The Sales Matchmaker

Are You Optimized for Sales Growth

"The next stage of evolution in your growth is that you're going to need to bring on a salesperson." - Janet Clark (22:14 - 22:19)

Introductory Statement. Overview of what the article is about.

In this episode of The Sales Matchmaker, Janet introduces the guest, Dan Nicholson, who is a financial wizard. They discuss the importance of recognizing the various systems that you all have to look at within each stage of your business. One of which is the financial system. 

Most people don't associate entrepreneurship with writing an accounting standard. Anyone who takes the entrepreneurial route are more tuned in than a lot of other people to their God-given strengths and talents. There's something inside of you that's saying you're supposed to do it your own way. You're supposed to do it different and better and make a bigger impact. But then you come into this financial part of it, which a lot of people shy away from, and it becomes an intriguing area.

"When you're in sales, you're acutely aware of pricing bias, and anchoring bias and how you need to overcome that with your potential clients in the sales process." - Dan Nicholson (9:02 - 9:18)

We have this unconscious mental biases within us that we probably don't even know are there. Even if somebody tells us they're there, we don't see it. And yet they will hurt us as we look at how we're going to increase our sales, what we're going to charge out in the market for the programs we're delivering, what our worth is in the marketplace, and our ability to be able to actually sell ourselves at a high ticket level.

For business people who don't have somebody helping you from the financial perspective, you are probably limiting yourself because you can't see your own biases and you can't see your own limiting belief. 

One of the Basic Economic Principles is that Money is Fungible.

The idea is that you can replace money with other things that are tangible but of equal value. However,  for so many people, the more money they get, the more they spend. So you need to ask yourself that when you do get your money, what are you going to do with it? 

The book 'Profit First' is all about bucketing all the money coming into your business, making sure that you pay yourself first. As entrepreneurs, we know that's what we should do but we don't always do it. We have to make sure that there's some money put aside into the profit. 

"One of my main principles is first we optimize then we maximize." - Dan Nicholson (18:16 - 18:20)

Maximizing is what conventional financing is about. Optimize is about considering what is the most critical path or thinking about the outcome that you want a year from now. So the next level in your business growth is profit priority. The exercise is to think about what you want and lists it out. 

If you want to hit these goals in two years or five years, you need to know how much do you actually need to make the business grow to make that happen. That becomes a much more systematic targeted way of growing.

How to Get Involved

If you are a coach, consultant, or service provider who offers high ticket $25,000+ transformational programs and recognize the importance of elevating access and proximity, then you need a small team to handle lead generation and enrollments for you. Learn more about SalesMap and click HERE to book a call.

Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Join our SALESMAP program and be matched with a salesperson now.

The 3 Big Objections and How to Overcome Them 

"Most Salespeople Avoid These Conversations Like The Plague." - Janet Clark (9.39-9:56)

There are 3 common sales objections that a salesperson hears at the end of a conversation. There are no magic words and no savvy script that can help you get past these objections. Because in actuality, these are no objections at all.

Part One Of The 3 Big Objections and How To Overcome Them

Most sales training programs spend a lot of time on this concept of overcoming objections. Most of them will give you steps that you should use to overcome them. 

There's always going to be some kind of a technique or tactic that most sales trainers are going to teach you about overcoming objections. A lot of times they'll give you this pre-scripted response and tell you to go practice them, and roleplay them. 

You have to really start rethinking the way that you get to the end of these sales conversations. Because the three objections that you're hearing - money, time, partner - those three things are not the reason why your prospect is not buying from you. 

If you are continually hearing these objections then you have to rethink everything about what you're doing with your business if you are the coach or the consultant. If you're the salesperson, you have to reassess the way that the coach or consultant presents what they're doing.

Part Two The 3 Big Objections and How To Overcome Them

There are five high ticket sales mistakes that you need to fix. Once you fix those, then you can go on to the next stage where, if you are still getting these objections, you have to figure out why and what you have to do about it. The first step in overcoming or eliminating objections is that you have to fix the 5 high ticket sales mistakes.

When it comes right down to it, those three objections are smoke screens. They're bluffs. They're not really the reasons why your clients are not buying from you. You should be able to knock those three things out as issues before you lay out your offer.

"In the words of Stephen Covey, in the 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,' you begin with the end in mind." - Janet Clark. (8:19 - 8:27)

You have to go into every single sales call and make the following assumptions:

1. This prospect does not have five thousand, ten thousand, or twenty-five thousand dollars just sitting in their bank account ready to hand it over to you for your program. You have to assume that they don't really have the money for this.
2. The second thing you are going to assume is that there is another stakeholder. There is somebody else that's going to be impacted by this decision. And if this person makes this decision or doesn't, it's still going to impact somebody else.
3. This prospect that you're talking to, who is more than likely an entrepreneur, a business owner or at some level of business, does not really have extra time to invest in working with you in your program.

You need to identify those things during your fact-finding stage in your sales process. You want to be able to have those discussions before you make an offer. 

In the beginning part of the sales conversation, you have to ask your prospect what they know about the program, what they know about the success rate of the program, and what they know about the coach who is offering the program.

The goal here is, to begin with, the end in mind, go into your sales conversation, seeking to figure out if this person can answer just two questions:  Do you believe this program works and do you trust the coach that is delivering it? Do you believe it will work for you?

When you can get to the point where the answer to both of those questions is yes, there is a possibility that you're going to make a sale every time. And your prospects are going to figure out how to get the money, how to get their partner to agree and find the time because they know that it's going to work for them.

How to Get Involved

If you're ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website. 

"Did you know the average cost in time and money to recruit, interview, hire, and train a salesperson is $25,000 and only ⅕ of salespeople make it?" - Janet Clark (7:12-7:22)

There are 5 preventable high ticket sales mistakes that coaches, consultants, and agency owners are making in their business. If you know you are not closing the sales that you should be closing, pay attention closely to this message. Once you fix these five issues, you will be amazed at how your results improve to help you close more high ticket sales.

Part One Of Five High Ticket Sales Mistakes

Many coaches and agency owners are not targeting a specific ideal client. Instead, they go broad in their marketing. This is a huge problem. As counterintuitive as it may seem, it is better to focus on a narrower market. You can pinpoint your benefits and features to a specific industry and speak to the customer in language that resonates with them. Casting a wide net will not increase the probability of success. 

"Craft An Offer That Appeals To Both Logic and Emotions" - Janet Clark (5:50-5:55)

Your competitors are out there and doing everything they can to make their offer very appealing. You have to know what your competitors are offering than build value into your offer to make it irresistible. 

It's going to make sense for your prospective client to look at the offer and make it a no-brainer for them. Something that they are going to say in their head… "Man, I would be crazy to pass that up." This is what makes an offer irresistible.

Part Two Of Five High Ticket Sales Mistakes

Did you know the average cost in time and money to recruit, interview, hire, and train a salesperson is $25,000 and only ⅕ salespeople make it?

It could cost a coach $125,000 to bring on one good salesperson. Now, that doesn't take into account the lost opportunity cost of not having a salesperson on board because that person could be generating $20,000 a month in sales. So, there's another $240,000 in lost revenue. That is a huge number.

With our program called SalesMap, we know we can put a program together that eliminates all of the costs for coaches and consultants. It recovers the lost revenue opportunity and adds huge value to them. And, at a $25,000 price tag, that is a no brainer offer for them especially when there is an ROI guarantee attached to it.

Part Three Of Five High Ticket Sales Mistakes

You won't be surprised to know that 43% of coaches said their business comes from referrals. We all love referrals but if you are depending on referrals to run your business, you are going to be on an income roller coaster. 

"You cannot control, predict, or rely on referrals every single month. - Janet Clark (9:33-9:40)

You want referrals to be the cherry on top, not the single-core of the way you bring in revenue every single month. 

How to Get Involved

If you're ready to be matched with your high ticket closer, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Email [email protected] 

OR Find out more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website. 

"The way you sell anything is the way you sell everything." Janet Clark (1.58-2.02)

Have you ever been in an interview for a sales job or you worked for a sales manager who said to you, "Sell Me This Pen?" The reality is that many coaches, consultants, and agency owners are making costly mistakes when it comes to selling their programs and products.

Part One Of Sell Me This Pen: Don't Sell The Features, Focus On The Benefits

Most salespeople tend to launch into features because they're something that both the prospect and seller can visually see. And, when you want to sell something, you want to focus on the marketing messages that sell the transformation to potential customers. 

As much as we want to believe product features will sell. They don't. Customers care more about how your product or service will enhance their life. The destination will resonate very strongly in the customer's mind, and that is what will trigger the sale.

"Share a life-enhancing solution." - Janet Clark (2:13-2:37)

Part Two Of Sell Me This Pen: Explain How It Will Enhance Their Life

Discover how the pen is going to enhance the life of your prospect. It doesn't matter what the bells and whistles are on the pen. What matters is does this pen represents something that the prospect needs and wants? If not, you won't be able to sell it to them.

You need to understand the psychology behind why do people buy. People are looking for status, safety, comfort, prestige, and convenience. Until you determine what your specific prospect needs, there is no way you would be able to convince them to buy anything; no matter how amazing your product or service is.

It's never the feature that we care about; it's the end benefit it gives us. 

As a coach, consultant, or agency owner… you need to have your own unique system or program that offers some transformation for a business. The truth is that people are not laying in bed at night, trying to figure out what pen to buy.

So, if you want to sell your transformational programs or "this pen", you need to get to know your prospect, build rapport, and ask them specific questions. 

This is why I developed a HEARTFLOW framework that explains how to do high ticket sales. Tune in to the podcast to hear what each letter stands for when you are selling your programs and systems.

"You need to have your own unique system that offers transformation." - Janet Clark (14:30-14:40)

Part Three Of Sell Me This Pen: Scale Up Your Business

The 10% of business owners who do scale up past six-figures into seven figures do 3 things differently.

Would you like for me to share with you what they are?

1. 10% of people who do SCALE up have an irresistible offer targeted to an exact client. 
2. They have a system in place to consistently generate new leads to enroll new clients.  
3. They learn how to be a leader. They learn how to lead a team of people in a very effective way so they can retain TOP sales talent.

How to Get Involved

If you're ready to scale up in your business and breakthrough six-figures and beyond, then you are going to want to reach out to me at [email protected] for more sales training and matchmaking. I have personally sold millions of dollars for TOP entrepreneurs and I know I'll help you make more money, have more fun, enjoy life a lot more, and get to the point of FREEDOM. 

Your Plan For Sales Mastery "Practice Does Not Make Perfect With Sales. But, It Will Make You A lot Of Money!"

-Janet Clark (8:35-8:40)

Many coaches, consultants, and agency owners feel they are not cut out to be a salesperson. And, everyone wishes they could do better at sales. In fact, many of the coaches that I speak to say, "I hate selling. I'm not good at it." You are not alone. When it comes to mastering sales, there's one teaching strategy that I use. It's an ideal acronym for learning new sales techniques and remembering them. I call it, PLAN.

Part One of Your Plan For Sales Mastery

Practice: If you want to know why I'm great at sales and have closed $100,000 packages, it is because I've been practicing for DECADES. Have you ever watched major league athletes? They are continuously going out and practicing their techniques. And, you should too. In sales, it's all about going out there and playing the game. Every one of us is different so, it is always going to be a new playing field. You are playing a new team. You are up against a new opponent. The challenges you will face in communication are always new and always different. Each time you get out there you will experience something different. You have an opportunity to practice your own communication skills. You are just going to get better, better, and better as you do it. If you feel you are not doing enough sales calls, then get on more. Keep practicing.

"You will not be great at sales if you do not know how to lead a conversation."

- Janet Clark (9:26-9:34)

Leadership: A great leader is a strong, confident person who has a strong sense of self. You have to have the confidence to lend it to the prospect so they have it to move forward. If you do not have the confidence, then you need to hone in on it.

Another quality or characteristic of leadership is conviction and that means you need to be steadfast in your belief of what you are selling. And that goes for you if you are a coach, consultant or salesperson. You need 100% conviction that you are leading a client into something that will enhance their life or business.

The next thing is curiosity, a good leader cares about people. A good leader wants to understand what makes someone tick. They are genuinely interested in that person and they have a strong desire to help that person. This requires empathy, understanding, ability to listen, ask good questions and then be able to get people to open up to you. That is what leadership is.

"A great salesperson will not be afraid to hear 'NO' ten times!"

- Janet Clark (14:04-14:11)

Ambition: Salespeople who are really great will not stop even when it seems they will not get the sale. They are AMBITIOUS. Ambition means having a strong desire to do or achieve something that requires hard work. And here is the thing, in our society, unfortunately, most people are not willing to do the work. They want instant results. And, that is not the way it works.

Statistics show that 80% of all sales are made by 20% of the good salespeople. And, 20% of those people are the ambitious ones who will push through rejection even when it feels hard. The salesperson will find a way to present the offer in a slightly different way or condition to earn the sale.

"The opposite of networking is not working."

-Janet Clark (15:36-15:40)

Network: Networking is the key to everything in sales. People will buy from people they Know, Like, and Trust. Whether you are a coach, consultant or salesperson, you have to have strategic alliances.

It's one of the missing ingredients that high ticket closers face. They have not built a foundation of trust. That is one of the sad situations that we are finding ourselves in right now. Salespeople have lost the art of selling and the art of relationship building, prospecting, getting in the head and heart of the person.

It used to be networking took place outside of your workspace where you went to industry events, but it's not imperative that you need to leave your computer in order to network. It's totally possible now to build relationships with people all over the world through Zoom calls, LinkedIn, Facebook and all sorts of social media platforms.

How to Get Involved:

If you want to master sales and become one of the TOP 20% of salespeople or consultants in your space, follow this acronym PLAN and reach out to me at [email protected] for more sales training and matchmaking.

"You have to have an irresistible offer, and you have to know who your target client is for that offer."

Janet Clark (3:16-4:10)

Are you salesperson ready? And, why it's important to grow your team. You can double, triple, and even quadruple your business when you add a great salesperson. But first, you need to make sure you have the right offer in place.

Your Offer is your key to success because if you are one of these people who continuously customize your offer, you cannot duplicate and scale. You need to create your signature system. Otherwise, you risk being a commodity. And being a commodity typically leads to smaller profit margins and diminishes the value of your brand, your pricing, and the clients you attract.

"You want to have a proven program, that you already sold at high ticket level. And, you have gotten results from your clients." - Janet Clark (5:20-5:50)

And, when you understand the sales process, and how to build long-term customer relationships, it will pay off in spades. 

As long as you have been able to sell your program and have gotten results, then it is time to consider bringing on a salesperson. And because you have the track record of success, you now may share case studies and success stories. 

 Part One Of Are You Salesperson Ready: Have Your Own Trusted Advisor

One point that is super important, that most people do not think of is, having their own trusted advisor, someone who may mediate between the salesperson and communicate the programs offer. And as the sales matchmaker, and I have lived it and been there, and I can see where someone may fit, and receive the right salesperson to bring the connection and have things run smooth, to learn how to communicate. 

Listen in for the whole podcast to hear the entire 10 point checklist to review and understand when you are ready salesperson ready.

"Do you have a plan on how to grow your business?" - Janet Clark (8:33-9:13)

When you bring a salesperson on, do you have the capacity to take on 3x, or even 10x the number of clients, and have the ability to scale? This is the question you need to ask yourself.

If you are already selling your program and have people raving about it, you can afford to bring on a salesperson. When a new client is enrolled, you just need to afford payout for commissions. And, usually, these commissions start at 15%. 

How to Get Involved

If you are a coach, consultant, or service provider who offers high ticket $25,000+ transformational programs and recognize the importance of elevating access and proximity, then you need a small team to handle lead generation and enrollments for you. Learn more about SalesMap and click HERE to book a call.

Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Join our SALESMAP program and be matched with a salesperson now.

"You have to commit to yourself that you'll only work with clients you love."

Janet Clark  (19:01-19:07)

When I started The Freedom Shift, I quickly grew it into a six-figure business. But I actually created a job from hell. Not only were the clients a wrong fit for me, but the services I had offered to do for them weren't aligned with what I enjoyed or am good at. 

I delivered the services I promised to those clients and went back to square one. I hired a mentor to figure out what happened. I've had fewer bad clients since then, and I now know how to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Three Reasons Why We End Up With Clients We Hate 

Reason #1: Not Having a Clearly Defined Set of Deliverables

People hear what they want to hear, and clients sometimes misinterpret what we promise. For example, let's say we have a 90-day program and our client doesn't get the result in that timeframe that they expect. Does that mean that we failed to deliver, or did the client fail to implement the program? What happens if the client doesn't follow the process and complains because they didn't get the results they expected?

The solution to this common problem is to create a roadmap for clients where you define deliverables that are tangible and easy for the client to see. We implement a checklist clients can use to measure their progress throughout the program. It keeps them motivated and engaged because they see the progress they make.

"You need to have milestones and written expectations of what success looks like for your clients in your program." - Janet Clark (8:50-8:59)

Reason # 2: Not Charging Enough

Coaches and consultants often sell their programs below their real value in order to establish a reputation and get some customer success stories. But in the process, we attract lower-level clients. Too many coaches don't rise out of this stage quickly enough. Once you've received testimonials and have satisfied clients, change your rates to match the value you provide and attract higher-level clients.

"When you have a client who's willing to invest at a higher level in their professional and personal growth, they're going to be much easier for you to work with." - Janet Clark (14:30-14:42)

Reason #3: Not Working with the Right Clients

Commit to only working with clients you love. Get clear on who the ideal client is for you. You started your business to help those people you love to work with. This raises everyone's level of joy, freedom, and success. Clients get amazing results and you get great feedback that helps you build your business. Addressing the three reasons why you might hate your clients helps you create new relationships with the clients you attract. You'll finally love your business and your clients. 

How to Get Involved

If you're ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website. 

 You can marry marketing and sales so that they work synergistically. That way, salespeople turn your leads into clients who are enrolled in your program." 

(3:44 - 4:06) - Nazim Agabekov 

The disconnect between marketing and sales teams is one of the biggest reasons why leads fail to convert into paying clients. If you want to improve your sales and grow your consulting business, make sure that your sales and marketing teams are working synergistically. 

"When you're on a call with a prospect looking to make a life-transforming investment, you need to have energy and enthusiasm. But that energy is sapped when you're talking to leads that aren't a good fit for your services." 

(25:44 - 26:01) - Janet Clark 

Qualifying leads for time, energy, and money can increase the likelihood that they'll be a good fit for your services. It helps your salespeople guide them on the sales call as they help them make the life-transforming investment of joining your program.

How to Get Involved

If you're ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website. 

"When you value yourself to make a higher-level investment, you're automatically going to increase your rates."

Janet Clark (13:50-13:58)

The double secret to doubling sales is a two-part solution, and combining the two lets you see exponential growth in your sales. You can double your sales once and then double them again in less than a year's time. I've seen people quadruple their sales in one year using this combination. 

Part One of the Double Secret: Invest at the Level You Want to Charge for Your Own Programs

The wrong mindset can cause coaches and consultants to get stuck at a sales setpoint in their business. But when you take action and do something new, your mindset and setpoint automatically change. If you want to increase your rates, taking action means investing in a coach or consultant who charges the same rates you want to charge. If you're willing to pay $10k or $25k for a professional development program, you're going to be able to charge $10k or $25k for your own program.

When you invest in yourself at a higher level, you reprogram your setpoint. Since your setpoint is subconscious, you have to change it through action. When you take action, the change is automatic, and you control your own setpoint. If you want to charge $50k for your program, then invest in a $50k program for yourself. You'll get that money back as soon as you sell your first $50k program.

"There's an absolute correlation between what you're willing to invest in yourself and what you're able to charge others." 

- Janet Clark (11:54-12:04)

Part Two of the Double Secret: Hire a Salesperson 

In order to reinforce your new setpoint, you'll need to go out and sell just one of your higher-level programs. As soon as you enroll somebody at a higher rate, it's time to bring on a salesperson to help you. Since you've validated your program by selling it to someone, it will be easier for your salesperson to see the value in your program. 

Once you have a salesperson on your team, you get to do the work you came here to do and make the impact you want to make. You share your genius with your high-level clients in a way that changes their lives.

"When you step out of the way to let somebody who's good at sales and loves selling do what they do best while you focus on what you do best, your sales skyrocket." -Janet Clark (19:31-19:50)

You're not only going to double your sales once, you're going to double them again and again because you move into your flow. I've seen this happen time and again with my colleagues, my clients, and myself. With this double secret, you can double your sales and achieve a new level of success in your business. 

How to Get Involved

If you're ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website. 

"When you're stuck and your business isn't going forward fast enough, you need something to jolt you out of it. Sometimes, the thing that will do it is counterintuitive."

Janet Clark (1:21-1:37)

Selling yourself isn't always easy. As a coach or consultant, sales calls can quickly turn into coaching calls when you're so enthusiastic about your offer that you start to teach and coach rather than sell. Your ego and emotions can begin to drive the conversation, and you become so attached to the outcome that you're more likely to perceive a "no" as a personal rejection. 

It's also difficult to know how to value your own work. You know your process from the inside out, and you want your clients to understand how you're going to help them. So you take on any client who's willing to pay you, even when they aren't a great fit.

"When you don't understand how to value your own services, you offer lower-price services and attract lower-level people." - Janet Clark (10:57-11:24)

The secret to overcoming the barriers that keep you from selling your services is to sell them for someone in your niche who's already selling a higher-level program to higher-level clients. It's easier to sell a high-ticket program for someone else than it is to sell your own.

Selling for Others Can Shift Everything for You 

When you're not selling your own program, you don't go down the slippery slope of coaching on a call when you should be selling. You realize that you have to sell the result and the transformation without getting bogged down in the process. You can defer their questions and keep the call focused on the question that ultimately needs to be answered: "Will it work for me?"

Your ego doesn't get bruised when you're selling for someone else, and you aren't emotionally attached when you conduct the call. You focus on the prospect and use a heart-flow sales approach. Selling higher-level programs to  higher-level clients shows you that you really can sell to people willing to invest at that level. 

"The best way to gain confidence and double your sales is to go out and sell a higher-level program for somebody else." – Janet Clark (14:44-14:54)

Selling higher-level services for another coach or consultant makes you money faster, helps other business owners, and gives you an inside look into their business, which you wouldn't get if you weren't on their team. It enhances your experience and expert status. It establishes your credibility in the marketplace and impacts your mindset and your confidence. Selling high-level programs to high-level clients can be the game changer you need to to become a more effective and profitable salesperson in your industry. 

How to Get Involved

If you're ready to leverage your time and offer huge transformation to your clients while scaling your business in a big way, Janet can help. Janet has an extensive background in sales, has closed millions of dollars in high ticket programs, and has the expertise needed to move your business forward. Find more about her work with The High Ticket Freedom Shift program on her website.