Josh Petretti is a Sales and Profit Growth Consultant and Coach who has been developing sales and business ROCKSTARS for more than 10 years. He was first exposed to the business world at 5 years old when his Dad paid him “60 minutes an hour” to work at his commercial landscape company. Luckily the pay eventually got better, but the lessons learned at a young age helped stoke the proverbial fire of Josh’s entrepreneurial spirit.
While Josh started his career in the corporate world, he always knew that entrepreneurship was in his blood. After holding executive leadership positions at numerous fortune 500 corporations, he co-founded a tech based property management company/real estate firm that grew to more than $15M annual revenue in just two years and attracted $5M in venture capital.
You read that right… $15 million in annual revenue in just two years!
Today, his passion lies in teaching and developing others to reach new heights in their life and business. Josh considers himself a strategist, counselor, coach, and cheerleader and says nothing brings him more joy than seeing his clients take the limelight and reach the pinnacle of their game.
Looking forward to meeting Josh in person next month in San Diego where I’ll get to hear him talk about sales in person… And probably have a beer and take a few selfies too!
So here’s the sales master himself. Take it away dude…
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SALES?!?! YUCK!!!!
If I were to ask you to identify the one task you hate the most as an entrepreneur, what would it be? Unless you have a strong sales background, there’s a good chance it’s the process of “selling” that makes you just go “YUCK!!!”.
For many, if not most entrepreneurs, just the thought of having to “sell” turns their stomach inside out and makes them want to run and hide under their bed covers and never come out again.
I get it… trust me, I wasn’t born a natural salesperson. It took lots of trial and error as a teenager trying to sell my parents on how I wasn’t as much of a troublemaker as I actually was (Whew… Talk about a hard sell!). It didn’t always turn out well. But when I started a business, I realized that I HAD to learn how to sell if I wanted to survive and all those lessons I learned as a troublemaking teen trying to convince my parents I was an angel finally paid off.
Unfortunately for those of you who are not fond of selling, a business without sales isn’t much of a business at all. I hate to break it to you, but if you want a thriving business that provides some semblance of an income, you’re going to have to get comfortable with selling at some point. For new entrepreneurs, this sometimes comes as a surprise.
Fear Not!
Don’t worry, if selling makes you want to pull your hair out, there is good news!
While sales may not end up being for everyone in the long run, I’ve seen many entrepreneurs with huge sales phobias transform into sales rock stars pretty easily.
Believe it or not, it is possible to go from a sales scaredy cat to a confident client-winning boss.
And trust me, if they can do it, so can you. There’s one big thing it’s gonna take though… and that’s changing your MINDSET.
Without a doubt, the one thing you will have to do to get over that sales-fearing hump is to change your beliefs about selling. Creating a positive mindset about sales is what it takes to break free from fear and start attracting and winning new clients, especially if you want to do it without feeling guilty about making sales.
Your Mindset Matters More Than You Know!
Yes, selling takes hard work and it will require a lot more than just visualizing dollar bills dropping into your lap or asking Zoltar to make you a magical sales sorcerer. (Sure would be nice though right?)
Your mindset really does have a significant impact on your ability to sell however. Having your head in the game is a HUGE piece of the puzzle when it comes to successful selling and it has an effect on everything else you do.
If you want to succeed in selling, you need to believe in and have confidence in what you’re selling. If your heart isn’t in it, if you’re not confident, or if you still believe selling is “bad”, then all the sales tips in the world won’t save you.
So let’s talk about what it takes to get into the right mindset and go win some clients.
Tip 1: No, “Sales” Is Not a Four Letter Word.
The first step in changing your mindset is understanding that selling is not inherently bad. The problem is many people automatically think back to BAD selling experiences when they think of “sales”, so they have a negative association with selling.
In reality though, there’s a huge difference between BAD selling and GOOD selling and you need to understand the difference. When done right, there’s nothing pushy or sleazy about selling. If you’re having to push your clients into buying from you then you’re definitely doing it all wrong.
Make no mistake though, what we are talking about is SELLING, regardless of whether you call it something else or not.
This whole notion that some people push today that you can “sell without selling” is just absurd. Any coach who is telling you they’re going to teach you to “sell without selling” is simply SELLING you by playing right into your phobia of sales. And if you’re still looking for ways to sell without selling after you read this post, then you need to go back and re-read Tip #1 a few more times.
Think about all of the things in life you’d miss out on if nothing was ever sold. That fun trip to Disneyland you took as a kid? Forget about it. Your first car that you wish you still had today because it was so cool? Doesn’t exist. Your dream home that you’ve made so many great memories in (or are still working towards)? Kiss that goodbye too. That Jewelry you bought your wife to get out of trouble that one time? Sorry bub, you’re SOL!
Selling makes the world we live in go around and if nothing was ever “sold”, then you could just kiss pretty much all of your favorite memories and anything you’ve ever owned that brought you joy good bye. You would’ve never been able to experience these things without someone selling something at some point.
Tip 2: Confidence is King; and Queen, and Jester, and Knight, and Well… You Get The Point.
Confidence is one of those things in life that often makes up for other factors that are lacking. It’s no different when it comes to selling. We’ve all known someone who had almost no experience or process for selling, and yet they win clients seemingly without effort. 9 times out of 10 that’s due to their confidence.
Of course I could just give you the typical “fake it till you make it” advice, but you need to go further if you really want to be successful. (Shocker right?)
Confidence is gained by knowing what the hell you’re doing. Yes, there’s some value in faking it in the beginning, but if you want to increase your confidence, then you need to increase your competence. So quit winging it when it comes to sales, pay attention to these tips, and increase your competence so you gain more confidence.
Tip 3: Stop Trying to Make a Sale and Start Connecting with PEOPLE!
Sales is a one-on-one sport that occurs between PEOPLE.
Your ability to connect with your prospect and speak their language is what makes or breaks your ability to win them over.
If clients don’t think you understand them then they’re definitely not going to trust you to solve their problems. If people think the only thing you care about is making a sale, they’re not very likely to want to be your client.
Show people you care by really investing in them and asking questions. Take the time to understand their business and the challenges they face before you try to “sell” them anything.
Your mindset needs to be focused on making connections, not on making sales. When you stop focusing on “making the sale” and instead focus on making connections and helping people, you’ll start winning more clients.
Tip 3: Be Brutally Honest if You Want People to Trust You
When it comes to any interaction between humans, trust is critical. We all want to feel like we can trust the other person. When we can’t tell if someone is being honest with us, we’re naturally going to be skeptical.
One example of how many entrepreneurs today are not 100% honest is by the constant quest to “sell without selling.”
Not only is this a ridiculous notion, it’s totally dishonest.
You and the client both know that at the end of the day you ARE trying to SELL them something, so quit acting like you’re not. Just because you call “selling” something different doesn’t make it so.
Instead, be brutally honest. Tell the prospect you’re going to ask for their business if your service/product makes sense for them and they think it’s a good fit. On the flip side, if it doesn’t seem like it’s a good fit, then don’t be afraid to say that.
When you’re brutally honest with customers, they’ll stop being so guarded and skeptical because they’ll feel like they can trust you.
You’d be amazed what happens when you just start being real with people.
Tip 4: Stop Trying to Sell to Everybody Darn It!
Yeah, you heard me.
Stop trying to sell something to everybody.
If there’s one thing that makes an entrepreneur or salesperson look shady or pushy, it’s always trying to fit their round peg of a product/service into every square hole they see.
If your service or product doesn’t make sense for someone, then QUIT trying to sell it to them! If you’re not sure if the product would make sense for them, then say that and ask them if maybe you’re missing something.
Your mindset should be focused on only selling to those who need your product.
When you quit trying to sell to everybody, you can be more confident in asking for the business from those who actually do need what you’re selling because you’re no longer trying to fit a round peg into a square hole.
Tip 5: You Gotta Earn The Right to Ask for The Sale
Quit trying to sell before you’ve earned the right to do so.
Another common mistake entrepreneurs and salespeople consistently make is asking for the sale too early. Until you know for a fact that the client needs what you’re selling and they acknowledge that, stop trying to get them to buy it!
How can you know that the customer needs what you’re selling? Ask them. Selling is all about asking the right questions and getting the customer to acknowledge when they have problems that need to be solved.
Like the old adage, “selling isn’t telling”, selling is asking the right questions and the tough questions, not simply “telling” them how awesome what you’re selling is.
Instead, take the time to build rapport, show them you care, ask the right questions and be sure your product or service will really help the client. Then and ONLY then have you earned the right to ask for the sale. Trying to make a sale before doing all that is precisely what makes selling feel sleazy or pushy.
Tip 6: Yes, You Need a Process. Seriously… You NEED a Process!
An essential step toward building confidence and improving your sales mindset is to have a solid process in place. It’s like the old saying, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” If you lack a good plan, you will likely walk into every sales interaction lacking confidence. And when you aren’t confident, trust me your clients feel it, whether you realize it or not.
Just because confidence can help make up for other things, that doesn’t mean you should just wing it when it comes to selling. Far too many entrepreneurs have no plan when it comes to sales and it really hurts them. When you have confidence AND a solid plan of action is when you see the most success in sales.
If you’re not super experienced in sales, coming up with a process may take time and effort, but trust me it’s worth it.
Some ways to get a process in place include reading books on sales, research sales processes, or reach out to an expert to get help specific to you and your business.
Tip 7: Quit Being “Busy” and Get into The Zone
Too many entrepreneurs spend zero time or energy preparing for meetings and then wonder why things went so poorly. When it comes to selling, your attitude and energy transfers directly to your clients. When you’re frazzled, unprepared, tired or just “not feeling it,” clients pick up on that and it will hurt your ability to win clients.
You’re not feeling it so why should they?
Ever paid attention to how professional athletes prepare for a big game? Great athletes work hard to “get into the zone.” They warm up their mind and body. They listen to music that gets them focused. They meditate. They focus on preparing and ignore everything else.
You need to do the same for every sales interaction.
Get rid of distractions. Shut down your phone and email. Listen to some music. Go over your questions. Do your superhero pose. Do whatever works for you.
The goal here is to get into a focused and positive state and to stop running around like a chicken with your head cut off up until 30 seconds before your meetings. If you do this, I promise you’ll be more confident and prepared, your prospect will see and feel that, and you’ll win more clients.
When Your Mindset is Right, You Can Focus on What Matters
When you become an entrepreneur, you can’t escape the fact that sales are a natural part of life and business.
You could have the best product in the world, but if nobody knows it exists then you’re most certainly going to fail.
If you want your business to be successful and provide you with a decent living, you have to get comfortable with selling at some point.
While many entrepreneurs cringe at even the thought of having to “sell”, the reality is there’s nothing slimy or pushy about selling when done right.
At the end of the day, selling is simply helping your clients get over their own roadblocks in order to solve problems and provide value to their life and business.
Getting your mindset right is the first and most critical step to being successful in sales. Without the right mindset you’re going to fail. There isn’t a special sales trick or closing technique in the world that can change that fact. Hopefully the tips I’ve outlined here will help you get into a positive mindset about sales so you can go out and provide value to more clients than ever while feeling good about how you’re doing it.
If you need help with your sales or would like to talk about your specific situation, you can contact me at josh@profitaddicts.com. As a sales and profit growth coach, I’m here to help entrepreneurs like you take your business to the next level regardless of where you stand today. I would love to discuss your specific situation and see if there’s any way I can help.
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Killer stuff Josh!!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this event dudes and dudettes! It’s been an amazing experience for myself to bring to you some amazing posts from some incredible and inspiring people. If you’ve missed any of the posts or just want to see a list of all the post, I’ve just published the 30 Lessons in 30 Days Hub Page where you’ll be able to check out all the posts from the last 4 weeks.
Also, tomorrow (September 30th), I’ll be holding the final Facebook Live session talking about this weeks post, the event in general and the future of That Marketing Dude. You’ll need to be inside the Dude’s Brood to view it though, so request access to join the group and I’ll see you at the live session at 6pm PST / 8pm EST.
*fist bump*
