brainer, you’ll find it much easier to enroll them as clients.
Timing - You have to catch your prospects at the right time in their lives to increase your chance of making the sale. Even if they need your service, you’ll have trouble closing them if they have other pressing issues on their plates. You want to schedule calls only with motivated buyers that have a sense of urgency, which you can create by incorporating bonuses and deadlines into your marketing.
Finances - Look for people that have access to financial resources to be able to afford your program. You or your sales team can build all the value in the world, but if your prospect is too broke or they don't have access to credit, they won’t be able to buy. Educate prospects in your pipeline about the cost of your product so they can work on having their finances in place before getting on the sales call with you.
Desire - Finally, your prospects should have a strong desire to work with you before you get on a sales call with them. They should know how your program works, have seen some social proof, and they should resonate with your purpose. In other words, they should know, like, and trust you before you try to make the sale.
“Your marketing team has to create a prospect journey that educates potential clients about your program, through effective messaging.” - Janet Clark (10:49 - 10:57)
Your marketing should address the four factors mentioned above through effective messaging. Your goal is to identify and talk to people that resonate with what you're all about, ones that are eager to work with you because they can see and feel the value you can bring to them. If your marketing properly qualifies your leads, your sales calls will only involve helping your prospects make the buying decision. Do this correctly, and you’ll find your close ratios skyrocketing.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high-ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“Getting clear on your ‘why’ is not the only way to be successful, but it is the only way to attract and maintain the right clients.”
Janet Clark (10:44-10:54)
The most important question that will make or break your sales results as a coach or consultant selling high ticket, high transformational programs is one that you must first answer for yourself and ask of your prospect: “Why? Why do I do what I do?”
Before you decide what your coach or consulting program entails, you need to ask yourself, “Why did I become a coach or consultant in the first place?” and “How can I bring my core belief and purpose into reality?”
Simon Sinek, the author Start with Why, explains that what you do and how you do it may change as your life evolves, but your core belief and purpose that really motivates you is always the same. Understanding this enables you to discover your why as you look back and identify the core theme that stays the same throughout your life and your career.
Your goal is to do business with those who believe what you believe. Once you know what your why is and you help your prospects identify their why, they’re going to buy based on their desire to fulfill their inner why.
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it as long as it aligns with their own why.”
-Janet Clark (11:43-11:51)
Once you determine your why and establish what you offer to your ideal clients based on your why, you must attract them.
You win prospective clients’ hearts and minds by attracting them through your message before leading them through a systematic buying process. This is where the art and the science of sales come into play. You can do all the right things in a sales conversation and ask all the right questions, but you won’t get the sale if you don’t make a heart connection with them.
Your prospects are people who must know, like, and trust you before they buy from you. And the best way to build that know, like, and trust factor is by authentically sharing your why.
When you are authentic in the spirit of service and you attract people who are drawn to your why, sales happen without resorting to any sort of manipulation.
People in our industry who don’t understand their own why and who focus more on the what, use manipulative tactics. But manipulation creates uncertainty, buyer’s remorse, and increases stress for both the seller and the buyer.
Many salespeople make the mistake of trying to sell based on logic and facts. Although these are important to include in any sales pitch, the critical piece that makes people decide to jump into these transformational programs is emotion. People buy based on their hopes and dreams. They make emotional decisions and then justify them with logic.
The best salespeople will tell you that it takes conviction or belief in what they’re selling to be great at sales. If you truly believe in what you are selling, you won’t need to use manipulative tactics like special pricing, promotions, scarcity, or intimidation.
So how do you acquire this conviction? You design your program to align with your why. When your program is in alignment with your why, then every word that comes out of your mouth will be authentic. It is this authenticity that produces the relationship, and the relationships build the trust.
Without trust, you’ll find yourself competing with everyone else on price and features. Without authenticity, you’ll have to resort to manipulative tactics which only work for the short term. So many people have purchased high ticket programs because of these tactics, but then don’t get the results they were promised or receive the nurture and support they need. They are unlikely to buy from the same coach or consultant again.
Manipulation pushes people to make a decision by appealing to irrational desires or playing on their fears. But when your prospects’ emotional reaction to your marketing aligns with how they see themselves, they become inspired and make decisions to buy based on their own why and the affinity they feel for you and your why.
“When you are selective about doing business with those whose why identifies with yours, then a high level of trust emerges. It is this level of trust that results in true transformation.”
-Janet Clark (16:46-16:59)
The most important question to assure great sales results and great clients is “Why?” - both your why and their why. When you get this right, you will be amazed at how easy selling becomes.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high-ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“No matter how great a salesperson is, they are not going to close unqualified leads.” - Janet Clark (12:52 - 13:00)Janet Clark
The Freedom Shift
If you are a coach or consultant attempting to get high-end clients, you likely have been banging your head against the wall. The key to closing the sale is to only schedule sales calls with those who are ready to buy.
High-ticket funnel gurus tell us that getting clients is as simple as a “Facebook ad → webinar → sales call” sales funnel. But they don’t tell us that the sales close ratio to this model is abysmal. The gurus have six-figure months because they are also doing other marketing activities in addition to the funnel. Unfortunately, they fail to mention this.
“You want your sales conversation to always be about, ‘Is it going to work for me?’” - Janet Clark (19:31 - 19:37)
If you are spending a lot of time on your sales calls talking about your program, you will have a hard time closing the sale. Instead, you need to talk with them about their fears, concerns, past failures, and struggles in a way that convinces them to invest in their own transformation.
Or, you could hire someone to help you with the prospecting part -- warming up potential clients and getting them to the point of being ready to make a buying decision.
Two things have to happen to close a high-ticket sale:
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The potential client has to know that the program works and trust you as the coach or consultant.
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The person has to be confident the program is going to work for them.
You can address the first part in the prospecting and marketing stage. By the time the potential clients gets on a sales call, they already know your program works and have an attraction to you as the coach or consultant delivering the program.
“Only schedule sales calls or strategy sessions with people who are ready to buy.” - Janet Clark (26:00 - 26:07)
We’ve been experimenting with a new model for high-ticket lead flow from LinkedIn. In our experiments, we use real human chat - hiring a virtual assistant or training someone to cover this step - followed by a fifteen-minute discovery call and a two-step consultative sales process.
While the high-ticket offers in the $10,000 range and up aren’t closing on the first call with this model, we do get these clients signed up with the right follow-up strategy.
It’s possible to have the success the gurus promise. However, don’t rely on the quick success formulas they provide that are unrealistic. Put some systems in motion to help the right clients will find you, and your time can be spent talking to people who are qualified and ready to pay for the transformation you have to offer.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high-ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“Just sending someone to a webinar from a Facebook ad and then trying to close them on the phone isn't working the way it did a year ago.”
Janet Clark (2:48 - 2:59)
How to use prospecting to improve your sales.
As a coach or consultant selling a high ticket item, have you noticed that it has become increasingly challenging to sell your program? If so, you’re not alone. The sales process of driving traffic to a webinar through Facebook ads, and then trying to close them on a sales call seems to have run its course. A lot of people have been deceived by savvy marketers who took their money and failed to deliver what they promised. As a result, people are now more skeptical than ever.
“Prospecting is the process of searching for potential clients in order to develop a relationship that results in more business.”
- Janet Clark (4:05 - 4:15)
You may be one of the many genuine coaches out there with a track record of helping your clients achieve great results. Unfortunately, because of the deceptive behavior of a few, you still have to overcome the negative image surrounding online marketers. People are losing trust, and you have to find a way to communicate that you’re more interested in their success than getting a sale. Two powerful ways to do that are prospecting and following up. In this article, we’ll focus on the power of prospecting and how it can provide you with a steady stream of people that are ready to buy your product.
What is prospecting?
Prospecting is the process of actively seeking out people in your target audience to develop a relationship with them and to ultimately generate more business. The critical part of the process is building a relationship, so that your prospects get to know, like, and trust you. You’re trying to gain an understanding of their needs and desires so that you can provide solutions that benefit them. With the advent of online marketing, prospecting has become sort of a lost art, but it still works if done correctly.
The difference between prospecting and marketing.
As a coach or consultant looking to grow your business, you need to be aware of the difference between marketing and prospecting, and how they fit into your overall outreach strategy.
Marketing is the process of bringing a single message to many people in your audience. This typically includes your messaging, branding, website, email sequence, etc. Marketing is how your prospects learn about you and your program before they engage with you.
Prospecting is the process of cultivating a one-on-one relationship with potential clients that result in the sales of your service. You can prospect through networking events and conferences. You can also engage with potential customers through social media platforms like LinkedIn. When prospecting, your goal isn’t to close the sale. Your objective is to get to know your prospects, learn about their pain points, and to set up a sales call in the future.
Inbound prospecting vs. outbound prospecting.
Inbound prospecting is when someone sees the content that you’ve put out through ads, webinars, emails, etc., and they reach out to you to have a personalized conversation. Inbound prospecting happens as a result of effective marketing. You still need to build a relationship with your prospect before you can close the prospect.
Outbound prospecting is the process of you, or your sales team, reaching out to potential clients you’ve identified in your target market. You can reach out through email, social media, or even cold calls. Again, the objective during the initial outreach isn’t to close the sale, but to make contact and begin developing a relationship so that your prospects can get to know, like, and trust you.
Most coaches and consultants focus heavily on inbound prospecting, and not enough on outbound. They also focus on learning how to close the sale. However, if you aren’t speaking to the right prospects, it is tough to get the deal no matter how skilled you are at closing. If you learn to find the right candidate through a strategic outbound process, you’ll see that you’re only speaking to people that have a real need for your service, and your close ratio will increase as a result.
How to identify and reach out to your ideal clients through outbound prospecting.
According to Brian Tracy - legendary sales professional and the author of the book The Psychology of Selling - creative prospecting is essential to success as a salesperson. It begins with thorough planning and analysis of who you are trying to reach, and what problems you are solving for them.
You can start by analyzing what the 5-10 most attractive features of your program are, what specific needs of your target customers your product satisfies, and what it is that you excel in that your competitors don’t. Then you need to determine who you’re targeting. You can do that by creating a list of their ideal characteristics like age, education, occupation, income, experience, attitude, and more. Once you’re clear on who your target customer is and how your product can help them, you’re now ready to start reaching out to them.
“The greater clarity you have in identifying your ideal customer, the easier it is going to be for you to find these customers.”
- Janet Clark (18:25 - 18:34)
When you do reach out to your prospects through email or social media, remember to keep the conversation focused on them, and to not make it about your product. The first message should be designed to get your prospect’s attention, something that communicates the benefits they can expect without revealing what the product is. Once you master this art of prospecting, you’ll no longer be dependent on referrals and inbound prospects, and the opportunity to grow your business will be limitless.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high-ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
"The most important thing that you have to do with a prospect is figure out what they really want.”
(3:45 - 3:55) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
Address the elephant with a cash sign on its forehead.
You have heard all the excuses. Money is tight. There is never enough time. But the greatest reason you can not close a sale is that you and the prospect are ignoring the giant elephant in the room. Money. There is a gradual crescendo of tension unleashing a forte of negatively charged energy when money is the last topic discussed. It makes for a very uncomfortable conversation and it is entirely preventable.
Immediately approach discussing money prior to making the offer to avoid a catastrophic letdown. In theory, a product should sell itself if you have done a great job with marketing in attracting the ideal prospects for your transformational offer. But this is rarely the case. Psychology is really the defining factor in whether a prospect will commit or pass on an offer.
"Money is the medium we use to get what we want."
(3:25 - 3:30) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
There are four different stages a prospect must go through to eliminate the money objection and fully commit to a sale.
Identify True Desire
What does the prospect really want? Is it possible to attain? What would it take to get them there? First, help the prospect determine the thing, situation or transformation they so desperately seek. Second, examine the realistic cost in both time and money. Lastly, weigh the investment to the value. While not all dreams can be fulfilled, many are attainable. The question to ask is if the dream is worth the effort?
Overcome Fear of Loss
All humans fear something. But failure and the loss of something gained are fears that are fairly universal. It is an innate fear that causes us to hold our money tightly and spend cheaply. Furthermore, society teaches that human significance is heavily weighed by the sum in the bank and the make of our car. Parting with money can feel very risky even when common sense tells us there will be a great return on our investments.
Remind the prospect that the money is never the end all be all, it is simply the medium we use to get what we want. The significance actually lies in what the money can do for the prospect to help them reach their dream. Have a heart flow conversation. Engage with the prospect to understand what is really going on. Offering empathy is the best way for you to earn the space needed to help dispell those fears.
Overcome Fear of Disrupting Relationships
Why does a prospect interject that they first need to check with their partner when discussing money in sales? The truth is, most people tie their money together when entering a relationship. It is critical for you to know if the prospect needs input from a significant other before delving into decision making. Engage the prospect in a candid conversation at the beginning to help reveal whether their relationship is an inhibiting or encouraging factor, for both your sakes.
Overcome the Money Objection
The final stage in eliminating the money objection is to uncover the COA. The Cost of Action was originally coined by Alex Mendoza. Everything comes with a cost, and time is money. Those who use their time wisely gain money. But those who waste their time lose money. Or similarly, if the prospect is refusing to part with their money, remind them that they are then repelling money from ever coming in. In this case, they will never achieve that deep desire they identified in stage one. If the prospect is a good fit for your service, NOT becoming a client could be one of the most expensive mistakes they ever make. Helping them to gain clarity on that truth is an essential step to closing the sale, and helping them see the value of their investment.
"You are giving the option for people to really understand and acknowledge that this purpose, desire, dream, is something worth parting with their money for."
(13:28 - 13:49) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
Understand that there is something else lurking beneath the money objection. Perhaps it is the inability to identify the true desire, or the fear of loss, or fear that a relationship will be negatively impacted. Whatever it may be, navigate through the four stages with the prospect to help identify the heart of the issue. Bring money into the conversation early to ensure that you and the prospect are on the same page. Even if the prospect is not a qualified buyer, you will at least offer some food for thought. Begin your sales calls with set intentions, instead of wandering through the motions aimlessly. When you aim to unearth the prospects real desire, and offer a way to attain that dream through your services, you will have the power to eliminate the money objection.
How to Get Involved If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“Just like a sailor doesn’t want to battle against a strong incoming wind, a salesperson should avoid selling to an unqualified prospect.”
- Janet Clark (3:04 - 3:37)Janet Clark
The Freedom Shift
Identify and Sell Only to Qualified Prospects
Anyone familiar with sailing a boat understands that if they go up directly against a headwind, they’ll find it difficult to reach their destination. Even if that route covers the shortest distance, the boat will keep getting knocked off course by the wind. In these situations, sailors avoid the direct route and they zig-zag their way to the destination. Just like a sailor tries to avoid battling against the wind, we should do our best to avoid selling to non-qualified prospects.
Many coaches and consultants have developed programs that deliver exceptional results to their clients, but they find it difficult to consistently close sales over the phone regardless of how hard they try. They get frustrated because they work extremely hard, but they’re only able to close the deal on a tiny percentage of their calls. Rejection causes burn-out and saps the energy out of their passion for the business.
“If you have to create the demand while you’re on the sales call, or you have to convince someone that they have an unidentified need, you’re not going to close the sale.” - Janet Clark (11:38 - 11:57)
As an entrepreneur, the biggest reason you’ll face challenges in conversion is when you’re talking to the wrong person. If you’re regularly spending too much time explaining what you do, and why that might be something your prospect needs, then you’re like the sailor that is going up directly against a strong wind. It’s a losing battle, and you’ll eventually start feeling like you’re not cut out for business or sales.
However, talking to the right prospects may be the simple solution to get the results you want. You’ll need to implement some systems and processes that allow you to identify and connect with the right people, and create a streamlined sales process that will enable you to sell with less stress and get better results.
The Five Fundamentals of a Successful Sales System
Just like an expert sailor understands that they’ll have to prepare and master the fundamentals of sailing, you’ll have to build a solid foundation that allows you to navigate a sales call with ease and get the outcome you want. Here are the five fundamentals of a successful sales system.
Marketing - Identify your target market and create a product or service tailored to their needs. It’s important to have clarity regarding the needs of the ideal audience, and how your offer speaks to those needs.
Messaging - Clearly communicate the immense value of your product. You need to make it clear to your audience how your product will benefit them, in a way they find engaging.
Prospecting - Reach out to your target market. This can be done organically through word-of-mouth, through various social media platforms, or through emails and cold-calling.
Qualifying - Establish that your prospect has the ability, authority, and the desire to purchase your program or service. Qualifying is a crucial part of the process. Skipping this part is one of the biggest reasons why many people face resistance during sales calls.
Selling - Reiterate how your service will solve your prospect’s problem, answer any objections, and close the sale. Selling is the final step of the process. If you’ve addressed the previous steps adequately, in most cases, this step of the call will not be challenging.
The Power of LinkedIn
While there are a plethora of platforms to utilize as an entrepreneur, Linkedin is an ideal way to incorporate most of your sales fundamentals in one place. LinkedIn allows entrepreneurs to combine the marketing, messaging, prospecting, and qualifying aspects of the sales system. Unlike other social media platforms, people universally understand that LinkedIn is for networking and cultivating business connections, which presents an excellent opportunity to intentionally connect with potential prospects.
As in real life, it works best if you spend some time engaging in conversation with your prospects before you sell to them. Share valuable information with your audience with the genuine intention of helping them, without seeking anything in return. Over time, you’ll establish yourself as an industry expert in your niche, and you’ll attract a steady stream of qualified prospects.
“Marketing is a critical aspect in the process of identifying and qualifying prospects before trying to close a sale. Without it, you’ll be “sale-ing” against the wind.” - Janet Clark (12:09 - 12:23)
The experience of sailing a boat can vary radically depending on whether you are attempting to sail against the wind, or moving with it. Similarly, success in sales will depend significantly on the quality of your prospect. Take some time this week to asses your current sales and marketing processes. If you make the necessary adjustments now, soon you'll be sale-ing with the wind and getting the results you could only dream of before.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high-ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“My mission is to add huge value, help you increase your level of expertise, and help you move towards making your own Freedom Shift.”
(19:39 - 20:01) - Janet Clark, The freedom Shift
A high ticket offer is one of the key components to a successful business model.
The high ticket offer is one of the best ways to achieve the freedom that drew many of us into entrepreneurship. While it is appealing to be able to make fewer sales while making more money, increasing the sustainability of a business, closing a high ticket offer can seem elusive, and possibly daunting.
“People need to feel a sense of urgency. You are doing your prospects a favor when you give them incentive to make an immediate decision.”
(10:39 - 10:59) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
These offers need to be transformational, life-changing programs for your clients and are not meant for an entry-level entrepreneur. If you are a seasoned business owner and think that high ticket offers are the next move for your business, there are five key factors that will help you to make your offer compelling:
- Clarity. For your offer to be compelling, you need to be very clear with your offer. A prospect needs to know exactly what you are planning to do for them if they enroll in your program or service. Clarity can even be created in the name of your program.
- Value Proposition. In order for a client to pay you a large sum of money, the offer needs to add immense value.
- Limited Availability. You can limit availability to your program in several different ways. A great way to do this is to only accept a limited number of individuals into the program, or create an open enrollment period. The other way to limit availability to be selective in the individuals. Vetting your prospects will help you to ensure success, and will give the client assurance that if you have allowed them into your program, you are confident you can give them results.
- Solve a Big Problem. It’s important that it solves a big problem for the client. In order for the offer to be compelling, the client must recognize that it is problem they are facing. Too many coaches are trying to sell the prospect on the problem, instead of selling a solution to a problem the individual already sees. Many times, we are able to see the root of the client’s problem, when the client only sees the symptom. Shifting your approach can help the client buy-in and you can help to solve the big problem by first treating the symptom.
- Offer a Guarantee. If you’re reading this article, there is a really good chance that you have invested money into a program that didn’t offer the results promised. There are hundreds of programs and services out there that take thousands of dollars from clients and give a minimal return. For this reason, people have become gun-shy when it comes to high-ticket offers. Offering a guarantee helps prospects gain trust in your as a provider, and recognize your commitment level. You don’t have to offer a “money-back” guarantee. Get creative.
“People want to know that if they give you their money, you’re as committed as they are to make this program work for them”
(16:33 - 16:42) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
The high ticket offer is a big step. However, as you are growing in your business, it’s important for you to recognize the value that you offer. Undervaluing your services will lead to burn out. You have immense value to offer! How can you apply these factors to your own offer?
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“Mentoring provides you with a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and sometimes a push in the right direction.”
(16:33) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
No one gets very far on their own. Make sure you've got someone in your corner with knowledge, experience, and the encouragement you need.
The best entrepreneurs in the game know that you can’t make it where you want to be without a helping hand. Having the right mentor is the key to building a business that allows you to live a life of freedom.
Moving to Competence.
You may be familiar with the competence model, a framework for explaining the process of gaining knowledge and expertise. At the start of your journey as a business owner, you're generally at the first stage, the unconscious incompetent. Essentially, at this point, you don't even know what you don't know. In order to move forward, it becomes crucial to invest in a mentor who can help you learn by doing and gain experience in your specific arena.
“A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability in you than you see in yourself and they're going to help bring it out of you.”
(21:11) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
The next stage in the model is the conscious incompetent stage. In this stage, you are aware of your weaknesses, but can still use help in pursuing growth. It is important in this stage to have a guide who can help you focus on your goals for the big picture, not just the logistics. Although you may be growing your business and making a great living, you need to keep in touch with what it is you're striving to add to the world, your industry, or your life. An integral part of that awareness is getting connected with others who do what you do and honing your skills by serving them. A mentor is the perfect person to get you those connections and help you realize your potential for impact.
When you reach the stage of conscious competence, a great coach or advisor can help you incorporate new components in your business to give you an advantage, whether it's social media, paid traffic or some other foreign tool. Having a mentor to help you through the changes allows you to adapt quickly and start bringing leads through new channels and connections.
When you develop a strong business and have help along the way, you will reach a level that requires less effort for great levels of success. At the level of unconscious competence, your skills become second nature, and you continually implement the knowledge you are gaining as you move your business forward.
Understanding the benefits that come with great mentorship will help you choose the right coach for you.
Your business thrives when you surround yourself with the success you're aiming for. A mentor grants you access to a whole new tier of people in their own community, all of whom can help you grow your business with the tools and strategies you need. There are seven major reasons that you should invest in a mentor.
Irreplaceable Experience.
A mentor offers you insight that you couldn't get from a book or course, simply because they've taken the journey you're on and can offer you a shortcut. Learning from their mistakes will help you avoid making them yourself Your relationship with that person will allow you access to more intimate information than you might get from a training program, and that makes a world of difference.
Statistical Success.
Studies have shown that an overwhelming majority of CEOs got where they are with a mentor's help and that over 90% of startups feel their mentor was crucial to their success. The connections, advice, accountability, and guidance that mentorship offers are rocket fuel for your business and its long-term success.
Networking Opportunities.
Put simply, your mentor can open doors that you couldn't open by yourself, and part of their investment in your success is putting you around their circle of people, most of whom are more successful than you. There is no better learning environment than a community of successful, like-minded individuals.
Reassurance.
Fear and doubt are common when you're building a business you care about. It helps immensely to have someone there who has been where you are, who isn't afraid, and who can reassure you when you're having a moment. Your mentor should believe in your ability to succeed - even when you don't.
Business Longevity.
Another advantage gained by a mentor who has been where you are is that they already know what challenges you're facing at every stage in your business, and can equip you with the tools you need to handle them.
Emotional Support.
When things break in your business, it's easy to get overwhelmed. Having a guiding hand outside the situation helps. Your mentor isn't overwhelmed and can offer you a calm, clear perspective to get you past your gut reactions.
Encouragement.
Part of the advantage of having a mentor with an outside perspective is their ability to remind you of your big picture - all those goals you're working towards. They can cheer you on relentlessly because they know where you're going and how to get there.
“One of the greatest values of having a mentor is their ability to see ahead and to know what you need to do in order to navigate this course.”
(22:59) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
If you’re like most entrepreneurs, you have spent a great deal of your time, money, and energy creating your business. You weren’t meant to be on this journey alone. Find someone who understands your vision, has walked the path ahead of you, and can help you to your next level of success.
How to Get Involved If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high-ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“Mentoring provides you with a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and sometimes a push in the right direction.” - Janet Clark (16:33)Janet Clark
The Freedom Shift
No one gets very far on their own. Make sure you've got someone in your corner with knowledge, experience, and the encouragement you need.
The best entrepreneurs in the game know that you can’t make it where you want to be without a helping hand. Having the right mentor is the key to building a business that allows you to live a life of freedom.
Moving to Competence
You may be familiar with the competence model, a framework for explaining the process of gaining knowledge and expertise. At the start of your journey as a business owner, you're generally at the first stage, the unconscious incompetent. Essentially, at this point, you don't even know what you don't know. In order to move forward, it becomes crucial to invest in a mentor who can help you learn by doing and gain experience in your specific arena.
“A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability in you than you see in yourself and they're going to help bring it out of you.”
- Janet Clark. (21:11)
The next stage in the model is the conscious incompetent stage. In this stage, you are aware of your weaknesses, but can still use help in pursuing growth. It is important in this stage to have a guide who can help you focus on your goals for the big picture, not just the logistics. Although you may be growing your business and making a great living, you need to keep in touch with what it is you're striving to add to the world, your industry, or your life. An integral part of that awareness is getting connected with others who do what you do and honing your skills by serving them. A mentor is the perfect person to get you those connections and help you realize your potential for impact.
When you reach the stage of conscious competence, a great coach or advisor can help you incorporate new components in your business to give you an advantage, whether it's social media, paid traffic or some other foreign tool. Having a mentor to help you through the changes allows you to adapt quickly and start bringing leads through new channels and connections.
When you develop a strong business and have help along the way, you will reach a level that requires less effort for great levels of success. At the level of unconscious competence, your skills become second nature, and you continually implement the knowledge you are gaining as you move your business forward.
Understanding the benefits that come with great mentorship will help you choose the right coach for you.
Your business thrives when you surround yourself with the success you're aiming for. A mentor grants you access to a whole new tier of people in their own community, all of whom can help you grow your business with the tools and strategies you need. There are seven major reasons that you should invest in a mentor.
Irreplaceable Experience.
A mentor offers you insight that you couldn't get from a book or course, simply because they've taken the journey you're on and can offer you a shortcut. Learning from their mistakes will help you avoid making them yourself Your relationship with that person will allow you access to more intimate information than you might get from a training program, and that makes a world of difference.
Statistical Success.
Studies have shown that an overwhelming majority of CEOs got where they are with a mentor's help and that over 90% of startups feel their mentor was crucial to their success. The connections, advice, accountability, and guidance that mentorship offers are rocket fuel for your business and its long-term success.
Networking Opportunities.
Put simply, your mentor can open doors that you couldn't open by yourself, and part of their investment in your success is putting you around their circle of people, most of whom are more successful than you. There is no better learning environment than a community of successful, like-minded individuals.
Reassurance.
Fear and doubt are common when you're building a business you care about. It helps immensely to have someone there who has been where you are, who isn't afraid, and who can reassure you when you're having a moment. Your mentor should believe in your ability to succeed - even when you don't.
Business Longevity.
Another advantage gained by a mentor who has been where you are is that they already know what challenges you're facing at every stage in your business, and can equip you with the tools you need to handle them.
Emotional Support.
When things break in your business, it's easy to get overwhelmed. Having a guiding hand outside the situation helps. Your mentor isn't overwhelmed and can offer you a calm, clear perspective to get you past your gut reactions.
Encouragement.
Part of the advantage of having a mentor with an outside perspective is their ability to remind you of your big picture - all those goals you're working towards. They can cheer you on relentlessly because they know where you're going and how to get there.
“One of the greatest values of having a mentor is their ability to see ahead and to know what you need to do in order to navigate this course.” - Janet Clark. (22:59)
If you’re like most entrepreneurs, you have spent a great deal of your time, money, and energy creating your business. You weren’t meant to be on this journey alone. Find someone who understands your vision, has walked the path ahead of you, and can help you to your next level of success.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high-ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“The way I have sales conversations does include the science of selling, but also the component of connecting with people on a more heartfelt, spiritual level.”
(3:08) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
Your sales calls should foster a genuine, empathetic connection between you and your future client.
If you've been in sales for a while, you probably have your conversation structure down to a science. Of course, there is a definite science and psychology to sales, but the art of selling is the part where we get to bring our personality in and make a genuine connection with our prospects and clients.
The “Heart Flow” model is where the science of selling and the art meet. It is the best method for selling in a transformational economy, where you'll most often find yourself on the phone with someone who is personally invested in the transformation you offer. Heart Flow allows you to figure out what the prospect wants from their life, what their dreams are, and why they are seeking a change.
There are nine basic steps within the HEART FLOW model. These steps are a direct path to deeper connections and higher conversion rates.
H is for “Hello.” This is the beginning of your conversation, and the perfect opportunity to build rapport. Take a moment to find out who the person is, where they're coming from, and establish common ground.
E is for Explain. Establish your leadership in the conversation by explaining how the rest of the call is going to play out. Let the other person know that you are going to ask some questions, determine whether they're a good fit for your offer, and at the end, even if they're not right for your program, you're going to help steer them in the right direction.
“Surround yourself with people who are going to uplift you and remind you that you have a purpose, and are going to make an impact.”
(17:21) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
A is for Ask. This is where you ask all of those open-ended questions. The “who, what, when, where, why, and how.” While you may be tempted to prepare a script, it’s best not to lay the order of the questions out beforehand. The answers you get should determine what you ask next. If you're a good listener, the conversation will flow naturally, giving you the next step, the next question, as each answer is given.
R is for Recap. At this stage, give a summary of the first parts of the call to make sure you're on the same page. Something like, “Okay, so you told me you want X, but you're struggling with Y and Z, which is costing you this.”
T is for Transition/Teaching. As you're getting ready to move into sharing your offer, take a minute to stop and teach your prospect something valuable. Inspire an “Aha!” moment with some insight you've gathered over the course of your experience in business.
F is for Feelings. You've imparted a lot of information. At this point, ask the other person how they feel about everything they've just heard. This helps establish where they are emotionally and instills empathy to cement a healthy emotional connection. If they are a good fit for your offer, proceed.
The most successful sales calls forego talking about surface-level details and impact in favor of life transformations and empathy.
L is for Lay Out the Offer. Laying out the offer doesn’t mean talking about the bells and whistles. Explain, on a high level, what they are going to get from your program that they really need based on the transformation they're seeking.
O is for Own the Silence. After you've talked about the offer, you can choose to either throw out the price of the program, or you can let your prospect ask for it. Either way, after you've named the price, be silent and let them think. Whether positive or negative, the person you're talking with has a narrative playing through their head at this point, and you don't know what it is. So just sit quietly for a bit and let them come up with a response.
W is for Wrap it Up. Figure out what it's going to take to get the deposit or the first payment. Be flexible and say yes.
“I like to think of silence as an opportunity for them to share what's on their mind. So always own the silence and let them speak.” -
(24:35) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
The best sales process is one that works with empathy, good information, and real connection to close calls. The best thing you can do for your future clients is to guide them through the conversation to the incredible transformation you have waiting for them.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high-ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“The key to success in building your business is to get a system that integrates your sales and marketing.”
(21:11) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
Although sales and marketing are two vital parts of your business, they are not one and the same, and it's crucial to know the differences.
Do you think you have a sales problem?
If you do, it probably isn't because you're bad at sales.
Most coaches and consultants who are frustrated with their closing rates on sales calls are quite simply talking to the wrong prospects - that is, unqualified prospects.
In the world of online business, the terms “marketing” and “sales” are used almost interchangeably.
“It's like digging for gold in the wrong place. No matter how hard you work, and how good your technique is, you won't dig up any gold.”
(2:57) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
Do you actually know the differences between marketing and sales? They’re certainly intertwined, and most don’t realize that they’re different. Marketing and sales are indeed both aimed at increasing revenue, but they’re ultimately different functions within your business. That said, defining the difference is vital. You are the CEO of your business, so you’re in charge of marketing and sales. In order to make sure you’re doing both properly, you need to lay out some clear definitions.
Marketing. The systematic planning and implementation of business activities to bring together the buyer and the seller. This is where you do your prospecting. When done correctly, marketing gives you and your sales team a huge edge and, consequently, a high close ratio.
If your prospects are bad, it doesn’t matter how good your salesperson is, you won’t have the conversion rate you want. You have to make sure you generate the right leads in order for closing to be a viable outcome.
Sales. Sales is the portion of your business that persuades your prospects to purchase the product that serves their needs. The sales function converts the leads from your marketing efforts into paying clients. It involves more direct interaction than marketing.
Align your processes with the needs of your prospects to see the greatest measure of sales success.
Before a prospect invests in a high ticket program, two questions must be answered in their mind.
Do I like and trust the coach and believe the program works? This question has to be answered for the prospect during the marketing process, which is your opportunity to build up the “know-like-trust” dynamic with your potential clients.
Will it work for me? This is the conversation that takes place on the sales call. Here, the prospect gets to talk through their fears and concerns and any self-doubt they may have regarding your program. It's your job to be there to listen and empathize with the prospect. When you are willing to “stand in the fire” with the prospect, they will be more likely to invest in you and the transformation you offer.
Without marketing, there are no prospects. Even so, a lot of people do marketing incorrectly. They go out and book leads, but do not use qualification processes. When unqualified leads are coming through, the sales team may begin to feel like they're bad at sales.
You'll often hear coaches say it's okay to have a 17% close ratio. Let me tell you now, it is not. If you can only close 10-20 percent of the people you talk to every week, it will drain you and your team, and foster a culture that is not sustainable. No one on your sales team wants to face that much rejection consistently.
“When I talk about the miracle of integrating your sales and marketing, it's important to stick with something long enough for the miracle to happen.”
(10:10) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
We have established the need for good marketing and solid sales. What do you need to do as the CEO of your business to make sure that everything aligns to give you the prospect you want?
- Determine the result you intend to deliver. The people who invest in your program are not looking to buy bells and whistles. They are buying the result that you offer.
- Determine and define your ideal client. Do this to ensure that you yourself are clear about what problem you solve. Knowing this will help you speak to the right people.
- Design and price your transformational program based on the product you'll deliver. For more on this piece, check out Episode 3 of this podcast.
- Determine what marketing channels you'll use. The best way to go about this is to pick one channel and maximize it before you add in any others. Don't go chasing shiny objects.
- Create your brand identity and your messaging. These assets encapsulate the message that prepares the prospect for a great conversation with the salesperson. Get clear on your messaging.
- Generate interest and create leads. At the end of the day, this is a nurturing process to warm your prospects up and make them feel both comfortable and confident.
If you can create a process and work strategically with both sales and marketing, you'll experience successful business growth.
Remember that sales is actually the personal part. Your prospect has been driven to the sales call through marketing. They already know who the coach is and they know that the product works. With that established, you can have a true heart flow interaction and soothe your future client's fears.
Research shows that it takes more than one point of contact to take prospects from cold to warm and ready to buy. If you can implement a great marketing process, your sales calls will allow a deeper connection to the prospect and you'll start to close 50-80% instead of 17-20%.
Simply put, this is much more gratifying all around.
So, what are the best ways to implement these concepts?
- Do It Yourself. The do-it-yourself model may be inexpensive, but make no mistake, it will require a lot of your time and energy, which will be taken from the things you actually want to be doing. Remember that you started a business to work with clients, not prospects. In fact, most entrepreneurs who choose this model eventually hit a ceiling. They run out of time or simply get buried and burn out.
- Done With You. Find a coach who can guide you to implement these strategies so that they intertwine properly. Guides like these are a rare find, but an experienced perspective is invaluable.
- Done For You. You literally find someone to build the process for you. This is ideally where you want to go. With this model in place, it becomes easy to clone yourself out of your business and free up your bandwidth for the parts of your business that you love.
Don’t let the transformative products or services you have to offer clients be limited by your marketing, sales, or the disconnect between the two. Can you imagine what tremendous turnout you would see if your marketing and sales aligned?
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“We’re talking about how you can offer a high-ticket program and get clients you know you can make an impact for.”
(2:25) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
Sell a transformation, not just a program.
Twelve-week high ticket offers are everywhere, as most of us in the online marketing sphere have seen. You know you've got an incredible program to offer. How do you make it stand out?
The best way to increase conversion and client success is to follow the HT² formula - High Ticket, High-Transformation. People are sick of programs that don't meet the actual needs of their clients because they ultimately don't care about facilitating a transformation.
“We are not equipped with enough of the big-picture information to be able to make a transformation in our own life.”
(3:25) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
The truth is, the market has changed drastically. What used to be an information economy has become a transformation economy. This is mostly because information is so easily accessible today - if you get a cold, you can go straight to the internet to diagnose and treat yourself without the help of a doctor. Information has simply lost its value. People will no longer pay for simple training modules that statistics say they'll never complete.
What people will pay for is a real, lasting transformation. We as humans are just not equipped to affect big-picture change in our own lives. We need an experienced guide, a Yoda if you will, to help us get there.
Fortunately, there are plenty of coaches and consultants who know they can provide a life-changing transformation and are ready to build the program to do it.
Keep your clients at the center of the program you build.
If you desire to use your gifts to make an impact, it’s time to implement the HT² formula.
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Who is your client? If you're giving a transformation, you need clients who are willing to invest the time, and more importantly the effort, to see the change come about. They need to be passionate and committed with a clear goal in mind.
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Pick your model. The two best models for a program like this are “Done With You,” and “Done For You.” Once you've identified your ideal client, you need to figure out which model is right for you, or if you’ll incorporate both in two separate offers.
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Lay out the result. You must be able to clearly articulate the transformation that awaits clients on the other side of your program.
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Be confident. Be confident in your program and its result.
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Have conviction. Have enough conviction in your program to offer a guarantee. It doesn't have to be monetary, but you do need to be sure that your client knows they will at least get back their investment.
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Make the program long enough. A transformation happens in stages. There's an initial immersion with a lot of new information, which leads to new habits being formed. After the big shift, there should be continuity as the new habits become daily life. This is where most 12-week programs fall short. Clients are led through the immersive period and then the program ends, or transitions into a mastermind. There typically is not enough one-on-one support to make the transformation permanent.
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Provide the shift. Your program should have an initial shift, to assure your clients that they invested well. But then give them the support they need. Provide them with the accountability, mindset work, and the resources to help them live with the transformation. When people feel supported and encouraged, they'll be much more likely to evangelize you and perhaps re-invest for themselves.
“Be available. Create your program in such a way that clients feel fully supported.”
(13:50) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
If you follow this formula as you design and value your high ticket program, you can price it as you will. People will pay the price for a transformation that rocks their world and has staying power.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“When I talk about high ticket, I talk about highly transformational programs that change lives.”
(0:34) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
The best of the best in high ticket sales know that they are selling a transformation, not just a product.
When sales aren't closing, there's a reason. An unsatisfactory conversation rate can be so frustrating. Taking a second look at your approach can give insight into what is going awry. It’s possible that you are consistently committing one of the seven sins of high ticket selling.
“You have to be able to get the conversation to another plane.”
(5:28) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
Talking to the wrong prospect. Without a solid lead generation process that ensures your leads are qualified, you are likely to spend a lot of time spinning your wheels on the phone with clients who aren't ready, aren't informed, or aren't committed.
Asking the wrong questions. Two things have to happen for your prospect to invest: they have to be confident in you and your ability to help, and they have to be confident in the fact that your service can help them at all. Meet them where they are and get personal. Talk them through the journey, not the blueprint.
Being unemotional. So many salespeople keep emotions out of their calls, but the best know they need to tap into the heart component of the transformation they are selling. To invest in a transformation, prospects must desperately want to fulfill a need or a dream. Figure out what that is and help them understand why they should invest in themselves.
Let sales calls be more than empty tactics. Learn to delve into the problem your client needs to solve.
Focusing more on the features than the transformation. The vehicle by which your prospects reach their goal is almost always irrelevant - talk to them about the results they'll experience and how your service will change their life.
Neglecting the COI. We all ask about the ROI of any investment we make, but make it clear on your calls what the cost of inaction will be. What will it cost your prospect not to invest in your service? It could be the money they would have made, or maybe recovering their time and bandwidth.
“People want transformation, but they want it on their terms.”
(5:20) - Janet Clark, The Freedom Shift
Not offering a guarantee. These days, the market is full of phony coaches and consultants. This means that many of your prospects will come to you burned out and guarded from a prior horrific experience. Offering them a guarantee of some sort reaffirms that you'll put in the work if they do.
Desperately clinging to the outcome. If you take every call terrified that you won't close the sale, you will suffer and so will your sales. You should greet each prospect from a place of service and seeking a win-win outcome. Be confident when you sell because you really believe in what you are selling.
Avoiding all of these sins will amount to the picture of an ideal salesperson - someone who puts the needs of the client before their own, is committed to providing a true transformation, and has the grace to present all the options and then let the prospect make the right decision for them.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“My mission is to add huge value, help you increase your level of expertise, and help you move towards making your own Freedom Shift.”
A high-ticket offer is one of the key components to a successful business model.
The high-ticket offer is one of the best ways to achieve the freedom that drew many of us into entrepreneurship. While it is appealing to be able to make fewer sales while making more money, increasing the sustainability of a business, closing a high-ticket offer can seem elusive, and possibly daunting.
“People need to feel a sense of urgency. You are doing your prospects a favor when you give them incentive to make an immediate decision.” (10:39 -10:59)
These offers need to be transformational, life-changing programs for your clients and are not meant for an entry-level entrepreneur. If you are a seasoned business owner and think that high-ticket offers are the next move for your business, there are five key factors that will help you to make your offer compelling:
- Clarity. For your offer to be compelling, you need to be very clear with your offer. A prospect needs to know exactly what you are planning to do for them if they enroll in your program or service. Clarity can even be created in the name of your program.
- Value Proposition. In order for a client to pay you a large sum of money, the offer needs to add immense value.
- Limited Availability. You can limit availability to your program in several different ways. A great way to do this is to only accept a limited number of individuals into the program, or create an open enrollment period. The other way to limit availability to be selective in the individuals. Vetting your prospects will help you to ensure success, and will give the client assurance that if you have allowed them into your program, you are confident you can give them results.
- Solve a Big Problem. It’s important that it solves a big problem for the client. In order for the offer to be compelling, the client must recognize that it is problem they are facing. Too many coaches are trying to sell the prospect on the problem, instead of selling a solution to a problem the individual already sees. Many times, we are able to see the root of the client’s problem, when the client only sees the symptom. Shifting your approach can help the client buy-in and you can help to solve the big problem by first treating the symptom.
- Offer a Guarantee. If you’re reading this article, there is a really good chance that you have invested money into a program that didn’t offer the results promised. There are hundreds of programs and services out there that take thousands of dollars from clients and give a minimal return. For this reason, people have become gun-shy when it comes to high-ticket offers. Offering a guarantee helps prospects gain trust in your as a provider, and recognize your commitment level. You don’t have to offer a “money-back” guarantee. Get creative.
“People want to know that if they give you their money, you’re as committed as they are to make this program work for them”
(16:33 - 16:42)
The high-ticket offer is a big step. However, as you are growing in your business, it’s important for you to recognize the value that you offer. Undervaluing your services will lead to burn out. You have immense value to offer! How can you apply these factors to your own offer?
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high-ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.
“We have one main purpose, to help you get the life of freedom that you desired when you started your business.”
(0:49)Janet Clark
The Freedom Shift
If you’re ready to scale your income, make a bigger impact, and do more of the work you love, you’ve come to the right place.
Welcome to the Freedom Shift. My name is Janet Clark, CEO and Founder of The Freedom Shift, where we guarantee more sales for high-level coaches and consultants. In my years of experience with high-ticket transformational programs, I have become an expert Sales Matchmaker, matching professional high-ticket salespeople with coaches and consultants who are ready to scale their businesses.
My mission is to help you have your own Freedom Shift - to achieve greater levels of freedom in your finances, time, and lifestyle. Each week I will be sharing insights to help you create and scale your transformational programs. I will be introducing you to a network of seven-to-eight-figure business owners and thought leaders, and world-class marketing and sales gurus. It’s time for you to position yourself as an authority in the transformational economy, and I’m here to help.
Want to create a life of freedom, serve at the highest level and to be able to feel fulfilled in your business?
That’s what the Freedom Shift is all about.
How to Get Involved
If you’re ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high-ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.