Welcome back to She Sells Radio with your host, Elyse Archer! A question on many people’s minds is this: how do we shorten the sale cycle? The closing process can be daunting, but there are steps to get better. Today’s guest is an expert at this. Rafat Fields 7-figure corporate sales producer, branding expert, NASM certified personal trainer, and USA Olympic Weightlifter. She empowers corporate leaders to convert the potential of their teams into powerful results by building a personal brand that breaks through the noise of competition.   Rafat grew up in the sales industry--down the first job she had out of college. Medical Device is her industry, and she’s dived deep into it her entire career. She’s classically trained and executed her process.    A lot of sales training is designed for men by men and is very linear. This works in theory but can feel limiting to women in particular. Rafat’s first role was almost militaristic in her company’s training programs. Coming out of college into that environment immersed her in that limiting structure. While it was a good starting point, she realized she wasn’t tapping into her full potential due to a lack of soft skills. When she was able to tap into her intuitive selling skills she saw transformative growth. For example, when Rafat notices a customer may be uncomfortable, she can bring that up in leadership discussions. When they allow that customer to go to the problem behind the problem and avoid offering the canned sales pitch, success comes in. Sometimes the language you use in one circumstance won’t translate to another.    Shortening the sales cycle and closing faster is the dream. Sometimes, though, it’s a burn and simmer relationship. For Rafat, it’s all about listening. Not just to what the customer is saying, but about their “inner ear.” Consider what questions you’re asking to identify patterns. Trace those threads and be proactive in delivering information in bite-sized communications over time. Consider what’s behind the ‘no’ and ask questions that will navigate past it. Tackle the objections upfront so as you move through the sales cycle, you can address them while not losing ground. They’ve already done their research and have gotten information from you before this meeting. At this point, it’s about carrying them to the next step.   When you do a follow-up, offer relevant information that will further their journey. In your in-between communications, provide value. The quality of the questions you ask is what will empower you to have an impactful follow-up. Think about the questions that come up over and over again. That’s the content you need to produce upfront. That content needs to be consistent across all channels because you don’t know where the customer’s point of entry is.    Rafat reminds us to lean into who you are. Customers connect with people, not things. Don’t deprive them of the crucial part of the experience: connecting with you. When that happens, you’ll see it in your results. That means bringing your whole self to your social posts, your videos, and your professional connections. In the same way, utilize your interpersonal skills, your observational skills, and your emotional intelligence to marry them with the concrete sales skills you’ve learned. 


LINKS   https://www.freebrandcall.com/rf   Rafat Fields on all social media and YouTube