Karen Davies [00:00:00]:
Hello, and welcome to the digitally she does it show. This is episode 66. And in today's episode, I'm going to be talking about how to overcome the fear of selling in your business. So let's jump right in, and let's get started.
Welcome to the Digitally. She does it show. I'm your host, Karen, and I'm here to lift the lid on what it actually takes to creating a successful business. If you are an ambitious creative ready to build a business on your own terms and without compromise, then this podcast is perfect for you.
Karen Davies [00:00:37]:
With my award winning approach to marketing, an expert knowledge in creating online courses, this show will leave you feeling inspired, energized, and ready to bring those big dreams to life. Join me each week for a dose of motivation and marketing know how along with actionable step by step strategies to help you accelerate your business' this growth. So let's dive in, and don't forget to subscribe to all my upcoming episodes which drop every Wednesday. Hello, and welcome. Thank you for joining me today. I'm your host, Karen, and I really appreciate you hitting the play button to listen to today's episode. In today's episode, I'm going to be talking about selling and pushing past the fear that most, if not all, entrepreneurs and business owners feel at some point. Now selling is such an integral part of running and growing a business, but so many people feel anxious about the prospect of selling what it is they have to offer to customers.
Karen Davies [00:01:42]:
And I think that's born out of an expectation that we are just supposed to know how to sell and how to sell effectively. And the truth is that selling is a skill and it's a skill that needs to be developed, and it's a skill that needs to be learned. But I think when you're starting out or when you're in the early stages of your business, this can seem really daunting because, essentially, what you're asking is somebody to hand over money for the thing that you have created or something that you're offering. So and this can make people feel really uncomfortable. Now I get it because for a long time, this is how I felt. The thought of asking someone for money made me feel uncomfortable. It didn't matter what I was offering. It was that ask.
Karen Davies [00:02:34]:
And we need to make that ask in business because money is the lifeblood of being able to run our businesses and to be able to afford to do what it is we do. But as I said, it's something that can equally be uncomfortable. Now I remember when I was back at art college back in 2016, I was learning to print screen. So whilst I was working in London during my twenties, I was doing a lot of night school so that I could learn the craft of design because I wanted to become a graphic designer. That's what I really wanted to become. I was working in marketing and communications. And of an evening, I would go into the Central London, and I would attend night school. And when I in 2016, when when I was 26, I went to the Mary Ward Centre in London, and I was doing a diploma in art, and I was learning to, print screen.
Karen Davies [00:03:36]:
So print screening is where you have a you create a template or something and then you lay paint over it and then you use a screen and a and a a sort of a squeegee type, block if you like. And then the paint sort of goes over the template, and you make these really beautiful shapes. And in because we were doing a diploma, part of that diploma was that we had to exhibit our artwork. And I think for me at the time, I was just looking to create a portfolio because I wanted to go on and do my degree. So I wasn't really thinking about sales or selling. I I did not see my my work that I was creating in that way at all. Now the year before, my husband and I, we had gone to Australia, and my husband had proposed just outside the Sydney Opera House. So at the at the back of the Opera House, there is a bench and that's where he proposed.
Karen Davies [00:04:39]:
And it it was absolutely beautiful because you've got the Sydney Harbour Bridge behind the Opera House in front, and then, obviously, you've got the beautiful views of Sydney. So the Opera House what's really important to me and helped really dear memories. And and so when we were asked to develop a project for the exhibition on something that had had a significant impact on our lives. I chose the opera house as my subject. So I created this artwork, and I'd done this print screen, print screening, and I've created, you know, the artwork for the exhibition. Now it was open to the public, and they were invited in to have a look at all the student works and whatnot. Now I as I said, I did not anticipate selling any work. That was not my primary objective.
Karen Davies [00:05:37]:
However, I did have a lady come up to me and ask me about this particular piece that I'd created and ask me how much it was going to cost. Now this took me by complete surprise. I never anticipated this happening and so my reaction was to laugh. So I've got somebody coming up to me literally wanting to give me money for a piece of work that I'd done, and I just laughed at her. And looking back, I because at the time, I didn't know why I did that. And and I think, really, I was feeling uncomfortable. I I hadn't anticipated it. It came very out the blue, and it was a situation that I didn't really know how to handle it if truth be told.
Karen Davies [00:06:28]:
But I think looking back, probably what that that reaction was born out of was a lack of confidence and self belief in my work. Because in my head, I'm thinking why on earth would she want to buy this? And now I look back and I think, yeah. No. It was a really good piece of work. Why wouldn't you want to buy it. But at that point in my journey, I wasn't ready to be thinking about sales because that wasn't what I was focused on. Now I think there are several reasons why selling can make people feel uncomfortable, especially if they're heart centered. And part of that could be a fear of rejection.
Karen Davies [00:07:10]:
It could be those negative associations that we have with salespeople, you know, like the the used car salesman, you know, being really slimy and icky and manipulative and and whatnot. It could be down to a lack of confidence. It could be down to a fear of failure, but it could also be down to having a lack of experience as well. Now I think it's important to try and understand how you are feeling. So if selling does make you feel uncomfortable, why are you feeling like that? Feeling uncomfortable with selling is completely common, but, of course, it can be resolved with the right training and the right strategies. So if you are feeling like this when somebody is asking to buy something from you, then I think it's really important to start shifting your mindset and your perspective around the the term selling. I recently watched a webinar actually by a guy he's an Australian guy called Colin Boyd, and I really liked his interpretation of selling. And he said something like and I'm paraphrasing, but he said something like, when you're presenting an offer, like a product or service, all you're doing is providing them with the next step that they need to take to resolve whatever challenge or problem they're facing.
Karen Davies [00:08:34]:
Then you're just giving them the door that they can then work walk through to resolve those issues. I mean, he said it a lot better than I've just said it. However, the gist of it is it isn't about selling to them to to take their money. It's about selling to them to help them move forward. And I think we get so caught up with this image of being like, a icky salesman, whenever that word selling is used, but I think we need to think about selling in a different context. We need to be thinking about selling in terms of helping that person who wants what we have to offer move forward because they're struggling in in whatever that struggle might be that that they're encounter in a struggle, and it's our job as solution providers, which we all are in our businesses, to provide them with a way forward. So when somebody wants to buy from you, it's because you have what they need to move forward. And I think by reframing what saliv means, we can start to think of it in a way of helping and serving and making a difference in other people's lives.
Karen Davies [00:09:52]:
And I think if we can think of it from that perspective, it takes on a whole new meaning. So if you are struggling with the selling in your business, then I've got 5 tips that I'd like to share with you because these are going to help you. So first and foremost, I want you to really think about the value that you provide. You are doing the thing you're doing because you're most likely going to be good at that thing, and that thing that you're doing is helping. So you need to recognize that value that you're offering somebody. Because for somebody who needs what you have to offer, it could be gold dust, it could be life changing, or it could be life giving in their business. So recognize the value that you provide. My 2nd tip is and I've mentioned this.
Karen Davies [00:10:49]:
It's about shifting your mindset. So instead of thinking of selling as being manipulative or pressuring somebody to buy something that they don't need, reframe your mindset and think about it as though you're going to be helping somebody to move forward, and you're gonna be providing them a solution that they really do need. Focus on how your product or service can genuinely improve their lives. So embrace the mindset of serving and adding value rather than just making a sale, and I think that alone will really help. My 3rd tip is about focusing on building relationships. So instead of just focusing on making a sale, prioritize building long term relationships in your business with your customers because this is how you're going to get them coming back for more over and over again and how you're gonna build that brand loyalty. So you need to develop a genuine interest in their needs, in what their concerns are, what they're experiencing in their lives and, of course, what their goals are as well so that when you offer something to them, you know that they absolutely need what it is you have to offer. Selling can be a way of connecting and helping people.
Karen Davies [00:12:19]:
I think when you start to think of it in that sense, it becomes far less intimidating. Now my 4th tip is if you do feel really overwhelmed by the prospect of selling, then just start small. So start with a small, low pressure offer that you know that you could sell with confidence. Now a couple of episodes back, I'd spoke about creating digital products in your business. So this could be something that you could start off by selling. If you're selling something that's 20 pound, 27 pound, or even £75, that's going to be easier to sell than maybe selling something that is a £1,000 plus. So if you are finding that you've got a real block around the thing that you're trying to sell, then really think about how you can sort of scale it back, create something small that you know your ideal client's going to need, but that you also know you're gonna find it easier to to sell. Some some of the clients I work with, especially with building courses.
Karen Davies [00:13:35]:
This is a real block for them. They don't know how they can sell their online course, and I feel uncomfortable about asking for that sale. But it all boils down to the value and also pricing the course at the right price point as well. So I think with anything that you sell in your business, you need to make sure that the price that you're charging is right for the thing that you're selling. And then my 5th and final tip is about getting comfortable with people saying no to you. Now rejection is never nice, and nobody wants it. We always want prospective clients, and buyers to say yes to us, to be wowed by what it is we have to offer and to want the thing that we're selling. But in truth and especially in business, rejection is just a natural part of selling.
Karen Davies [00:14:34]:
Now it doesn't reflect your worth or your ability. It just means that the thing that you are offering is not needed at that point for that person, so don't take it personally. View it as an opportunity to learn and improve. Now what you can do to flip this is to analyze the reasons why that person doesn't want what you have to offer and then adjust your approach if if that is what is needed because that's what's going to help you kind of rationale ration what that person has said or the reasons behind not buying. And, also, if they're valid reasons, it gives you insight to be able to tweak and adapt the thing that you're selling as well. So it might be that they they're rejected they they're set it might be that they don't need the thing that you're selling because they don't fully understand what it is you're selling. Now if you can understand the fact that they don't understand, then you can adapt your messaging and your content so that it becomes much clearer about the thing that you're offering. So I think understanding why somebody has said no it's just as important as having the yes as well because the no is equally going to give you insight.
Karen Davies [00:16:06]:
And whilst it isn't nice to not to to receive a no. It can actually help your business in the long run, so don't take it personally. It may just be also that what you have to offer is not the right thing for that person right now. So it might not necessarily be a no, it might just be a not now. I think sometimes we can attach emotion to an outcome without really thinking about what the outcome is giving us. And sometimes if things don't go our way, it may be because doors are opening in other areas to teach us the things that we need to learn at that point. So even though rejection's never nice, look for the opportunity and embrace it. Now it's perfectly normal to feel anxious or fearful about selling.
Karen Davies [00:17:03]:
We all feel it, but you can't let it stop you. You have to work towards overcoming your fears because that's what's going to create a successful and a profitable business. Overcoming any fear. Letting know the fear of selling is going to take time and it's going to take practice. Selling is a skill. It's a skill that needs to be learned. It's a skill that needs to be practiced. And so you need to be patient with self and focus on continuously improving what you're doing.
Karen Davies [00:17:40]:
And you can only do that if you practice. It's important that you celebrate your successes, big and small. It doesn't matter whether you sell a 20 pound planner or a £2,000 course, it's important to acknowledge what you've achieved, celebrate it, and learn the insights that you get from that sale sale. And I think with selling in particular, the more you do it, the more you learn and the better you gear. Remember, you're learning a skill, and that skill takes time. But the secret is not to give up and not to beat yourself up if you don't think you're doing it right because it's one of these things that you need to learn in plain sight, and that's how you'll get the greatest insight. I also think that the best way to sell is through conversations. So just by having a conversation with somebody where you spend your time listening to them, listening to what they need, and then reflecting back with what you have that's going to help them with that need.
Karen Davies [00:18:52]:
You'll naturally make a sale because you're ultimately being customer focused, and that's what people are going to be looking for. They want to know that whatever it is they're buying, it's going to give them exactly what they need at that point. So don't think that just because you have a business that you have to be a master in this. As I said, it's going to take time, but the more you do it, the more you'll learn and the better your results will be.
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to today's episode. I hope you found this episode of value. And, of course, please feel free to share with others who you may think will also benefit from listening to today's episode. If you are feeling inspired and would like to know more about getting started with creating an online digital course, the why not download my free ebook, 10 steps to digital course success, by visiting my website www.pink-lemondigital.com.
Karen Davies [00:19:59]:
I will be back next week with another episode, but until then, have a great side of the digitally she does it show. Don't forget to check out the show notes for all the links and resources mentioned in today's episode. New episodes drop every week on a Wednesday. So why not rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode? Thank you for tuning today, and I will see you next time.