I am not sure who coined this phrase or why…

“Money Doesn’t Grow On Trees”

I was sitting in the lobby (back in the day) of Saatchi & Saatchi, Toyota’s ad agency, waiting for a meeting to start. I noticed they had these illustrations on the wall.  They were depictions of common beliefs but, they were painted upside down.

The one that captured my attention was the upside down tree with money falling  onto the ground and it said, “doesn’t money grow on trees?” in a cagey tone.

I snickered to myself and then had an “aha” moment!

Money does grow on trees! It is made from paper and the last I heard paper was made from wood.

Money grow on trees! But, does it grow on YOUR tree?

The real question is what are you planting around your trees that preclude them from growing money? Is your product offering clear and do your customer easily understand how they can benefit?

Yes, it becomes metaphorical when you think about it.

Like gardening, the thoughts, ideas, perceptions, and self-talk we have about money, become the fertilizer that help abundance grow.  Or stop it.

If you think there isn’t enough money for you, then your tree won’t produce fruit.

If you doubt your product or service offering in any way, people pick up on that and it stops them from buying.Are you taking care of your money and watering it enough?

Or, are you neglecting the care of your money and letting weeds and poisons (negative beliefs about money as it applies to you) surround your tree?

Are you letting customer’s objections become your excuses for not selling more?

Are you willing to put on your gloves and sun hat and prune what isn’t working or what is in the way of your sales flow?

Do you need new soil to plant it in, like a new target market?

Might you plant more than one tree and diversify?

Are you letting nagging bugs eat away at your source of cash? Are you spending time on unnecessary things? Or, giving away the fruits of your labor and not charging enough?

What are you going to do to nurture your money, cash or sales garden?

Share your insights and comments below. We all learn from each other.

You are just about to close a sale and she says, “Well, I have to discuss it with my husband before I can move forward.”

Your shoulders droop and you think it’s over.  Another sale lost.  Before you lose faith, there are some great ways to handle this objection.

As soon as the buyer gives you any indication they are “not going to buy right now” your job as a seller (if you want to share the benefits of your product or service AND get paid for it) begins.  Sorry, but that is the way it works.

Customers need you to help them make the decision. 
That is why it isn’t selling, it’s serving.

Some reasons why they want to talk to their husband:

1. they want to end the conversation (doubt it)

2. they want to put the responsibility of the decision on someone else

3. they have a “spending” agreement with their spouse

4. they want more time to think about it (this means they don’t see the true value or are scared)

5. they want his buy-in or validation for making a good decision

6. any combination of the above

If in fact they do need to speak to their spouse, they will have to then become a sales-person for your offering and enroll their husband in the value and justify the price.

Do you want to leave them trying to figure this out or would you rather help them have that conversation?   My vote -You will want to prep them on having that conversation.

I would say something like this:

I am so glad you see the value in working together and that you realize you will be getting X, Y, & Z. I am curious when you say you need to speak to your husband what that might mean? Do you have a spending agreement with each other? Do you want his buy-in?

-OR-

I find that when people say that to me, it means one of many things (go through the above list) which one of these sounds like your situation? I would like to help you with that conversation so it’s easy for you.

Let them answer.

Find out exactly what they hope to gain by talking to their husband and then you will know what to do.

It you discover it is one of the numbers above, try this, match the numbered responses below to the numbers above.

Now you have some ways to overcome this objection and strengthen your relationship with your customer at the same time.

2. It sounds like you want him to make your decision for you, is that what you need from him? If so, one of the first best steps you can take is to decide for yourself.  I know when I make my own decision, I feel empowered.  What else could I answer for you that would help you decide?

3. I respect the fact you both have a spending agreement with each other. You certainly have created a relationship of honor with each other and I admire that. Tell me what criteria you have chosen as a couple that has you both decide to make an investment like this? (this will give you lots of info and help you coach her on how to have that conversation)

4. (If they really want more time to think about it, they don’t yet see the true value or are afraid and their fear is coming up.) You and I both know this product or service is exactly what you have been looking for.  You said you wanted more of X.  Do you find yourself hesitating to make decisions that would give you what you want?  Is it your pattern to think too long about a decision that would dramatically impact your life? How can I support you in making the right choice? Would you like some testimonials?

5. What I know to be true is that when women choose something that is in alignment for them and they share what’s possible with their husband, he usually offers a hug and is proud of you for choosing on your own. How would it make you feel to do it on your own? I am here for you when you are ready to take that step.

Hope this was helpful and welcome your comments or questions.

It is popular to instantly enter into self-doubt and blame when making sales gets challenging.

I used to take client’s negative reactions to my sales pitches very personally. So much so that I would instantly judge myself.

Somehow I had predetermined that if I had to work too hard for their business, I wasn’t doing it right. It should be easy or I was to blame.

Once that happened, an instant awkwardness would fill the room and I would get choked up. There were multiple occasions when I abruptly ended meetings so they wouldn’t see me cry. .

How could I possibly be successful at selling when I when I didn’t feel good about myself?

I began to realize I had to separate my emotions from the facts. .

When I looked past my silly belief that I was ineffective because of some inherent personal flaw, it was obvious the client was merely expressing what didn’t work for them and were trying to tell me what they wanted instead. .

I decided to try a new approach and began listening to customers intently and assumed an attitude of problem solving so I could hear what they truly needed.

The truth was I was only ineffective when I didn’t believe in myself, my mission, or the value I was trying to provide..

If I took off my self-absorbed blinders long enough, I could connect to them as people and listen from a higher plane.

Now I could hear they were telling me how to win their business. Ta-Daa!.

As long as I took other people’s reactions personally and made them mean something bad about me, I was destined to fail. Not to mention be miserable doing it.

If that happens to you, write out all of those negative thoughts you have and translate them into something positive.

For example, one of your negative thoughts might be; I feel too embarrassed to ask people for money, you might alter that to; Every time I ask for money, my clients gladly sign an order and thank me for the value they received.

This is now your new truth and use it as self-supportive internal dialog. Watch as your sales increase.

The smartest way to increase selling prowess is by adjusting our internal dialog and be super positive.

It’s what you do with the obstacles that come your way and how much personal growth and value you glean from your challenges that defines your path of prosperity.

The Three Step Process for Defining Your Mission

1. When defining your mission, the first and most important thing you must do is be willing to accept the guidance and information that presents itself.

2. The second way to clarify your mission is to answer these questions honestly. Answer the questions rapidly and write down the first thing that comes to mind. Answer them a second time slowly, thoughtfully and deeply. Take some quiet uninterrupted time to answer from your heart. Go deep, tell the truth, and surrender into the process.

Mission Defining Questions:

1. Who inspires you and what is it they do that appeals to you the most?
2. What specific difference in the world would you like to make? 3. What problem would you like to alleviate or eliminate?
4. What suffering would you like to abolish? How do you want your customers to feel?
5. How would you like to enhance others’ lives?
6. What are you good at? How can you apply your skills and talents to your desire for change and effect an outcome?
7. What in life holds profound preciousness to you?
8. Pretend you are 80 years old. How would you truly have liked to have lived your life? Doing what? Helping whom? Having what impact?

3. The next step is to write a mission statement. The mission statement is a clear and concise affirmative declaration about what you intend to accomplish. It takes a little work to get it just right, but when you do, it will invoke powerful feelings of gratitude, joy, and inspiration. Here is an example:

My mission is to provide my clients with tremendous value by providing them with relevant and honorable solutions that solve their business challenges.

When you are clear on your mission, it opens you up to a line of energy that supplies profound and lasting inspiration allowing you to produce high-performance results. The mission statement takes you even further by providing access to the internal place that is strongly aligned with your bigger purpose and, thus, provides you with sustenance for your vision. That inner knowing is also where aliveness, possibility and delight greet you and script your next vital action step. The essence of your mission will fill you with radiance and courage and becomes a spirit you exude attracting opportunity to you. This is how your mission becomes your power source.

Aligning your business practices with your mission will also positively affect your sales efforts. Why? Having a mission oriented focus changes your outlook from getting to giving and changes your intention from making a sale to being of service. With a service oriented attitude, or said another way, a mission oriented attitude, opportunities will continually present themselves and customers will respond to you much more quickly. When that occurs, a new, more meaningful and trusting bond is established with the client. That leads you both to experience heightened satisfaction through your business relationship.

When your intentions are pure and your direction is clear, you will automatically be able to find the mutual value in every business transaction and customer relationship. People will start to notice you are different and exude a newfound personal power. Savor it. When you are able to use your mission as your source of power, you will succeed beyond your wildest expectations and morph into a creative and powerful force representing your business.

Do you find yourself expending tremendous energy on your business and feeling less enthusiastic than you once did?  Are you craving a reliable source of internal power that will catapult your business forward?

Are you tired of the daily “have-to’s” and want to boost your bottom line instead?

You are about to find out how a mission make-over will shift you out of first gear.

When you have an idea, a product, a cause, or a service that is important for you to share, regardless whether you are starting or growing your business, it becomes vitally important to have a consistent source of fuel and power to bring your brainchild into reality. In addition, your will need untold enthusiasm to attract buyers too.

That source of power is called a MISSION.

Do you know what your bigger purpose or mission might be?

Webster’s dictionary defines a mission as “an aim or task that somebody believes it is their duty to carry out or to which they attach special importance and devote special care.”

The soul of your mission goes beyond acquiring money.  It is much deeper than that.

It is about supplying people with your unique blend of presence and life-enhancing products or services that create a trans-formative elixir.  That elixir eliminates challenges and barriers thus increasing your customer’s ability to realize their objective.

Even if you sell widgets, polish shoes, or push paper, the true loving intention underneath your product or service is what transforms the customers problem or suffering into liberation.  Start talking about that to your customers and on social media.  Watch as you create some new excitement for your business.

Part 2 coming soon. Please post your thoughts….