Everyone is unique, so how can you possibly sell to them in the same way? Creating a content plan is a great way to stay organised, but it can take away the spontaneity and human conversation that is vital to sales and selling.
You will hear me talk about doing sales in a human, non-sleazy, non-pushy way all the time. It doesn’t matter if you are working for yourself or part of an organisation. To be able to improve your sales strategy and skills, you need to fall in love with sales.
When I work with my coaching clients and the members of The Sales Academy, I often refer to their UHP – my Unique Human Proposition® methodology.
In basic terms, YOU sit at the heart of selling, and that’s what your Unique Human Proposition is all about. Life skills are sales skills, and nobody has lived their life the same way you have.
Factoring this into your spontaneous selling, adjusting your mindset, and understanding why you do what you do are valuable tools to use.
People buy people.
Your emotional wants and needs influence your buying decisions, and everyone craves human connection as part of that buyer’s journey. But where does your storytelling fit into your spontaneous sales strategy?
Your UHP® sets you apart from others because it focuses on your greatest asset – YOU! As an individual, no one in the world has what you have, no one has your stories, and nobody does what you do the way you do it.
Before you can understand what drives your clients, you need to understand what drives you.
Taking time to reflect on your personal brand helps you present yourself and your business to the world in a truly unique way. Knowing your strengths, values, and stories provides you with opportunities to connect with your audience in many ways, such as website content, social media posts, podcasts, talks, or blogs.
If you follow me on social media you will notice I often share what pops into my head each morning – quite spontaneously!
For example, I watched a film recently that would not usually have been my cup of tea, but the human storyline hooked me in. Here’s what I shared online:
I never liked maths!
It just wasn’t my thing. Letters instead of numbers, fractions, and brackets, and what did they all mean?
Why did I need to learn that!
But here’s the thing – even though I have a complete disconnection to this subject of maths, last night I found myself immersed in a wonderful film – quite by accident.
‘The Man Who Knew Infinity’ (2015) was about Srinivasa Ramanujan an Indian mathematics genius who shocked and surprised the English mathematical establishment at the start of the 20th century with the depth and originality of his research in additive number theory.
As you’ll guess it wasn’t the mathematical story that had me hooked, but the story of human connection. The way you saw one human overcome adversity through his passion for what he did and his belief, and how G.H. Hardy, recognised that this man was special and had made a very important discovery for the academic world. And how he fought to give Srinivasa a stage and a voice, and ultimately on 2 May 1918, a Fellowship of the London Mathematical Society.
Yes of course this film was about maths – it’s a true story but for me, it was about the art of storytelling, human connection, belief, and faith.
There’s much more to say about this film. If you get the chance watch it, and you’ll learn two things from it that relate to your business.
1. We are always learning and we learn most when we step into the world of others.
2. Life and business are about belief and faith. Whichever faith you choose.
If you remember those two things then you have the foundation to have a voice and be heard.
This was a spontaneous post about something I watched on television. It had such an impact on me that I wanted to share it with my audience. I knew there was an authentic message buried within the film, and my clients engaged with the post because it resonated with them, which I knew it would.
Although the post was spontaneous, I knew this storytelling technique would benefit my ideal client because I have done the necessary groundwork.
~ I know my ideal client and the issues/challenges they face.
~ I knew that my take-away from this film would be insightful for them.
~ I love chatting to my audience and using my life skills as sales skills.
Human connections vs. human connection
You all have thousands of human connections, but how often do you really make a human connection? One little letter changes the entire meaning of creating relationships.
- How often do you have a conversation?
- How often do you meet in person?
- How often can you really say you know a person?
- How often can you say you understand a person?
- How much can you learn from others?
In a world of hashtags, algorithms, and follower stats be the person who makes a human connection. Find out what makes your audience tick. Step into their shoes and begin your spontaneous storytelling with authenticity.
Exercise: I’d like to set you the challenge to turn a real-life story into a spontaneous post for your own audience.
It could be something simple like taking a photo on your morning walk and talking about the benefits of stepping away from your desk. Or it might be an excellent customer experience you had that allows you to share the values you have in your own business. You’ll find an excellent example of this on my LinkedIn page.
Think of this exercise as a practice run to test your spontaneity in sales!
Your ideal clients are unique, and it is up to you to sell your products or services in a way that matters deeply to them. The content you share online offers the perfect platform for this through your social media content, as in the examples above, or storytelling through a blog post or Podcast.
Want to learn more about spontaneous selling through storytelling?
Joining the Sales Academy will help you include both spontaneity and storytelling into your business and sales strategy. It will also help you fall in love with selling while meeting like-minded business owners.
Take a behind the scenes look…HERE
Schedule a virtual cuppa with me, and we can chat about the membership or my other coaching services.
“Since reading Jules’ book my life has changed direction. I subsequently did a Sales Day Trip with her where we developed my business idea and my program Connect • Clarify • Create was born. She has been an inspiration to me! Jules has a positive, compassionate and fun, yet professional, approach. I would highly recommend her – she is a joy to work with. Although Sales is her thing she is generous with all of her vast knowledge and experience of business and life. I feel honoured to work with Jules” – Jean Fleming
Empowerment and Leadership Coach
Grab your copy of my book, Live It Love It Sell It HERE.