Traditional Sales is Keeping You Broke

Traditional sales training is keeping you broke. And today we're diving into two extremes. Either high pressure, buy at all costs, because if you don't buy this, you'll die. Or where you give everything away for free, you build it, you add a ton of value, and you're left wondering why when I put a buy button on my website, all my engagement drop and no one buys. We're diving into all of that today, why that's happening and what to do instead. Let's dive in.

Hi, I'm Beverly Simpson, former fitness manager turned online personal training business owner. And this podcast is where smart fitness professionals, including trainers and clinicians, discover how to increase client performance in movement, package and position their products and services, and get out of their own way so that they can increase their revenue to live a life that they love without sleazy sales. Welcome to the PT Profit Podcast.

Foreign what's up coach? Welcome back to another episode of the PT Profit Podcast. I'm your host, Beverly Simpson. As a former district fitness manager for a national gym responsible for bringing in $2.1 million in my region alone, plus building two multiple six figure businesses online, I've been in sales since 2013. I have a ton of experience helping hundreds smart and struggling coaches start and scale their profitable business, whether it's online, in person or a combination of both. And today we're diving into two common traps. Most smart and struggling coaches get into without even realizing, and what to do instead. And it's all focused around the relationship and topic of selling. Because the truth is there's a reason you don't want to be classified or identified or perceived as someone sleazy. Because there is been an experience where you have felt like that's sleazy or you've been annoyed or people have told you this is sleazy, sleaze is real. Because what I tend to see happen when people are applying pressure is one of four to five things, which is they lie. People will lie to you. They'll either be lying in the products or they're lying in, in promises and guarantees. Like the people lie. Okay, that's number one. Then number two, people will not listen. So they're not listening to you. They're just, you know, they're so used to the redundancy of a sales conversation that they are already anticipating what it is that they think that they're gonna, you're gonna say. And then they lack everything. Now this is really important. We're gonna come back to this because what often happens when I see people who are in a sales conversation and they're struggling is that they end up leaving their prospect feeling worse about themselves than they did when they got on the call. Okay, Then, then what also happens is people sell it inopportune times. They slide into your DMs and then they force you and then they talk to you about like, you know, buy this thing by the same. By the thing. And then lastly they just won't take no for an answer. Now what's interesting to me is that we've all experienced this. In fact, recently someone slid into my DM. I've had two experiences that have been just so mind boggling. One was they she DM'd me, okay? And then I got another. An email this exact. Almost like the exact same process, different people through the email. And she DM'd me. And listen, my DM's flood. And so I, you know, I lose track of dms all the time. So. But regardless, when people DM me and they're sleazy spammy, I don't resp. Respond. So I was not listening to her. I didn't respond to her. I didn't respond. I ignored her. Same thing in the email. And then I think it was like the third or fourth DM back, she starts attacking me for not responding to her, but attacking me as a person. Like, I can't believe what type. I can't believe how horrible of a person you would be to just not even have the decency to respond back. Like attacks me. And I laughed. I laughed. Listen, I've been in sales since 2013. I laughed. But I know that she was taught that process. I know that she was told and taught how to do that. And she continues to do it because people respond to that. And that to me is absolutely absurd. And then the same thing happened with my email. And so what kills me about that experience one is that that is a method that's being taught. People don't learn how to. People just don't come out of the womb knowing how to do that. One, two, she continues to do it because obviously it works to some degree. And then three, people who are re. Who want to have sales conversations don't get so. Because either they don't, they don't want that to happen again. So they don't reach out and then they go do really absurd things they're taught on the Internet or they, they, you know, you as the, as the service provider feel very awful about having a conversation with the stranger, even though the stranger wants to have the conversation. So this requires us you to look at your relationship to selling. Now people understand the two extremes of the spectrum of selling where either it's super sleazy and that won't take no for an answer. High pressure sales versus the like. I'm just going to give everything away for free. I'm going to put a buy button on my website and I'm going to, you know, hope that somebody comes because they see so much value of all the good that I'm giving out into the world. Okay, so there's two extremes of the spectrum. And people, while they might understand that concept, they're not living from a knowing of this concept and they don't. And they are blind to the spectrum of the relationship. Meaning what happens is you might not be super sleazy, but you might be so avoidant of that sleaze that you don't even want to have a sales conversation. So, so then you swing to the like, well I know I can't give everything away for free because I'm a coach, but you swing to this side of feeling like I'm not providing enough value because everyone told me I need to build no like and trust when in reality that keeping you broke. And if you don't believe me, then why is it that the majority of really smart coaches continue to struggle and success feels reserved for the few? And the truth is that they're un. They understand that this concept of what we're talking about, which is how to sell, how to have a selling conversation, how to position your product service method as the best way, not the second best. Nobody's googling what's the second best way but as the best way to solve your client's problem, to help them get the outcome they want. That's what we're doing. In a selling conversation. People say sell them the solution. Or people say attract people with a problem and sell them the solution. Well really we need to sell the transformation and position the solution as the best way. That's what we're doing. We gotta get them on board with your solution. And in order to do that, we have to remove any and all doubt. No doubt, no fear. Now in order to do that, we have to provide an airtight argument which is, which addresses doubt, doubt, fear. Because fear is our friend. Fear is brain based. It's never going away. You cannot be courageous without fear. You need to have like you, we. So we need to address it. We need to address doubt and we need to address fear, fear. And we need to move them towards desire. So you have to provide an airtight argument for why you're an authority. Why should they believe you? Why should they believe your offer? What could they believe in themselves? Do they believe in themselves and do they need it now? You need to address those, those concerns. It's an airtight argument. That's when they will, that's when you'll take someone who's never heard of you before and become a customer. And it has nothing to do with putting people in fear. It has nothing to do with, with forcing people to buy or applying pressure at all. Now, I have seen hundreds of sales conversations. So what happens when you go to the other side of the spectrum where you just get value? What happens is you run the risk of doing one of three things. Number one is that they just provide so much value. They, they, they, you bookmark the post, they say, thank you, this was so amazing. I'm gonna go do this and then I'm gonna come back to you. Okay? You run the risk of them doing that, like, oh, I'm just gonna save this, save this, save this. And then that's amazing. And the second thing that you do is you run the risk of them doing that. And then they go try and implement it. And then it doesn't work. So they think, oh, so then they lose believability in your process. So they go, no, this isn't for me. Number three, you run the risk of overwhelming them so much that they think, oh my gosh, I'm never going to be able to do this. So, you know, there's too much to do and I'm never going to be able to do this. That's why people don't buy when we over deliver and plot twist when we over deliver from an infused energy of desperation. I need this. I need you to love this. Just love this. Pick me, pick me. Pick me, me. People feel that and they're like, oh, I don't know, like, it's like being that desperate person at the bar that's like, here, date me, date me. Danny, Danny, will you marry me? Will you marry me? People feel that even though they can't put their finger on it, they're like, I don't know, they're just no. Or the. There becomes this abundance of pressure for you to do the work, heavy lifting for them. And then you get completely depleted. And it usually is coming from this place of like, oh, well, you know, if I just prove my worth, prove my value, that's not going to help you or serve you. Because think about it, when was the Last time someone said Google was my favorite website or the encyclopedia was my favorite website. Okay, and then, then what happens when I say this? People start to get a little like oh my gosh, well what becomes free and what because doesn't. Right? We just have to get super crystal clear and remind you that, that people are not ne. People are not buying information, they are buying clarity in a. In a specific step by step process and protocol for the implementation. That's what they're investing in. Because information is so abundant, people get confused. Since everything works or everything will have a. Everyone can. Most people can back up their claims and make a case for those their claim. That's how we have to have honest conversation around selling. Because here's the truth. No one's going to buy from the Internet the best kept secret. So we have to put our work out there. That's number one. The number two, growth really comes down to visibility. So you can't buy from Internet's best kept secret. The value meaning the percept, the ladder of the believability. You have to carry people through. You know, why should I listen to you, believe in you? They need to believe in your offer and process. In order to do this, you need to remove doubt, doubt of your, of your work and move them towards desire. Position your way as the best way. Then you need to move them. You need to remove any and all resistance to belief of themselves. Like they're evaluating can I do this? They need to believe in themselves. And this is a conversation of fear. Your brain literally is going to keep you safe and, and consistent. And so we're not trying to remove fear, but we need to address fear. Then you need to remove. Then we need to address urgency and believe in them and believe that they need it now. So we need to turn the want in the need and that they need it now, now. So the question then becomes how? And I also want to give this context because when people come into my world, they come into my world usually from. In two spaces, right? So they're either just starting out and they are starting in the online space because they've been like just incredibly successful in person or sometimes they just, they're like really tapped out in their one to one and they want to scale and they want to go to the masses. Okay. And so what I want to offer to you is that these are the principle, I'm going through the principles of effective communication and these three phases is how you create that airtight argument of carrying them through that ladder of believability and removing doubt and moving them towards the desired outcome that they already want. We're not creating demand. Demand is already there. And so these are principles that conversations need to happen. Either one to one, whether you're in a sales conversation or one to many. People mess that up. They think, oh, I just hate sales. So let me just do a webinar. No, no, no, you're still having the sales conversation, just one to many. What this means is that you have to address all those resistance to move people through that ladder of believability without people talking to you. So those principles don't go away because you still have to address all the pieces of resistance that come up. So how do we do this? We're gonna move this through three phases. I, I call this the core premise, the core content, and then the, the close. Okay, so it's a 3C, 3C framework. So when we're starting in the core premise, what we want to do is this is where we are setting the frame and this is where we're going into the discovery. This is the disc, the discovery of what's the problem that they think they're in? What's the real problem that they either don't know that they're in or they're doing all the wrong things to fix it. And then what is the, the, the struggle? Meaning what's in the way of getting them to what they want? We need to know that, okay, what's in the way of getting them? What do they want? Meaning what are all the right things that they are? What are all the things that they're, that they're currently doing to try and get what they want? These questions in this section is what I call the subconscious self sell, because sometimes people are on autopilot all the time that they're not even present to doing what it is it to. To doing the actual work. So what I mean by that is like, for example, when they're like, I already know what to do. And then you ask them like, okay, so what are you doing to try and fix this problem that you're in? And they're like, well, I'm. And then you realize they, they are speaking out loud and getting present to the fact that maybe they aren't doing all the things that they're supposed to be doing. Okay, so, so this phrase of this, this phase of the discovery is really important and in order for them to open up, you need to set the frame. So setting the frame is just being transparent and honest and taking leadership of the call, meaning or leadership of the conversation, whether it's a call or one to many, where it's like, hey, we're going to go through today. This puts people at ease because you answer the question in their mind of like, what are we doing? Oh, I hate when, you know, people slide into DMS and they're like, how was your trip to Spain? And it's like, no, no, no. Okay, we're gonna build rapport. But rapport is not coming from this place of let me be my best friend. Because think about it. How many people you know who loves me the most? My mom, my husband, my children. And none of them are customers. So it's not love me enough to pick me. It's let me lead this conversation by, by telling you what's gonna happen. I'm gonna get clear on your problems so I can give you some context on, on the best way to solve it. Now, people get this messed up because they want to teach here. They want to teach. Let me show you. Let me show you. Love me. Pick me. If you guys know the reference, that is, that's the Grey's Anatomy when Meredith goes and talks to Derek. That's like, that's an iconic scene. And it reminds me of sales because that's what people are usually stepping into the energy of, especially if they're new or they haven't done this before. What? They just want to teach, Let me teach, teach, teach. But Google and Encyclopedia is not people's favorite books and it's not their favorite website. Then what we do when we have that information is we transition into the core content. So the core content is where you get to provide your insight. Now the framework that I like to do in my insight now, people say, oh, this is two to three minutes. I actually think it's more than two to three minutes. This is like the pre pitch. This is, this is the core content of the pre pitch and this is essential, I think. Now if you want your link, let's say you are running a team and you have a sales rep and they're like, watch some five minute video and then they're going to come into a call with a sales rep and then you want them to spend a 5k to 10k program. Like the fact that people expect that someone's going to spend that kind of money after three minutes of insight is usually, in my opinion, as someone who's been in sales forever, I feel like that's a little bit unrealistic. Sure. There's going to be tons of exceptions that fill the, that that they're sure there's going to be people that I think that are the exception, that prove the rule. Because to me, it doesn't matter how long it takes, but this is what it takes. Meaning you have to debt, you have to carry them through that ladder of believability, essentially. Okay. And then in order for them to say yes to that, they have to see that the offer is 10 times worth the asking investment. So you just saying like, oh, yeah, we have clients that do this and three minutes. So want me to walk you through how we do it? Like that? To me, the insight section has to be what I call the prepay. Just this is where you're getting them on board with your solution. So what I like to do is, you know, I have my method or you have your ways of doing it. This is your process. Okay. And then you're going to go in with like, most people take this mistake. So they make this, they take this action. This is, this is an issue. Why do you know that that's an issue? Why did they think that? So here's the action that they take. It's a mis, misconception, because that's why we do. And then you insert your new way of doing it. Then you back it up with the case study. And then I like to create a gap, which is like, now the gap means like, if not enough to just know this, like, hey, this is what my client did when we did this. And then you create a gap. Now the gap can be for the next pillar. The gap could be for like. And so when people come into my program, that's why we put this component together. It's not enough to just know these three things that we need this as well. What questions do you have for me? Okay. And then you tie it down with the what questions. Try and get in front of what they're going to say. So it's like you're, you're caught. You're having a conversation. It's not just like, teach, teach, teach, it's a conversation. And when they're like, well, how do I do that? Yeah, totally. I'm going to walk you through how to do that. Right? You just tell them like, oh, I'll be happy to share that with you. But before we get there, we also have this. And then you go through that same framework until you get to the part. So now you've done your insight, you've done your pre pitch, and then they're going to be like, well, how do I do that? Okay, cool. And that they don't ask, how do they do that? You say, okay, where do you want to go from here? I can walk you through how specifically. I can take you from pain, from problem to desired outcome. But you tell me, where do you want to go from here? And then they're like, yes, tell me. And you will then go into the offer presentation. The pitch, cool name of program, promise, guarantee, or not even guarantee. It could just the risk reversal. It's just addressing the risk. Why? Because everyone's had a horrible experience on a call. Okay, so then, then after you go through the pitch, the last question becomes, well, how much does it cost? And then you go through the investment, and then we need to address resistance. Okay, Resistance is going to come up. Why? Because people make a decision on price. And so when they hear the price, their brain is going to go go crazy. It doesn't matter what the price is. Because your brain, your habit brain, your fear brain, is literally going to try and keep you safe. Even though this might be the best thing for you, it doesn't matter. Your brain just goes. And depending on how loud people's mental chatter is, it's really loud. And so then you need to address it. Doesn't mean we need to convince. We need to put pressure. We need to make people feel bad of like, oh, well, if you don't buy, you're going to die. Which literally, I've heard people say that. We're not trying to make a client feel worse about themselves. What we are doing is we are removing doubt. We are supporting fear, addressing it, helping them access their courage, which is acting in the presence of fear. That's what we're doing. Then we need to address resistance. But the biggest mistake I see people make when it comes to addressing resistance, especially if they have any sales training at all, is that they actually just address what is said instead of getting to the root of the resistance. Because what people say isn't always what they mean. And so when someone gives you a price objection or a money objection, people start going into the like, well, we can do blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And they start addressing money. When the reality is that this could actually be a value conversation, which is, I don't think that that the value of what it is that you're. That you're offering is worth the asking investment. Oh, I need to talk to my partner. I need to talk to. I need to think about it. Well, what is it that you need to think about? It automatically puts people on the defense where they have to feel like they have to explain themselves. That's not what we are doing. We need to neutralize, calm down the nervous system, activate the parasympathetic nervous system and then, then address the resistance and get to the root of the resistance before we start addressing it. And here's the thing. It doesn't matter what vehicle it is that you're having this conversation, either whether it's a sales call or you're on a webinar or you're doing a podcast, whatever the case may be. And this could be happening in your content, it could be happening in in your podcasts or this could be happening in your content. Whether it's paid free, whether it's in top of funnel or in the middle of the funnel, it could be. This is literally effective communication everywhere. Now if you want me to show you how and you want to go deeper, send me an Instagram DM comment sales so that I know that it's coming from this podcast and we could just talk about how we can communicate effectively and master the art of selling without selling. Now this episode was helpful for you. 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