I hate selling. No, I despise selling. Seriously!
In fact, there are very few things I enjoy less than calling leads and prospects who don’t know me and probably see me as a nuisance stealing time from their busy day. I loathe the amount of time it takes to call 100 people, to book 20 appointments, to have 10 show up, and ultimately, to have maybe one or two actually stick!
The reality is that every single company, regardless of your industry or the goods and services you provide, is in the business of sales and marketing. There’s no way around it.
If you don’t make sales, you don’t have customers, and a business without customers is called…well, a hobby!
Fortunately, there’s a perfect system for people just like me (and, most likely, you!). Once I started using this system instead, I immediately started closing over 70% of the prospects who called me with a problem.
The best part? It’s actually really simple: stop selling.
That’s right, stop selling. Become the welcome expert instead.
Think of the doctor, for example. You feel sick, you go to them with your problem, they give you a diagnosis and prescription, and you return for a follow-up visit. There’s no sales process happening here. But why is that?
Simply put, it’s because the doctor is the designated expert for a problem that needs to be solved.
And that’s what I want to be! The expert people trust with their problems.
Don’t you?
Become the “Welcome Expert” in 5 Simple Steps
Ready to become the expert that customers flock to whenever they have a problem? Here are five easy steps to help you accomplish just that:
1. Identify Your Areas of Expertise
First, what do you do well? What do you do better than anyone else in your market or industry? Don’t feel as if you’re an expert at anything? Well, then that’s your first step: find an area where you believe you can become the best.
In my case, I know that business owners want to consult an expert who can help their business pay less tax, make more sales, and put more money in the bank. That’s something I’m great at!
2. Narrow Down Your Ideal Customer
What type of customer needs the types of solutions your business provides?
Many business owners are tempted to widen their customer pool here, but doing the opposite—distilling your audience down to a very specific avatar—is the key to attracting and converting higher-quality leads.
3. List Your Ideal Customer’s Biggest Pain Points
What are the things that keep your customers up at night? Jot them down!
My ideal customer is paying more taxes than they should (or want to!). They’re worried they won’t have the money to pay their bills or make payroll. They’re afraid their sales will stagnate, that their customers will leave them, and that rising product costs will eventually erase their margins.
4. Position Your Business as the Solution to These Problems
These problems—the “gateway” problems, as I like to call them—work through them one by one and map out the solutions you’ll be providing for each.
Are your solutions good enough? Will they satisfy your ideal customer? If not, you may need to go back to the drawing board and determine what will.
5. Prove Yourself as the Expert
Finally, become the expert your customers are looking for.
Today, there are countless ways to accomplish this! You can establish your authority by creating case studies, writing educational content, launching your own podcast, publishing a weekly or monthly newsletter, posting regularly to social media—you name it!
The goal here is to show people you know what you’re talking about and are worth listening to. This way, when someone has a problem, you’re the first person—the welcome expert—they’ll think about.
Give It a Try!
You’re probably already imagining how this could work in your own business, and it can! Focus on building your reputation as the expert in your field, solving real problems for real people, and removing “sales” from the worn-out formula. When you do this, your customers will come straight to you.
Stop selling. Start helping. Believe me, it’s easier.