#57: 3 Tips to Sell your Offers through Instagram Stories

You're not confident when you're selling, they're not going to be confident in buying. So I think the first step is for sure getting over that hurdle of like thinking that selling is always sleazy because it's not.

Hey coach, my name is Lindsay and I'm here to help heart-centered women like you build the money-making coaching business of their dreams. I've been coaching since 2019 and this pod is about So much more than building your business. It's about using your gifts to build a life and business you're 100% obsessed with. I went from working 50+ hours a week as a first grade teacher to building a sustainable business that replaced my job salary and gave me back 30+ hours a week of my time. Tune in to join the ride and learn from other coaches and experts along the way. Here we go. All right. Welcome back everyone to the Aligned Coach Podcast. I'm so excited to have you all here. If you are new listeners, welcome for the first time. And if you're returning listeners, also welcome. We have an awesome guest here. We have Tori Overmeyer. She is a business mentor for coaches and online service providers. I'm honored to have you here, Tori. Thank you for joining us.

Thank you so much for having me, Lindsay.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm so excited to see where this conversation takes us.

Yeah, fun.

Yeah, awesome. Cool, Tori. So give us a little bit of an overview of what you do, sort of who it is that you serve, and what's your secret sauce?

So I, like you said, am a business mentor for either online coaches or online service providers. So I help other online coaches or I help people, you know, like virtual assistants, social media managers, those types of people too. I would say that my secret sauce is definitely sales, specifically on Instagram. So I have, built my business up to multiple six figures basically just from selling on Instagram alone. You know, I have an email list and stuff, but I definitely primarily focus on Instagram. So that's what I love to help my clients with as well is like organic sales on Instagram.

Yeah. Yeah. I love that so much. Did you freak whenever they had like the Instagram shutdown? Was that like, like a heart attack moment or were like you just so chill about it?

Yeah, I actually didn't freak just because I know that it's happened in the past and it always comes back. And the other thing that I know too is like, I think people get so afraid of like, is if Instagram goes anywhere, but if Instagram goes anywhere, it's going to pop up in another form somewhere else. Like social media in general is not going anywhere. It's just like when MySpace went out of style, you know, Facebook popped up. When Facebook kind of cooled down. Now we have Instagram. So social media is for sure here to stay. And if it changes to a different platform again, that's okay.

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And the skills that like we use to sell on Instagram are transferable, right?

Exactly. Yes. Yeah.

I love it. It was so funny that day. It was like funny, but not funny. The emails that I was getting from like people who like never email me and I'm like, Mm-hmm. Are you freaking or are you freaking, right?

Yeah, people really panic in those situations. I think it's so funny. And then, you know, the next day everyone's like posting about building your email list. Like, yes, it's important, blah, blah, blah.

I'm like, chill, just chill, just chill. It's fine. Yeah. There was so many, so many takeaways from that. So yeah. Okay, cool, Tori. So I want us to like dive into what it really looks like to sell on Instagram. Like, I know a lot of you listening are just getting your business off the ground or you're really trying trying to come into your own voice, right? And you're really trying to figure out like what, what your online presence is going to look like and feel like and like, how do I sell to someone? And like, I don't want to be salesy and like just really trying to figure out all of those things. So yeah, let's dive into that a little bit, Tori. What does that look like? And like, how does someone figure out that process? Hey, quick plug. It's Lindsay here. Thanks for tuning into the Aligned Coach Podcast. It would be so awesome be so cool if you screenshot the episode that you're listening to, share it on Instagram, and tag us. You can tag the podcast @thealignedcoachpodcast, or you can tag me personally @lindsay.bodea. I would love to share you with my community. I would love to hear what your best breakthrough is. It lights me up so much to see whenever our listeners and our community is really engaging with the content and whenever they're taking action and they're moving forward, right? So I would be so honored and so appreciative if you could share this on your stories, tag us, share it with your communities, get more beautiful souls, business consultants, coaches into our community so that they too can grow with us and we can grow with them and everyone's just moving towards the same vision. So thank you so much for listening to today's episode. Let's jump back in.

Yeah, I think you tapped into a good point there. It's like, especially for beginner business owners. I mean, it's something that we all come up against again and again, but especially for business owners, that like mindset piece of selling is something that I really like to help my clients with. Because if you are afraid to sell and if you think that even just mentioning your services is sleazy, you're gonna have a really hard time building your business. Because not only do you need to be talking about your services, but you need that confidence to instill that confidence in your potential clients as well. I always say it needs to be like an energy match. So if you're not confident when you're selling, they're not going to be confident in buying. So I think the first step is for sure getting over that hurdle of like thinking that selling is always sleazy because it's not.

Yeah. Yeah. It reminds me of the question of what, what came first, what comes first, the chicken or the egg? So do you think that's confidence comes before like selling or you have to get out and sell and then the confidence comes? Like, what do you think?

Oh, that's such a tough question because I think it's so both. Like on one hand, you need to be really confident in your offer. So like I always say, if you feel any resistance towards your offer or you feel like it's not valuable in some way or it's not like true to you and how you really want to help people, it's going to be really hard for you to sell it confidently. So I think sometimes Sometimes people may be rushed through the actual creation process of their offer and the part of actually getting to know your ideal client and what they need and all of that. So really make sure that you're not half-assing that part because that's where a lot of that confidence comes. But then yeah, in regards to actually then getting confident in things like showing up on your stories and talking to people in DMs and all that, I think that does just come with practice and kind of ripping the bandaid off. Hmm.

So, so true. Yeah. I like to say like the action breeds more action, you know, like the more that you do it, like the easier it's going to come, you know? Like I will often take like quote unquote breaks or whatever, like for the weekend, like during a holiday, like I'll like literally go ghost. And then it's always so weird. Like whenever I come back on, I'm like, like, oh God, what do I say? But like, as soon as I like just go live or like as soon as I go on my stories, I'm like, oh, like this is fine. You know, it's just so weird that it still happens now, like after 2 years of doing this, you know?

Yeah. That's such a good point. I actually had a client recently go through something similar. She already has a very successful business. She's been doing it for a while, but she had some health things come up and she did end up taking like a pretty long period of time off of social media. And so when she came back, it like felt to her almost like relearning it all over again.

Yeah.

And once she started, of course, it came back quickly. But it's funny how, yeah, getting over that first hump of like feeling kind of awkward again, it happens whether, you know, we're brand new or we've been doing it forever.

Yeah. Yeah. So you said that the confidence in selling really comes from having confidence in your offer. And that comes from having a very good foundational understanding of your ideal client, right?

Yes.

Okay. So if we're in that phase and we're like trying to develop that confidence, how do you know if like you're confident in your offer? Like what would be like some tangibles? Like what would, like, how would you develop that confidence in your offer? Would you say?

Well, some of it for sure, this isn't a very tangible answer, but some of it for sure comes down to a feeling. Like there have been times where I know that I'm either just putting something out there just to have something to sell or because maybe I, you know, was inspired by someone else, but it ended up not feeling right for me, things like that. So I feel like you start to get to know, like, does this actually feel like I'm so excited about it and I know that my ideal client needs it, or did I create it from like a different kind of weird place?

Ooh, that's so good. Yeah.

But then in a more tangible way too, I think, um, when you are doing that ideal client work for an offer, a lot of the confidence comes from being able to get really specific with that. Because if you're creating an offer and then you realize when you're trying to figure out who the ideal client is for it and you're really diving deep into that ideal client work, Um, that's a really good indicator, like, if this is the right offer for you or not, if that information is kind of easy for you to get to or not. Meaning, like, sometimes some of my clients will have created an offer and then we try to do the ideal client work and it's a huge struggle for them to actually, like, understand that ideal client, which to me is a clear indication that maybe this isn't the right offer for them.

Yeah, so like reverse engineering it, or like, I wouldn't even say reverse engineering it, but like starting from like ground zero, right? And like thinking of like the human first, you know, like, like having like a human-first approach and saying like, okay, if I could look at this human in the eyes, and I know that on her lunch break, like she's deciding between the apple or like the pie, like, you know, like, whatever. And then just like really thinking about the human, like, what does she need? Right? Like, what does she need to hear in that offer? What does she need to experience, right? And then creating it from that place.

Exactly. Yes. Yeah.

Yeah. I think it takes the pressure off too because we all like, we want to have like perfect offers and like we want to be like the authority and like we just want to change lives. Right. But it's, it's, this is like a big hard lesson that I've had to like learn. It's not about me, you know, it's, it's not about us. It's not about our business. Like it's not about our offer or our launch. Like it's about the people. That we're going to serve, right? So that always like humbles myself.

Totally. A perfect example to like give what we just talked about a little bit more of a visual, if that sounded confusing to any of the listeners. I recently had this sort of happen to me in my business where I was in like kind of a little funk and I really wanted to create something like super creative and like new. And I'm not saying that that won't happen in the future, but I took the time to really step back and say like, okay, am I creating this based off of what I I want to be doing or am I creating this off of what my audience really needs right now? And what my audience was screaming at me was that they just really wanted help with sales. So I created a sales-specific mini-mind instead and it sold like, you know, in a week basically because that's what they actually needed. So listening to what your ideal client actually needs and really like feeling into that rather than just always going with maybe what's in your own head, which is hard.

Yeah, because we're there in our head all the time, right? Yeah. And it's so easy to like, like what you said, looking at another mentor or looking at what you see someone else doing and what looks very publicly successful and you're like, oh, well, like I can do that or something similar. And then you get inspired and then you go do that. But like, is it really serving your people? Right?

Yeah.

Yeah. Because our people are different, you know, that's one. Yeah, I would definitely say that's a lesson that I've learned is like the people that I like, even you and I, like we're both online business mentors, but like my audience is probably so different from yours, right? Like they communicate differently, they have different needs, different desires.

Right.

So really tuning into your people specifically, like who's watching your stories, who's commenting on your posts, like who's messaging you, like what do those people need?

Yeah. And a great way to get to the bottom of this Going back to what you asked me in the beginning, like secret sauce, I think a really great tip that some people forget about is like ask your current clients too, because that's how a lot of my programs are formed from. I'll ask my current clients like, hey, where do you see me shine the most when I'm helping you with something? And like, what do you think has been the most beneficial in working with me? And your current clients will tell you. And then you know, you again have a better idea of what you can be really confident in helping people with. Because sometimes we don't see it on our own because we're just so in it, you know?

Yeah. Yeah. You're so close to it. You know, like you can't always see the big picture whenever you're like right next to it. Yeah. What do your clients say is your, like, what do they feel is like your special touch? Like what do they usually give you like really good feedback on? I'm just curious.

Yeah. They always say strategy for sure. I'm a very like strategy-based person. So when I'm teaching my clients, I like to be able to be very tangible and actionable in what I'm teaching them. And then they always say too, that just in general, I have a really good way of like pulling them out of, you know, negative thought spirals. Not that I'm anything like a mindset coach and I don't claim to be, but I think just because, you know, we've been where they're at most of the time. And so I think I have a pretty a pretty good way of like calming them down and not letting them spiral into like panic mode if things aren't quite going right.

Yeah. Yeah. That's so good. I get a similar feedback, like strategy and like pulling out what they're thinking, but they don't, but they're not, they're unsure how to articulate it. Right. Like the ideal client work or what it is that they really want to create. Right. Like pulling that out. So that's, that's really cool. Um, cool. So let's talk some strategy. Yeah. Okay, let's talk about specifically, like live selling or like selling through stories. Like that's something that holds so many people back. They're like, Lindsay, like, I don't know what to talk about. What do we do there? Like, do you have like, like any specific tips that you would give to anyone listening, maybe who has like an offer that they've been thinking about? And they're like, I wish I just knew how to like communicate this to people through my stories, like, or anything like that.

I do. I do have a few of my favorite specific selling in stories tips. So number one, going back to what we already touched on, make sure you know your ideal client like the back of your hand, because if you don't, you're not going to connect with them in your stories. So there's no point in wasting time showing up trying to speak to them. So know the classic things that we talk about, right? Like their pain points, their pleasure points, their goals and desires, all of that, but get deeper into it too. So a couple of the questions I always like to ask myself is when my ideal client is experiencing these struggles or pain points, how is that actually showing up in their day-to-day life? So you want to know like tangibles of how their struggles are actually presenting themselves. Another good question to dig a little bit deeper too is like on the emotional side of things. So Let's say, you know, what are your ideal clients' goals and desires? And then dig a little deeper and ask, how would they feel when they're actually experiencing those desires? So let's say they got everything that they want. How are they feeling? Because all of that information is great to turn into content. But if you don't know all of that, again, you're sort of going to be like, speaking with no direction. So that's the first place to start. My second tip is when you do go up to show up on your stories to sell, take some of the pressure off of feeling like you have to be either like robotic or like even take some of the pressure off of thinking about how many people may see it and literally speak to your phone as if you're sitting at coffee with an ideal client. Like they're right in front of you. They just asked you, hey, I'm kind of interested, tell me about your program. Like, speak to them in that way. Oh yeah, I love that. Yeah. And it'll feel much more natural to you and you'll probably come up with a bunch of ideas on your own if you just picture it in that way instead of this weird, like, pressured way.

Or you're like, no one's gonna watch past the third story and then you just like drop off, right? Like, I used to have that weird feeling of like, no one's gonna keep watching this. Like, let me talk really fast, like get through these points really quickly. Right. But what I wasn't taking into consideration was the 50% of people that are going all the way through those stories. Right. And those are your people. Like those are the people that care and that are wanting to be sold to. Right. Or they wouldn't be there, you know?

Exactly. Those are the important people anyways. So yeah, that's a great point. Another tip too, one of my favorites is like, make sure when you're showing up to sell, you are focusing on the transformation, not the bells and whistles. So when people are learning about an offer, what they really care about is the transformation you're going to give them and the results that they're going to experience. They don't really care about how many calls they're going to get or if it's a Facebook group. I mean, that's important information to share, of course, eventually so that people know how it works, but it definitely shouldn't be your main selling point because that's not what people truly care about.

Absolutely. And I've also found that like, I would get questions like, well, like, should I tell them what time the calls are? Or should I announce what days they're on? Like, yeah, I mean, you can, sure. But as the buyer, that's going to give their logical brain more of a reason to find a reason, or like more of an out, right? Like a reason to negotiate or a reason to say, well, you don't need this because, oh, you have this on that day, right? So because those, those days and those times can always be, always be changed, especially especially if you do have the human-first approach, right? Thinking about your clients that are in the program, you know, that those times can always change. So that is something that's even happened to myself. Like whenever I would think about joining a program and they're like, oh, well the calls happen at this time. And I'm like, oh, well I have the kids at that time or something, you know? And I'm like, but wait a minute, I can get the recording. I can go through it on my own, you know? So hello, it's Lindsey. So I want to share, a really, really juicy client win from a beautiful student who came through Aligned Coach Academy. So this is our 12-week signature program to learn how to sign high-ticket paying clients for your online coaching business. So before this student came through, she was all over the place, right? She was focusing on her website and funnels and really just kind of skipping from task to task. She didn't really have much clear direction that would bring in clients. Right? So whenever she came into Alliance Coach Academy, we put the method that's like literally behind the madness. So now she has more clarity, she has more structure, she actually knows what she's supposed to be doing each day. Like she's never questioning how to bring in leads. If she wants to sign a client, she knows exactly what to do and exactly how to get them in in a heart-centered and aligned way, right? Whenever she came out of Alliance Coach Academy, she told me that she shifted her mindset to working with intention and service. She's confident in claiming herself as a coach, and she's really just claiming her authority in the online space as a transformational life coach. So if you're a coach that's wanting to get your business off the ground, you want to replace your 9-to-5 income, make full-time money online, you want to map out your flagship offer, right? You really want to just step into your power around high-ticket sales, right? I encourage you to join us in Aligned Coach Academy. We enroll year-round so you can enroll whenever you are ready, but I encourage you to take action whenever you feel it in your stomach, whenever you know that this is for you, whenever you know that you are ready for the coaching, the strategic step-by-step, right? We meet once a month for hot seat coaching where you are actually coached by me. You have lifetime access to the 12-module course so that you can always come back to it and re-implement and freshen up on any skills. Right. And we also have daily Q&A coaching inside of the course itself. So if you know that this is what you want, go to the link in our show notes, join us there. And I would be so honored to support you in our next coaching call. All right, let's hop back to today's episode. Just something to be mindful of whenever you're adding in those logistical pieces.

Yeah, that's such a good point. I've always thought of it as, like I said, like the bells and whistles and things like that, they don't care about as much. But I've never thought of it as like it could also be kind of a deterrent if you give away too many details. So that's a great point.

Yeah. Yeah. And it's, it's, it's sort of like a juxtaposition because you always want to like give the details and like not hold back and like let people make a very educated decision. Right. Um, but also like just knowing, especially if your ideal client may not be someone who takes radical action because not everyone does, right? They may be more on the safe side and they may be, may be more, you know, logistical and things, right? So just once again, it all comes down to who your person is, right?

Yes. Yeah.

Those were so good, Tori. Okay. So let me just recap. So number one, knowing who your ideal client is, like being, and not just like, oh, what are they doing every day? What are their pain points? But like going beyond that, right?

Yes.

Okay. Number 2. Oh crap, I forgot number 2.

Speaking to your audience as if it's just one ideal client across from you at coffee.

That was it. And that was like one of the best ones. Okay, cool. So as if you're at a coffee date, just talk and just be present and just be there. Right. And then number 3, focusing on the bells and whistles, or not focusing on the logistics and the times and the dates and the calls, right? The bells and whistles and really focusing on the, the point B, the transformation, right?

Exactly. Yes. Transformation.

Those are so good. Thank you for sharing this, Tori.

You're welcome.

Yeah. Yeah. I think this has been super tangible. I know that our listeners are like, yes, I'm going to go sell right now. Right now I'm going to go.

I hope so.

Yeah. Yeah. Awesome, Tori. So where can our listeners come find you, stalk you, creep you, buy from you? All the things.

Obviously Instagram. It's clearly my favorite place to hang out. So they can find me on Instagram @theholtori. And from there, if you click my bio, I have a freebie in there. It's a caption calendar and hashtag workbook. But yeah, I would love to connect. I love chatting and just making, you know, new internet friends. So feel free to DM me if you have any questions about anything we talked about today or just want to say hi.

Awesome. All right. Well, thank you all for listening. Let us know what your favorite takeaway was. If you immediately, if y'all go and take action and go sell on your stories, like let us know, message Tori or like message me, like tag us in your stories or something like invisibly and like let us see you and like cheer you on because that is taking radical action. Right? So thank you so much for coming on, Tori. I have really enjoyed it.

Thank you so much for having me, Lindsay.

Yeah.