We have had quite the ride this fall exploring the many angles of avatars. I admit that avatars are much more useful than I had initially realized. In fact, I didn’t even fully understand how often I was using this concept in my own work. And now, I’m more excited than ever to keep integrating this tool into my sales processes to close more deals and help more people get what they need to succeed.
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Eventually, once you’ve done the research, drug yourself through the background work, properly imagined your avatar as the ideal customer, you’ll end up with a meeting on the books. You’re nervous. Sweating. Anxious for this half-hour call to go well because you know you might not get another chance. This is the moment when your avatar becomes a real person you’re having an actual conversation with.
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A couple of months ago I met with my coach for our usual session. As is typical for us, I had a few questions about aspects of a deal I was pushing through and he had a few things he wanted to follow up on from our last chat.
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Goal: Close more deals. Scruples: Not many.
I’m with you. I’ve been there. I’m still there y’all. Hungry for more. I’m always looking for ways to close more deals, help more clients, and make that commission check fatter. It’s my job and my passion.
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Now, when I say research don’t freak out y’all. I’m not talking about PhD-level thesis research here. Spending hours and hours researching before meeting face-to-face (or screen-to-screen) with a client is probably not going to help you too much in the long run.
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We’ve all heard of an avatar. No, not the blue aliens made famous by James Cameron’s movie. You know, the sales avatar. The “magic” marketing tool that helps you get inside your customers’ heads and relate to them so you can sell more products and make bookoos of cash.
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Becoming the most successful sales professional you can be certainly doesn’t happen overnight.
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Once upon a time, approximately 10 years ago, I felt I was really starting to get the hang of this sales professional thing. I had a job I loved with people I respected, was hitting my projected numbers regularly and seeing great improvement in my bottom lines quarter after quarter. I thought I had “made it”...or at least I could see I was going somewhere awesome.
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After you’ve mastered the skill of listening. Or, let’s be honest, it’s not something most of us “master” during our lifetimes. Let’s rephrase that with some more realistic short-term expectations: After you’ve started to listen more intentionally, understand your client’s pain points and committed to working on your relationship with clients instead of a quick sale, you’ll be ready to move onto step two of comprehension.
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The best way to sell? Don’t. Shift your mindset. You’re not a salesperson, you’re a problem solver. And if you want to solve problems, you’ll have to listen and learn what they are. The best way to “sell” something is to fully understand a client’s pain points and hone in on HOW you can help solve their problem.
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Alright, so you’ve done the work and found a compelling WHY to motivate you. That’s awesome, and you’re well on your way to being able to harness the focus you need to truly excel at your job, become an amazing top-tier sales professional, and steer your life in the direction of your dreams. Today we’re zero-ing in on that WHY and training ourselves to use it effectively.
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Once you’ve assembled a talented team you trust, the world is your oyster. For more details on how to do that successfully, head over here to get started.
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A lot more of us are working from home these days. You may be on a virtual team with your colleagues, or leading one for the first time, or perhaps looking to assemble or expand your team virtually while we’re all staying safe and staying home.
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People who don’t know me well have a hard time understanding how I focus and am so successful in my work life. I have a lot of energy; I talk a lot and am interested in so many different subjects; I can easily come across as “scatter-brained” -- I have a million projects going at once and seem to be dipping in and out of them all day long -- how do I manage to actually get things done?
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Phewph. You did it. You’ve just walked out the door and are sitting in your car back in the parking lot doing a little happy dance to your favorite song.
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And now, just like that, you’re here. The day of the interview has arrived. Take a breath. You’ve done your prep, you know your strengths, you know the position, you know the company, you’re ready to take your time to answer any curveballs thoughtfully and intelligently.
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I heard you. I did, I heard you ask for practical advice. So let’s do it. Down and dirty, quick and easy. I’m going to take you through my process of studying for an interview like it’s my senior finals (except the reward is MUCH greater than it was back then ;) ) I use every one of these when I’m getting ready, for as much prep time as I have. Two weeks is ideal, but I can cram and ace an interview over a weekend if I have to.
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Y’all know how much I love checklists (I even have a part one and TWO about how great they are for sales professionals ) so it should come as no surprise that I have a pre-interview checklist routine. Of course I do.
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You have a full time job already. You’re a student working two jobs on top of school. You’re a busy parent juggling pickups, drop-offs, healthy dinners, AND meetings with clients. When in the WORLD will you have time to prep for this interview? You’re either gonna get this job or you’re not right? They want you, you have a strong resume. You’re a good candidate. You’ll do fine to wing it, right? WRONG.
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