When you think about your sales strategy, does it bring up any fears for you? Do you lack confidence when it comes to selling yourself, and the thought of doing so fills you with dread? Or perhaps you haven’t identified your ideal client yet, which causes a breakdown in your sales funnel?
So many people struggle to think of sales as anything but cold and spammy when in reality, it’s a process that can be fun, profitable, and engaging when done the right way.
Let me introduce you to the Human Connection
When you remove the anxieties and worries surrounding your sales strategy and begin to understand the importance of your unique human proposition® (UHP), you start to fall in love with sales, and you begin to feel empowered and more confident.
The process of setting goals and targets is well-known in professional development. Without a plan of action, you can’t measure your success. However, using the ‘Live it Love it Sell it‘ methodology helps you build your business in a human-centred way because at the core of your community are human beings.
Why is human connection in sales so important?
In its simplest terms, human connection is the ability to show up as the real you, using your language, your values, and your ‘isms’ (which is the best bit!). Nobody does you quite as well as YOU do!
I talk about marketing and sales being one thing these days. If you’ve joined my Sales Hub Facebook Group, you’ll have seen my recent post about the power of adverts on TV digging into emotion and storytelling skills (both of these things are vital when it comes to selling). I used the Extra Gum advert to demonstrate the power of human connection.
People buy into people, and people connect when they resonate with stories, which is why we connect emotionally and build trust. Once we have that trust, we never forget. It’s the magic formula marketing departments tap into with their TV ads. Here are a few examples:
- Carlsberg, probably the best…
- How about ‘We’re Loving It’ with McDonald’s
- Tesco believes that ‘Every Little Helps.’
- What about all the wonderful Christmas ads that tug on your heartstrings?
We can learn so much about sales and human connection from observing these adverts. Ask yourself what emotion is triggered the next time you see an ad you enjoy. Think about why it made an impact and why you can’t stop yourself telling friends and family about it – THIS IS HUMAN CONNECTION!
Marketing companies around the globe know how to use our emotions. They love to exploit our heavenly hormones to make us buy. You can read more about the three heavenly hormones in my recent post, The Power of Storytelling to Drive Sales for Your Business.
How can we use human connection in our sales strategy?
Before we rush out and fill our social media feeds and blog posts with random stories, it’s worth recognising that you need first to understand your customer to refocus your sale strategy.
Telling a story about your cat may amuse your audience, but if you run a dog grooming business, your cat story won’t connect emotionally with your doggie audience. They’ll forget you and your business quickly. If, however, you shared an emotional story about rescuing your dog from a terrible fate, your audience would immediately engage. They may relate to this and have a similar tale to tell. Or they will empathise because they know how precious dogs are.
“People won’t remember what you said or did; they will remember how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
Review your ideal client and start to build up your connection with them. Listen to what they are saying and the issues they’re struggling with. Understand and appreciate their point of view so that you can offer them the best solution to their problem. This is how the human connection works in business. Be you, care about your customers, and provide the best service you can so they remember you.
Step into the world of your ideal client
How much do you truly know about your customer, and how much do you assume?
You must dig a little deeper into your ideal client work so you can take your potential customers from interested party to loyal customer.
To be more effective, you need to become more knowledgeable about the wants and needs of your audience. Some ideal client work scratches the surface so far as who they may be and how you can help.
If you’ve read my book, Live It Love It Sell It, or worked with me, you’ll know I deal with the concept of an ideal client in a different way to other sales and marketing coaches. You need to be able to step into their shoes and immerse yourself in their world to bring them to life.
Here’s a handy exercise you could try. Answer the following questions as honestly as you can:
- If you could help anybody with your product, service, or idea, who would it be?
- What are the top questions you get asked all the time by your clients?
- What are the goals of the clients you currently have?
Thinking about your ideal customer in terms of their issues and goals allows you to provide them with solutions that match their needs.
Begin to create a vision of your perfect customer and spend some time picturing the kind of person you want to work with and why. Think about being in their world for 24-hours. What would it be like, what questions would they have, what challenges would they face, and what delights them. Step into the world of your ideal client and discover the power of human connections, so you stop selling and start loving them.
Fall in love with sales and selling
When you focus on your ideal client work and consider that human connection, you’ll truly understand the wants and needs of your customers. Your confidence will grow, which, in turn, boosts your passion and productivity.
Sales and selling will become effortless as you connect emotionally to your audience, build authentic relationships, and win more business.
If you want to learn more about sales success and the human connection in sales, keep an eye out for my next webinar coming in June.
Need more help?
Do you have one sales problem that’s driving you mad? Do you wish you could ask the question and get to the solution FAST? My brand new Express30 sessions are just what you need.
In these 30-minute whirlwind express sessions, we get to the point quickly, so you leave the session having been fixed by a Dragon Slayer! Book your Express30 session today.
“I worked with Jules over a number of sessions on developing my UHP – Unique Human Proposition®. Jules coached me in key areas such as storytelling, the value ladder, the client journey, websites, social media, being myself and confidence.
Jules is the ultimate professional and is organised, focused and thorough in everything that she delivers. I would say that her UHP is that she really cares and wants to help out so much. She clearly loves what she does and this shines through at all times. I would highly recommend Jules if you are considering personal and/or business development.” Rory Brazil, Brazil Financial Planning
Alternatively, you may wish to join me in the Live it Love it Sell it Sales Academy for £47 a month (£360 per annum) and get all the support, resources, and community interaction you need.
Want to find out more? Schedule a virtual cuppa with me, and we can have a chat about the membership or my other coaching services.