Do you know the difference?

Consider this: A customer reaches out to you to learn more about your business. You exchange tweets. Emails. Phone calls. You spend a lot of time with her, telling her what you do, showing her how you can be of service, and answering her questions. Now you ask for the business. She hems and haws, and then she goes into a sob story. Her business is struggling. She can’t buy right now. She just doesn’t have the money. She’s concerned about the economy. And she’s worried about her cat; he seems down in the dumps. Her life is a mess. (Cue the violins.)

What do you do?

If you go into empathy mode, you say something like this: “Oh, I completely understand. It cost $60 to fill my tank this week! I’m nervous about things, too. When will this recession end? I thought we were coming out of it, but now I’m not so sure. Tell me more about your poor kitty.”

And this is what just happened: You’ve demonstrated that you share her feelings, and you’ve just dropped down to her level of indecision and suffering. You’ve lost your authority. You are no longer considered or looked at as leader. In fact, you’re a commiserating comrade. Most likely, you cannot win this sale. And you have lost the ability to help because now you are stuck in “her” struggle.

When you go into compassion instead of empathy, you say something like this: “I understand your concerns, and they’re valid. Let’s address each one. First, if your business is struggling, would you agree that it’s time to make changes? What I’m offering is just what you need to turn things around and increase your sales. More income will help alleviate your worries about gas prices. And if you start to feel better, I’ll bet your kitty will, too.”

And this is what just happened: You’ve just shown your customer that you understand her predicament, and you’re still able to help. You’ve maintained your birds-eye view and professionalism. You now have more information on where she’s stuck, and you can use it to get back into your power and recover the situation.

Confusing empathy and compassion is one of the biggest mistakes that heart-centered, mission-driven, entrepreneurs make in the sales process. But the fix is simple. Knowing the difference can help you close deals and win business with ease. (Cue the fireworks!)

You may recognize those bold words from the first chapter of The Effortless Yes book.  When I wrote them, my heart was full and I could feel the energy and passion flowing out of my fingertips.

Since then, I have become even more convinced that you can change everything about your business, remove the stress, trauma, struggle, and mind-numbing confusion brought about by fear, when you embrace this definition of selling.

In my work with entrepreneurs, the biggest obstacle to success is an out-dated definition of selling that creates fear, avoidance, and failure.  When you feel that selling is dirty or wrong, you avoid it.  When you don’t sell, no money flows into your business and you cannot sustain it.

However, when you can embrace the spiritual and heart centered aspects of selling and view it as an opportunity for service, everything changes.  You become passionate about the value you provide. You want people to succeed and pledge to give them your very best, because it’s your mission.

Successful business owners have an unshakable belief in what they offer.  They love what they do and feel passionate about serving their clients.

That love transmits an unmistakable energy, a vibe that allows clients to trust you and believe that you have their best interests at heart, because you do.

Follow these steps to bring more heart and love into your sales conversations:

1.    Make a list of all the benefits your product or service provides.  Read this list aloud and let yourself bask in all the ways you have helped others.

2.    Allow your enthusiasm for helping your clients to bubble up and color all your conversations.

3.    Cultivate an unshakeable belief that your product or service delivers great results and incredible value.  If you doubt, tweak your offerings so they represent your very best work.  Then, share them confidently and boldly.

4.    Make a decision to make more money than ever before by selling with graciousness, enthusiasm, and heart.

5.    Get busy.  Make an appointment. Write an email. Pick up the phone.  Do something to share the value that you provide with someone else.

6.    Care unabashedly about your clients and potential customers.  Show them that care by your respect, authenticity, and commitment to their growth.

7.    Listen intuitively.  In every encounter, be fully present, and listen to both the words and deeper truth that lies under the words.  Listen with your heart as well as your ears.

When you bring more heart and love into your selling, you will be providing a spiritual service and creating a bankable business.  More love for your clients creates more abundance for you and creates a long lasting bond with all of your customers.  That’s the heart of business success!

It’s easy to become stressed and overwhelmed.  You may secretly hope for someone to tell you what to do so you can release the tension of making a decision.  You may worry that you’ll make a mistake, resulting in an embarrassing mistake or costly failure.  On some days you may feel so rushed that you lack the mental bandwidth to even consider deciding.

Even reading about the stress of making a decision can be stressful!

Take a nice deep breath and relax.  There’s a formula that will help you make decisions in a way that supports you personally and enhances the bankability of your business.

Whenever you need to make a decision, use this formula:

Soul Satisfying + Lucrative = A Bankable YES!

First, consider how saying yes will impact your soul.  Check in with your inner guidance.  Do you feel an increased sense of spaciousness, peace, and love when you consider saying yes?  Will you be drained by saying yes or filled with joy?

Be sure to ask your heart, not your ego.  Your ego may press you to do something because you ‘should’, others are doing it, or conventional wisdom says that’s the only way to succeed.  This is not your ego’s choice.  It belongs to your heart.

When you agree to something that may earn you money but does not bring you joy, you will deplete your vital energy and passion.

Not Soul Satisfying = Burnout

Next, determine if this opportunity will increase your profits by earning revenue or reducing costs.  What is the return on investment?  Do you have the resources to fund the project comfortably?

If you say yes to an opportunity that resonates with your soul but is not lucrative, you will create stress because you cannot meet your needs.  The pursuit of a bankable business requires discernment and stewardship of your resources of money, time, and energy.

Not Lucrative = Despair, guilt, and worry

To use this formula to make Bankable decisions with ease and grace, simply sit down with a piece of paper and a few minutes of quiet.  Breathe deeply and relax.  Connect with your heart.

Then, write down the answers to these questions:
1.    Will a YES satisfy my soul?
2.    Will a YES be lucrative?

If you get 2 affirmative answers, proceed with joy and confidence.  Otherwise, decline and trust that if this opportunity was not perfect for you, a better one is on the way!

I dare to LOVE in each moment
even if I am afraid of being hurt.

I dare to live in TRUST that all is well
even if I feel fear with mounting prophecies to the contrary.

I dare to let go of GUILT for whatever reason even if it has provided
me with a safe haven in which to limit myself.

I dare to let go of SHAME for whatever reason
even if I feel others blame me.

I dare to feel WORTHY
Under all conditions and circumstances.

I dare to SPEAK TRUTH in each moment
even if it may cause temporary chaos.

I dare to be BRILLIANT
even if I am afraid that I might make others jealous.

I dare to be POWERFUL
Even if I am afraid I might misuse this power.

I dare to be OUTRAGEOUS, AUDACIOUS and OUTSPOKEN – even if I am afraid that it may intimidate.

I dare to be UNIQUELY ME
Even if I am afraid that I might not be accepted.

I dare to be WEALTHY
even if I am afraid that I might lose it all and/or others believe it
is not spiritual to be rich.

I dare to be a FAITHFUL SERVANT
even if I am afraid that no one will take care of me.

I dare to do SPIRIT’S CALLING
Even if others may threaten me to stop.

I dare to enter the NEXT WORLD joyously
even if I am afraid of the vast void in front of me.

Most of all ….. I dare to GIVE MYSELF back to GOD
Even if I am afraid I might lose myself.

Because losing myself to God makes all the other things
I think I need to DO or BE…obsolete.

I decided to re-evaluate everything!  I am suggesting you might want to reconsider your business options too. Especially before the start of a new year.  It is so easy to get caught up in running your business just like everyone else does.  And spending precious time in places where you feel like you belong but it isn’t really helping you or your business move forward.

As mature business owners, those are some of the important decisions we have to make. Those decisions play an important role in being able to avoid profitability pitfalls.  Those pitfalls not only cost us money, they also cost us emotionally.  We feel like we have been left behind or that we aren’t effectively reaching our customers in ways that are meaningful to them.  And that hurts.

Here are 3 areas to re-evaluate and consider what you might change for next year.  Doing this can make a big difference in your ability to build a PROFITABILITY POWERHOUSE!

1.  Time! Make a list of the ways you spend your time.  Next to each write down the percentage of time you spend doing that task.  Then write down how profitable that task is for you.  When you have completed your list, see if the way you spend your time is actually paying you back.  If not, re-prioritize your time and start spending more time doing the things that pay you back.  After I did this, it was obvious the way I spent my time was out of balance with the results I wanted to produce.  Guess what?  This is changing the choices I make going forward.  It has already made a big difference in getting new clients!

2.  Energy! Believe it or not, I think how we use our energy has the biggest impact on how profitable we are or are not.  It is so easy to get sucked up into spending time socializing online, giving unpaid advice in forums, or relying solely on a coach or mentor to fix our business.  Some questions to ask yourself: Are there groups that you are in that don’t fit your needs or brand anymore?  Are you spending too much time on social media which gives the impression you are not running a “booked solid” business?  Are you passively expecting the people you hire to do everything for you?  Are you a member of a group because it feels good to “belong” but it contributes nothing to your bottom line?  Are there other groups that would benefit you more and have you been reluctant to change?

3.  Money! I am going to challenge you to really think about your business differently because you could being making sales harder for yourself.  CONSOLIDATE!  If you offer too many options, you increase the time it takes for your customer to make a decision. It’s called a LONG sales cycle. In addition, your customer might go away because it is more clear what they get elsewhere.  Find the sweet spot in your business.  What is the one thing you love to do the most?  Organize your products and services by building out from your zone of genius.  Limit the price levels and options so you sell more easily what people need!  Bundle the highly desired items with your higher price points.  Make less options available and watch as people step up and buy your higher priced offers.  And….lest I forget to say it…raise your prices by a minimum of 15%.  No really….do it!

This is the process I went through and now I have the business I always wanted.  The really cool thing is….new clients are finding me.  I only have two package levels and it is obviously clear why the higher priced one makes sense…and it’s includes what I do best.

I am now convinced creating synergy and synchronicity are the new ways to market one’s business!

I truly hope this article has been helpful for you.

I realized recently that although I teach women how to sell well, at the heart of it, what I am really selling is self-sourced empowerment, which ultimately leads to complete freedom.

It starts with loving ourselves enough to set prices that reflect the true value and worth we give our customers, designing our business to support us, having unwavering faith in our offers and truly believing we can help.

In fact, loving ourselves enough means we can say, “What I do best is….”, directly to our customers.

You see, when we own our inherent value and worth enough to:

-set prices that are profitable

-confidently ask for the money

-and claim our sweet spot or niche

we deposit points in our deserve-ability account.

That account grows the more we grow in our love for ourselves.  Each time we confidently ask for the money, explain how a customer gets value, and keep the faith we deposit points in our account.  As our deserve-ability account grows, we attract more customers and make more money, naturally.

It gets better because as we honor ourselves and source our empowerment from within, we release a flow of creativity that shows us new ways to serve our customers. As a result, our businesses naturally expand.  That allows us to pour even more value into our customers and they get bigger and better results. And on the cycle goes.

As we power-up and exercise our deserve-ability muscle, we attract more customers, the right ones.  The customers who are eager to pay us what we deserve.  The customers who are greatly relieved because they have found the solution they have been seeking and craving.  And again we deposit points in our deserve-ability account.

As the cycle repeats we realize this is the formula that allows us to build a soul-satisfying and lucrative business.  The kind of business that gives us the financial freedom we desire and puts us on a life-long path to profitability.

This feminine formula for success allows us to tap into an inner wellspring of love that allows us to up-lift, boost and transform our customer’s lives.  Without that wellspring, there is nothing to give our customers.  Without customers there is no business.  And without a true business, there is no money for us here.

In what ways could you learn to love yourself more and have unwavering faith in your offers?

My all time favorite band (okay I love the Rolling Stones just as much) is Bon Jovi.  There is something about Jon and authenticity he expresses when he sings.  They came out with a video last year entitled: We Weren’t Born To Follow” and it is incredible.  (I recommend buying it on iTunes and watching it daily.)

It woke me up.  It showed me that the people who do it differently are the ones who are iconic and create world change.  Because they were brave enough to do it their way and stand for something bigger, they boosted us all up as result.

Martin Luther King, JR, Oprah, Ghandi, Einstein, Nelsen Mandala, and Steve Jobs, are a few of those who showed us we don’t have to follow in order to be great, realize our dreams or run a business from a template.

The template approach to business is what is dying off.  Let me clarify.  I think learning what works is wonderful and we all need templates and models to get started.

What doesn’t work is to follow examples and forget that we are a co-creative force in the process. It’s about waking up to our individual path and not misusing a system to bypass our spiritual growth.

For me, the less I am exposed to other people’s models, the more my own innovate thinking comes alive.

And I couldn’t be more excited about the possibilities that will come from sourcing new business creativity.  It’s time to design our businesses holistically, based on a divine blueprint that customizes basic business principles and produces miraculous results.

Our unique blueprint is essential to having a soul-satisfying and lucrative business!

Personally, I think Steve Jobs is one of the most memorable business icons of our time.  He invented streamlined ways of using technology to enhance the quality of life.  How cool is that?

If we weren’t born to follow, then the question becomes how can we lead?  How can we use our business to make the world a better place or enhance the lives of others?

Let’s commit to getting clear about that and inventing new ways to serve more generously.

It’s time to go beyond just the sales and selling aspects of business and re-connect with our inner business authority and engage our other senses.  That is, to make things more experiential and activate another creative dimension.

There are four ways that I have found that make a big difference in energizing cash flow and magnetizing new sources of income.  I wanted to share them with you because this is what helped me sell my way out of Corporate America at a young age.

If you follow these steps, it will enhance every thing else you do to grow your business, too.
Step #1:
Set a very clear intention about how much money you want to make by the end of the year.  I suggest mediating on it so you get clear about what is possible.  And, don’t edit the number that comes to you.

You will know it is the right number when you trust it and stop second-guessing whether or not you can or cannot make it.  Let me just say, that isn’t the point.  The point is go well beyond what you have known yourself to do in the past and open up to a bigger possibility.

(I recently did this exercise with a new offering I have coming out.  The number that came to me as astounding.  And, I am going to trust the answer I received and see what can happen.)

Step #2:
Decide that you will do three things each day to take the actions needed to reach and exceed that number.  Write them down and take those actions first.  Make it your first priority. If you complete your list before lunch, call that a super successful day!

Step #3:
Spend at least five minutes a day visualizing and seeing your self receiving large sums of money, EASILY.  See the balance in your bank account boosted!  Feel what it feels like to have more money than you need.  Envision yourself making sales gracefully! Exercise those receiving muscles and breathe into them.

Step #4:
Sit back and think about the customers who have been around you.  Are there a few that you have not done business with yet?  Is there someone who needs the advanced version of what you offer?

I bet you can think of two to three people who you instinctively know would greatly benefit from what you sell.  Call them this week and say “I have been thinking about you and I have an idea for you.”  You are smart enough to take the conversation from there.  Just please do it.

When you combine these four steps, you will be able to attract more business because you already energized it. And the actions you take will be amplified towards success.

I leave you with this thought……

Gay Hendricks once said to me, “Julie, once you decide you want something from the inside out, the Universe starts organizing itself around you to give you just that”.

Why – Because it gives them instant confidence that you believe in what you are selling. It also prompts them to start thinking about making a final decision and gently guides them towards saying yes.

You might be wondering what is a “natural ask” and what does that mean? As you go through the sales cycle with your customer, there comes a point in the conversation where you reach a turning point. If you pay attention, you can start to sense when the natural time for the transaction to conclude has arrived.

You both will either want to do business together or not. Make sure to invest as much time as you need in educating your customer but not so much, you give away the store! This precious moment in the selling cycle is the ideal time to ask for the business.

If you don’t ask the customer where they stand, they will say they need to think about it and go away. It is next to impossible for a customer – left to their own devices – to arrive at the right decision. So they won’t buy and that is a loss for both of you

Asking the customer for their decision is a natural step during the selling process.

The asking step encourages the customer to take the next step with you, agreeing to make the purchase and form a partnership.

This is when the sale is won or lost.

Remember, making the sale or winning the business is the first step to working together. It’s one big step in the overall relationship. Not asking is absolutely the biggest mistake most people make, and even the world’s best salespeople had to overcome this hurdle.

Until you understand that your customer wants you to lead them to a decision, you’ll feel uneasy when it comes time to close the sale. After all who wants to have a customer remain indecisive because they got left ruminating about working with you?

It’s time to ask for the business graciously and demonstrate the leadership your customers want from you.

Note: There are 15 natural ways to ask for the business in my book. They are in easy to use templates so you don’t have to struggle with this anymore!

This video tells you a little more:

I finally realized this was a common trend. August was always an incredibly slow month and making sales was next to impossible. I never quite knew how I was going to make my numbers for the month.

Since this happened every year, devising a strategy to overcome this natural phenomenon seemed logical. Here are few quick steps you can take to change the course of the summer slump. (I made it quick so you can have some relaxation too!)

Step #1: Ask The Honest Question!

People are relaxing and taking much needed downtime for themselves and their family. There isn’t anything you have done wrong. Instead decide if you want to get busy (and creative) and generate some cash or do you need the downtime too? Make a choice.

Step #2: Don’t Discount!

Please, whatever you do, don’t offer discounts. Instead create a summer special package that offers more; free from price slashing. (It doesn’t matter if you sell products or services) If you are a service provider, gift them with a message or dinner out. If you are a product vendor, add in a nice bonus! Make sure to include an appealing summer message.

Step #3: Get Personal!

Instead of trying to market to everyone, call great customers and tell them about your special offer personally. Tell them you created it with them in mind and there are only x number available. If possible, deliver it to them and/or find a way to make it super easy to do business with you. They will love that you came to them.

It’s okay, go ahead, ask for the business. It could be the difference between having a sales slump instead of a fist pump!