Does thinking about sales make you squirm?

According to Katy Prince, ethical copywriting expert, sales coach, and Certified Trainer of NeuroLinguistic Programming, who is the Founder and CEO of The Squirm-Free School of Business, there’s a simple solution: asking permission to sell.

Think about it…

“Have you ever  spent 40 minutes or more listening to a potential client on a discovery call, only to bail on sharing your offer at the end?” Katy asks…

“Have you ever drafted out the same dm three or four times only to decide you didn’t want to send it at the last minute?”

“Have you ever gotten yourself all fluffed up for a networking event, to not wow the room with your elevator pitch, but to just stay mute and stare at your phone all evening?”

Katy’s willing to bet it’s not because of imposter syndrome…

It’s not because you lack confidence or aren’t experienced enough.

So what’s with the hesitation?

It’s because you’re not asking permission, and it’s making you feel gross.

So, in case you were waiting for the perfect segue during a conversation to share the amazing things your business can do for people… Katy has some advice..

You’re the one who creates that segue.

But how?

Ask Permission to sell. You’ll Feel Less skeevy.

“Check in during key milestones during the sales process and ask for permission to continue.

What does this sound like?

“So, at the end of the call, we’re going to have a discussion about what working together looks like. Is that okay with you?”

Or

“Would it be okay if I shared a link to my calendar?”

Try it out, and you’ll be surprised at how much more natural it feels to pitch the good stuff.

Think Best Case Scenario Before a Sales Call.

We tend to get in our heads before hopping on a sales call.

“What if I don’t have enough experience?”

“What if I bomb it?”

“What if I’m too expensive?”

Katy asks us to flip the script.

“What if the WORST thing that happens is you have a really authentic 30 minute conversation?”

Feel yourself relax?

You’re Taking Them On a Road Trip, and You’re the Driver.

Have you ever felt like your sales call conversation goes off the rails, and you hang up wondering “Was that even effective?”

“When you let them into the Zoom Room, they are hopping into the passenger seat,” Says Katy, “So what happens if we have someone in the passenger seat who is leaning across and trying to grab the wheel from you when you're driving might pull you off the road? And they might think they're helping, they might think they know the direction... But actually, it can pull you off course and damage the [...] conversation.”

She continues, “So it is your responsibility as the service provider to take control. It makes your passenger feel safe.”

So how can you take control during a sales call and put your potential client at ease?

• Build rapport without getting sucked into small talk.

“Find something in common to talk about … what coffee you’re drinking, the fact you like their shirt… and then transition,” says Katy.

• Frame the conversation.

“Outline your time together and get clear on outcomes.”

• Ask for consent.

So how does this conversation go down? Katy provides us with an example:

“Hi, Kiki, oh, my goodness, I am so excited to be connecting with you seeing how wonderfully made up you are right now I'm wishing that I'd had the decency to at least put a bit of primer on. Anyway, I am absolutely thrilled to be connecting. And today, we've got 30 minutes together. And during that time, we're going to get crystal clear on what's not working for you in terms of managing your own wellness, we're going to set some clear goals for for your health over the next 90 days. And towards the end of the call, I'm going to walk you through the package that I believe is going to be the best fit for you based on the conversation we have. Does that sound good to you?”

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