I remember the first time I had to sell from stage. I spent at least fifteen minutes saying whatever I could to avoid sounding like I was trying to sell something. It was as though I was apologizing for being up there in the first place! And by the end of it, you know what happened? Nothing! No sales. No inquiries. Want to know why? They didn’t even know that I had something to sell! I shot myself in the foot and confused the heck out of my audience. And most of all, I did them a massive disservice because I knew in my heart that what I had to offer would have positively impacted their lives.

It can be intimidating to sell, right? We don’t want to come off salesy, pushy, or aggressive. What if they think it’s too expensive? Or they don’t like what you have to offer? Or maybe you haven’t even taken the initial leap into business because of this fear.

The truth is: you can’t grow a successful business or monetize what you already have if you aren’t ready and excited to sell. It’s part of the equation. So take a deep breath, and let’s figure it out! In this post I’m debunking the myths that surround selling, and I will teach you how to successfully sell anything in 12 simple and actionable steps.

The Myths And Fears Surrounding Sales

“Sales” is no longer a dirty word. It’s time to get to a place where you believe in yourself and what you have to offer so much that there is no fear around putting it out there. You have to have a passion behind selling it. It’s time to develop an extreme sense of ownership around what you're sharing with the world so you feel morally obligated to put it out there to more people because you know it will serve them!

Until you get to that place where you own what you sell and you feel confident around getting it into the hands of the right people, you're going to struggle with sales forever.

What we believe to be true is true. If you’re talking to a prospect about purchasing your product or service and your thought process going into the conversation is, “they're going to think it's too expensive,” “there are already other things like this out on the market,” “they don't need mine,” then that’s going to dictate the end result for you. Those subliminal messages going through your head will translate into how you speak, what you say, and how you come across when you're sharing these products and services. You can take steps to combat this.

Are you worried because you think your product or service is not priced correctly? There are two options in this scenario… you could reprice and set your prices at a place where you will feel secure about your offer. Or you could develop your confidence to a level where you know what you’re offering is worth every penny.

Maybe you don’t feel confident in your sales abilities. Working hard to develop a confidence and an energy that allows you to both value yourself and what you have to offer will open the doors to more sales opportunities. Believing that what you have to offer is of such value that your target audience would be blessed to get their hands on it because it's going to make an impact on them is key.

Or maybe you just don’t want to be “salesy” or pushy. Great! Don’t be. Because no one wants you to be either. Instead, think about what your offer could do for other people. People connect to stories; share your own! How did you get to the place where you are sharing this offer with others? You have control over how you share your products, sell your services, and how you get it into the hands of the right people.

It's time to rewrite the narrative. Value yourself and value what you have to offer. Until you master this confidence piece - this deep belief in yourself, the products you sell, the services you offer, the courses you run, the books that you write - until you truly believe that you can make an impact, you are always going to struggle with how to sell your offer. It's always going to feel like pulling teeth.

But when you believe in what you're doing and you are so fired up about it because of the difference it's making, you will feel with your whole heart that you're in the right place doing the right thing. You could triple your price and still feel good about putting it out there because you know people need it.

How to Sell Anything

Alright, are you ready for this?! It’s time to break down my 12-step formula on how to sell anything without feeling salesy or pushy. I’m even including some of my own personal examples for you to learn from.

Download the 12-step checklist here!

Step 1: Why Should Your Audience Care?

Capturing your audience’s attention and giving them a reason to keep watching, listening or reading is what will hook them into continuing on with you. Know who you’re talking to. Ask a question your ideal person will relate to and want to respond to. Say something (true) that will catch them off guard, shock them, reel them in or connect with them and then let them know what’s to come.

Examples - we will use the example of a fit pro who helps women postpartum throughout these 12 steps:

“I was trying everything to lose weight, but still had fifty pounds to lose after having my son. Have you ever felt like you just don’t feel comfortable in your own skin but feel hopeless to do anything about it?”

“This is the number one mistake people make when they are trying to get fit after having a baby…”

“I’m going to help you change your life by revealing the system that I used to lose all of the post-baby weight without having to sacrifice all of the little time I have to do it.”

Step 2. Why Should We Listen to YOU?

Are you an expert? Did you live through something that gave you perspective? Speak to your experience here. It can be an accolade, an accreditation, letters after your name or just that you’ve walked this road and helped other people walk it, too!

Examples:

“I’m not a nutritionist or a fitness guru – I’m a busy mom who has dedicated her life to helping other busy moms find a real, long-term solution to weight loss so they can regain their confidence and health. I know what works and have helped hundreds of other moms do the same as me!”

“I’m a certified fitness and nutrition Coach who has created a revolutionary new way for postpartum women to see long term success in weight loss.”

Step 3. Tell Your Story + Present The Pain Point + Tie In Emotion

Many people are able to sell by solely focusing on the external: Do this, lose weight. Use this, get rid of wrinkles. Watch this, learn how to market your business. But those who figure out how to focus on their customer’s internal problems, their emotions, will gain loyal customers for life!

Example:

“It wasn’t just about the weight… I realized that my health, my weight, and the rest of my life was all interconnected. As I went up in pants size I could see my confidence starting to dwindle. That affected my mood and how I treated my family. It affected my marriage. I found myself hiding behind other people in photos and shrinking in who I was. And the hardest part for me was that I felt like NOTHING was working. I would diet to lose weight only to gain it all back! I would workout and not see my body change. So I wanted to give up on myself in more ways than one.”

Step 4: What Did You Do About It?

Present how that product, service, etc. made an impact.

This is where you take your audience from that emotional, connected, all-the-feels moment to a moment of hope and excitement for what’s possible; because if you did it, they can do it, too!

Example:

“I remember going to the gym and dieting after my son was born and I kept getting so frustrated that nothing seemed to be working. I assumed it was me. I assumed that the people who told me my body wouldn’t ever change because I was a mom now were right. And then I went home and decided to stop depriving myself of food and spending hours at the gym with no result. I created a program that I knew would work for me. Within 30 days, I hadn’t just broken my plateau, I had lost all the baby weight and felt amazing!”

Step 5. Why Should We Take This Journey With You?

Have you been there? Do you offer something special? Do you have a perspective someone else doesn’t have? One of the most important pieces of knowing how to sell yourself effectively is being able to communicate: why you?

Example:

“Each month I have the gift of working with other women who have been in my shoes – feeling hopeless and needing a plan that would actually work for them. This was the first thing for me that worked because it was SO different! I work directly with you to help you pinpoint what you really want to get out of this and how to help you get there.”

Step 6. Break It Down!

What is your offer and who is it for? What is your offer not and who is this not for?

In episode 9 of the Scaling Up podcast, we talked about repel (or buck) marketing. Buck marketing is essential. This part will probably cause the people who your offer isn’t specifically for to move on (and this is a good thing!), and it will reassure those who your offer truly is for that you can be trusted.

Example:

“If you’re looking for a quick fix or a short term solution, this probably isn’t the right thing for you. But if you want to find something that works for your life for the long-term, gives you energy again and something you enjoy being a part of I’m so confident that this is the right thing for you!”

Step 7. Present The Value in the Right Way

This is important. There is a right way to present your price, no matter what it is. People automatically shut down when they hear a number; it will never be the “right” number.

An effective way to introduce the price of your own offer is to compare it to the price of a comparable service.

Example:

“I used to be a gym rat. It would cost me about $500 a month to get three sessions a week with a trainer plus the cost of the membership, and I still wasn’t seeing the results I wanted.”

Step 8. Be Confident in Your Price

This is where you strut your stuff. This is what you’ve worked for. This is your gift being given. This is their gain. This is your chance to make your impact.

Examples:

“Typically this package would cost $480, but I’m running a special for my followers this month where they can get it for $350!”

“This is by far my best selling package and the one designed to help you lose the baby weight and keep it off! It’s $300 this month - total steal!”

Step 9. Testimonials

People can relate to the stories and experiences of others. They want to see who has come before them and how it has worked for them. Testimonials are often what put buyers over the edge to purchase because they see themselves in someone else’s story and experience.

Example:

“You have to see this video! This is one of the moms I helped. She hadn’t worked out in three years because she didn’t think she could lose the weight after having her kids. After two months in my program she’s lost all the weight and then some!”

WANT MY 12 STEP CHECKLIST FOR SELLING?! CLICK HERE

Step 10. Create A Sense Of Urgency

People need a deadline or they will never click buy.

Examples:

“You have great timing because that special is only for this month!”

“Next month this pricing won’t be available. I still have two spots left in my program for this month. Would you like to get started and take one of those spots at the discount, or should I pass it along?”

Step 11. Give Your Audience Peace of Mind

People need to feel assured that their investment of time and/or money is going to be worth it for them. A money-back guarantee is a great way to provide this sense of assurance and will help anyone in your audience who may still be on the fence make the commitment.

Example:

“I know it can be scary to start, but you are so worth the investment in yourself! The good news is that there’s no risk – if it’s not for you you can get your money back.”

Step 12. Ask For the Sale

Ask and you shall receive… but ask nicely!

Examples:

“You can’t pour from an empty cup! This is going to be so perfect for you, you won’t believe how incredible you will feel! Let’s get you started. I just sent you the email to put the order through. If you put that through I can send you the rest of the info you need. Sound good?”

“I’m so excited for you! This is going to be one of the best things you’ve done for yourself and I’m grateful to get to be a part of the journey with you. Ready for me to set you up?”

This is something I teach in depth to my one-on-one clients and once they master these 12 simple steps on how to sell, their confidence and their sales consistently go through the roof!

If you aren’t serving your audience with your gift, they will buy from someone else who is willing to serve. Remember, you have so much value to offer, but until you believe that, no one else will!