What is it about selling that makes many sweaty and uncomfortable?
What’s even more unnerving? Selling from the stage.
In this episode, I speak candidly around the concept of selling from the stage.
Because if you’ve been around with me for any amount of time, you know that I’m not really a fan of it. I do think there’s a place for it in business, but I am not a big believer that it should be your core strategy for monetizing speaking (it should instead be a facet of it).
I want to give you some prompts to explore how the topic jives with you so you can determine if and how you’ll embrace it in your business.
Episode Show Notes
How to create scarcity and urgency to have people take advantage of your offers without being schmucky?
(12:24) It could be having a really killer session where you deliver this tremendous insight and value and provoke new ways of thinking. And then for the people who are really excited and jiving, it’s offering them the chance to go deeper in your content. Going from like the one-on-one level to the two-on-one level. It could be something as simple as that.
Real truth about selling from stage
(19:08) Here’s the truth friend. It doesn’t matter who you are, or how successful you are or how effortlessly you pitch – you’re always going to piss people off. That’s the job.
Questions for yourself to reflect and answer as you identify how do you want to show up and sell in alignment to your brand
(19:21) The question you have to answer for yourself is, are you okay with that. Is finding and serving your people, the people who want to go deeper with you, is it worth the discomfort? Is it worth the chitter chatter of people being annoyed by what you did, or being frustrated or telling you that you’re doing things wrong, is the price worth it?
In evaluating your current relationship with selling and how you view other people selling
(22:18) You get back what you put out there. If you have the mindset that it’s wrong and it’s unethical and it’s gross for people to sell, well, you’re bringing that kind of energy into your sales process and that’s not helping you. That’s part of what this episode is, is I want you to evaluate your current relationship with selling and how you view other people selling and ask, how is that impacting your effectiveness when it comes to sales?
Is it still okay for people to pitch their programs when the content isn’t free?
(25:57) The truth is, it’s all about setting expectations to get on the same page. If you ever think about a time where you were quote unquote sold to, and you were uncomfortable with it, or really annoyed by it, it’s because the expectations weren’t aligned. What you thought you were getting into and what the person was actually doing, they were not on the same page.
Reason why people is so uncomfortable hearing someone selling on stage and why you struggle on selling
(27:27) It’s a lack of alignment on expectations. This is really important when you think about live events, whether you’re participating or you’re in the audience. I’m a big fan of telling people what to expect.
In setting up peoples’ expectations..
(29:06) Getting on the same page with expectations, do not think about it as this like unveiling. It needs to be a logical next step for people. That’s what selling really is, is taking the next logical step for those who are interested, for those who resonate with your content and teaching style. That’s what this comes down to.
Tip you can do to efficiently teach yourself
(31:16) Notice what other people do. Dissect it and try to understand the underlying meaning of why they do it and then ask yourself, how could you replicate it? That’s a big business lesson that you can use for so many different things but I do this all the time.
Reflection questions to explore your relationship with selling from the stage:
- I want you to reflect when have you been turned off by a sales pitch? It can be from a stage, from a webinar or whatever that looks like.
- What specifically rubbed you the wrong way?
- Overall, what’s your take on selling from the stage? Are you a fan? Are you neutral? Are you turned off by it? Explore that why. What experiences have you had that are leading to that perception?
- How are your perceptions of the above three questions impacting your ability to sell?
