Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD
One of the most frequent challenges I encounter when working with new and established entrepreneurs alike involves overcoming insipid feelings of or a fear of sales. And it’s easy to be dismissive of this necessary but often misunderstood element of business ownership. Because at the end of the day, you’re dead in the water if you’re unwilling to communicate with temerity and unabashed belief about why you believe your services and products are worthy of people parting with their hard earned currency to patronize you.
And you might as well pack your bags if you haven’t developed the alligator skin required to overcome rejection, fears, and anxieties regarding whether your value proposition is superior to the competition. Or any consternation you may be experiencing articulating how you can meet the needs of another party.
The simple, curt response is get over it. And it's true, you must get over it quickly. However, also know that these feelings are natural, and there is a solution.
On the other hand you may be enthusiastically shouting to the rooftops about how great your products and services are, but you’re simply unable to gain traction or people are sprinting the other direction when you introduce yourself.
What I'd submit to you is if you're dealing with any of these obstacles, it may be simply a matter of improving your FORM.
Why is Improving Your Form Necessary
First, we all have to understand that people ultimately won’t conduct business with you unless they like, know, and trust you. Gone are the days when sales professionals took a shotgun approach whereas you overwhelm people with a laundry list of features and benefits, and expect them to succumb to glossy power points, esoteric overviews, or Machiavellian sales pitches.
Because of the advent of the internet primarily, people can mid presentation pull out their phones, and immediately price, feature shop, and literally retrieve hundreds of alternatives to whatever you’re selling. Never mind, you may actually have the most unique, cost effective, and beneficial offering available. In today's world, people win frequently not because of their actual deliverables, but because of their veneer and marketing. And what they’re willing to promise may be more attractive than whatever you’ve cooked up.
People don’t want to be sold, they want to buy. And despite the growing dominance of online marketing and purchasing options, people still desire to spend or invest their monies places where they have developed a relationship of trust. The operative word being, trust.
What is Good Form
I submit that the best way to adapt to this current dynamic is to adopt good FORM. And what does good FORM look like? FORM is an acronym for Family, Occupation, Recreation, & Motivation. Here's the thing. If you can extract information about a person's family, their occupational interests, recreational habits, and the things that motivate and keep them awake at night within the first 5 minutes of your interactions with them, they’re going to start developing warm fuzzy feelings for you.
Now, here’s the thing, people aren’t stupid. Intention matters. You need to be nosy, genuinely interested in them, and how you can help them to gain maximum results. In other words, rather than being focused on being interesting, turn your attention to being interested. If you want to know what good form sounds like, watch the video.
What are some of the benefits of this approach? FORM allows you to qualify individuals, ascertain whether they are your idea client or target market, or whether they have challenges you're best suited to solve. And because you are being genuinely inquisitive and helpful, the party on the receiving end is developing feelings of I like you; I trust you; I know you're here to help me. Taking this approach also allows you to learn about any emotional dissonance, potential objections, or negative exposure to your industry someone may have had experienced allowing you to them in advance.
Remember when people are speaking with you, they are unconsciously processing in their minds: am I enjoying this encounter; am I comfortable with this person; and OK with this person being introduced to other people I know. The quickest route to a destination is a straight line, and it doesn't get anymore straighter and profitable than having a business model that produces large numbers of referrals. To be purposely redundant, people refer others to people that they like, know, and trust.
Know Your Reason Why
One last area where most entrepreneurs drop the ball time and time again, is not having a WHY pitch. Why? Look, money is a means to get things done. It is the life blood of your business, however, it cannot be the sole purpose of your business. The uber majority of people are uncomfortable with unabashed greed. No one’s waking up and saying to themselves, who can I find to extract money from me today.
I lead with my WHY, end with my WHY, lightly sprinkling it in throughout my interaction and presentation with people. At the end of day, I want to attract, build relationships with, and conduct business with my tribe. Or another way of thinking about it is, I want to build a business network of 3000 fans. Ala Tim Ferris slash Kevin Kelly. I'm laser focused on resonating with and attracting people who are looking for what I’m doing, appreciate and value my services, and gladly compensate me for my deliverables. If you want to know what a good WHY pitch sounds like, watch the video.
For example:
I believe ardently that entrepreneurship is empowerment. If you’re tired of being last hired or first fired; become the employer.
If you don’t want to be stuck in a position whereas your ability to level up is predicated upon the next time someone dies or self sabotages themselves, or retires; constantly looking up at someone else's arse for a breadth of oxygen, politicking to be liked constantly..... Entrepreneurship is an answer.
There are two ways to vote. At the ballot box which is very important. Or with your wallet. If you desire to put yourself in a situation whereas you can afford the politicians you feel like you and your community deserves, entrepreneurship is an answer.
Entrepreneurs see things first. We live on the fringes, and seek solutions to pressing problems. Introducing solutions (value) into the ecosystem. And while everyone is not ready for entrepreneurship, we don’t need everyone to be one, just more. And we call can benefit from a more entrepreneurial mindset.
WHAT IS YOUR WHY?
If you want assistance with your FORM, curating a good WHY pitch, or if this small plate resonated with you, and you want more! Like, comment, give me a shout out. Join the email group to receive notifications about my best stuff! Or you want to go a step further, and desire an initial free initial consultation? Check for me in the following links below.
JuJuan Buford is a Detroit native, entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of JSB Business Solutions Group, business development professional, and writer dedicated to helping families, entrepreneurs, and business owners establish thriving enterprises, achieve financial independence, and build lives of satisfaction.
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