What does it mean to be salesy? Does it mean you’re focused on the sale rather than the customer? Does it mean you’re being dishonest? Or does it mean you’re talking too much? 

What about sales-focused? Or strategy-oriented? Can “salesy” have a better definition? Or better yet, can we come up with a different word? 

Some of you may be shaking your heads, and if you are, that’s okay. I was there once, too. I used to think that being salesy was a bad thing—something you should avoid at all costs. 

The thing is, I realized that salesy can be taken out of our vocabularies altogether. Salesy doesn’t have to be bad or good because it doesn’t need to be a word we use. Sales is about connection and strategy. It’s about people. The sale is just a way to qualify your success, but it isn’t the only goal. Here’s how you can get more clients without being “salesy.”

Conversation First, Sale Later

Not just conversation…beautiful conversation. 

A beautiful conversation is one that hails from a connection. It’s one that forms from two people who are getting to know each other, engaging on a deeper level rather than just run-of-the-mill chit chat. 

This conversation requires back-and-forth dialogue, which you should be excited about. Someone who wants to make a sale should want to connect with people. You want to help people, and you’re confident you have the right tools, products, or services to provide that help.

If you don’t walk away from a conversation feeling like you learned more about a person, you’re probably not engaging in beautiful conversation. Nail down the beautiful conversation first, and the sale will come later.

Ask Questions

Throughout your conversation, be sure to ask questions. We’re not talking about generic questions like, “What did you do this weekend?” You need to get to the meat of your customers’ problems and needs. 

Ask questions that will help you help them. Ask about their pain points. Ask what has worked in the past and what hasn’t worked in the past. Ask them about their motivation, their goals, and their accomplishments thus far. You shouldn’t have a script, but you should have a good idea of what you want to ask going into every conversation. 

Make the Sale

Okay, it’s not that quick, but here’s the point: You should focus on making the sale last. 

If you’re trying not to be “salesy” your focus isn’t the sale, right? No, your focus is to create a lasting connection with your clients. 

It’s like building a friendship. You start with a connection, whether that is a mutual interest or a similar career path. You invest in that connection knowing that you might score a friendship, but that’s not the sole reason for continuing the conversation and connection with that person. In the time before it’s a friendship, you’re enjoying the process of getting to know this person. In other words, you’re seeing if it will work out. 

The same goes for a sale. Your first conversation is about dialogue and asking meaningful questions. “Sale later” may be in the back of your head, and that’s perfectly fine. But it shouldn’t be at the forefront. 

At the forefront, you should be thinking about the connection, compatibility, and the potential to work toward something great with this client. So take the “sale” out of “salesy” by putting conversation and questions first with the hope that you’ll score a sale later.

This article you just read now is an important part of my Get Clients. Not Leads.™ philosophy. It’s all about being real and authentic with your future clients and still getting the sale! I recommend you read the article “How To Get Your Strategy Calls To Turn Into Paying Clients!” next so you can see how that authenticity will get you converting more leads into clients!

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