Marketing & Sales

Get Comfortable Selling Your Services

If you want a business that earns you money, you’ve got to sell. You have to make sales. And if you genuinely offer something of value, selling shouldn’t be a problem.

So many freelancers say they hate selling. They don't want to come across as "salesy". They feel uncomfortable with the whole idea of asking people for money.

But if you want a business that provides you with an income, you’ve got to sell. You have to make sales.

And if you genuinely offer something of value, selling shouldn’t be a problem.

I love selling.

Why?

Because I know what I sell will improve my clients’ businesses. I know it will help them attract and convert more of the clients they want and build a business that works around them.

So when I sell something, it means somebody’s life is about to get better. And I think that’s pretty exciting.

It’s not true that people don’t like being sold to

Have you ever seen something in a shop window, then gone in to buy it?

Or bought something that was on special offer?

Or had someone to your house to quote for some work?

Or visited a showroom?

Or clicked on an ad?

Or made an impulse buy because something caught your eye?

In other words, have you ever been sold to?

Of course you have.

And did you hate it?

Was the whole experience horrible?

If it was, I doubt you’d have made the purchase.

It’s a lie that people don’t like being sold to.

Think about it. We all like buying things. And if we like buying things, why wouldn’t we like people selling to us?

We just don’t like being sold to in the wrong way.

We don’t like being interrupted with generic sales pitches from strangers.

We don’t like being pressured into making an on-the-spot decision if we aren’t sure what we’re agreeing to is the right fit.

We don’t like to be tricked or scammed into handing over cash for something that’s shit.

And that’s not how sales should be done.

Sales without the sleaze

Sales should be about offering something of value and ensuring the people who would benefit most from it know about it.

It should be about understanding the needs of your ideal clients and showing them they can trust you to solve their problems.

And that’s where good marketing comes in.

Sales and marketing go hand in hand. The whole point of marketing is to generate leads so you can sell to them.

Marketing is not an alternative to selling. It’s just part of the process.

There’s no point building a community, a following, or a subscriber list if none of it ever turns into sales. You can build fantastic relationships with as many “potential clients” as you want, but they aren’t actually clients until they buy something.

That might sound harsh, but it’s true. And it’s a differentiation that’s important to make. Because if you spend your time building a brand instead of building a business, you aren’t going to get the results you want.

So whatever marketing methods you decide to invest your time or money into, never lose sight of the end goal – turning ideal prospects into ideal clients.

And if you can genuinely help them – if you can improve their life or solve their problems – they will appreciate you letting them know what's available and how they can access it.

If you don't sound confident, potential clients won't feel confident

If you don't come across as confident in your marketing, in person, or on calls, you're not going to fill your potential clients with confidence. And if you don't value what you do, your clients won't either.

So be confident in your abilities. Be confident in your products and services. If they weren't any good, you wouldn't be offering them, right?

And if they are good - if they can genuinely help people - you have a duty to let people know about them.

Imagine your ideal client is out there struggling with a problem you can solve. But they don't get the help they need because they don't know it exists. Or they do know it exists, but you never offer them the chance to buy it. You never explicitly tell them what you can help them with, and how they can get your help.

Wouldn't that be a shame? Someone misses out on getting the help they need because you don't want to "come across as salesy".

It's ok to talk about what you do. And it's ok to charge money for doing it. People can decide for themselves whether they want to pay for it or not, but only if you offer them that choice.

And on that note...

I offer 90-minute sessions designed to help you improve your marketing and sales process. We look at where the gaps are and put a plan in place to fix them. I have been offering these sessions since 2020 and have helped clients overcome all kinds of sticking points, so I know these sessions are great value for money.

If you are struggling to attract and convert the type of clients you want (at the prices you'd like), one of these sessions could help you move forward.