How to Sell with Conviction and Massively Increase Revenue
I cannot believe this is my first post on how to get better at sales.
This topic comes up constantly in my work with home services business owners. People in our field often come to entrepreneurship through their experience with the trade. No one taught us how to be business people.
We were taught how to do quality work and serve our neighbors.
A lot of the business owners I work with associate sales with greed or deception. It feels slimy to them.
And while this feeling is incredibly common in our industry, I know we’re not the only ones. Tons of people come to entrepreneurship not because they love selling, but because they love creating. Building. Innovating.
But no matter how you became the person in charge, the fact remains:
Your business cannot grow if you’re not selling.
And no, putting up a few ads isn’t enough. You’ve got to be ready to sell yourself when those ads create leads. You’ve got to be willing to make those cold calls and set meetings with high-value prospects. You’ve got to create referral partnerships, which is a whole other kind of sales.
Even if you hire a salesperson, you are the soul of the company. Odds are, you’re still going to have to interact with prospective clients, especially the ones who have big money to spend.
So what’s the secret? How do you master a skill that makes you feel itchy and uncomfortable?
I’ll show you. I think you’ll be surprised how much of this you already do.
Step 1: Cultivate Conviction
If you’re a business owner who struggles with sales because you’d rather think about serving the customer, then this is probably the only step that’s missing from your sales process.
I mean it.
A strong sales meeting looks a lot like customer service because selling is serving.
And if you’re approaching customers with a genuine desire to help them, then you should want to direct them to your services… as long as you truly believe your business is their best solution.
That’s where conviction comes in. You can only sell yourself when you genuinely believe that you are the best person to solve the customer’s problem.
You don’t even have to believe that your business checks all the boxes. It’s okay if the honest truth is that your competitor has newer equipment or more years of experience or any other “edge” that’s outside of your control.
Just take the time to identify the value you can bring to the job. More often than not, it’s the intangible things that represent the highest value.
Have you found a way to make working with you insanely convenient? Is your company communicative and transparent? Do you customize your service to meet the client’s goals?
In what ways do you go above and beyond?
Make a list. Review it every day. If you have a team, note what’s exceptional about them, too. If there’s room for improvement, improve.
Build up your conviction about the value of what you sell.
Step 2: Be Authentic
Are you resisting sales because you think it means having to put on a false persona to charm someone out of their money? If yes, let me ask:
Where did you get that idea?
Was it from all those times you dealt with salespeople who reeked of BS?
Did you buy anything from those people?
Probably not, right? But I’m guessing you have made purchases when friendly, sincere “associates” assisted you in making a decision, right?
That’s the trick, and it’s really not a “trick” at all. You just show up as yourself and have a conversation with someone about their needs. People are way more likely to buy from you when they feel like they’re getting the real you.
Step 3: Listen
This is your time to shine as the customer-obsessed business owner you are. Don’t worry about “the sales pitch.” Don’t come into the conversation worrying about how you’re going to convince them to work with you.
Come in with the sole purpose of understanding them.
- What do they want?
- What do they need?
- What are they worried about?
We tend to assume we know the answers to these questions, but we don’t. An overworked property manager dealing with an apartment flooding and a single mom who had a pipe burst at 6:00 a.m. might both be looking for water removal…
….but their goals and fears are not the same.
The property manager wants this taken care of swiftly in a way that minimizes costs to her company and maintains a positive relationship with her tenants.
The mom wants to get her kids to school on time, get to work on time, save the precious family heirlooms, and get immediate answers about her insurance coverage.
When you pause and listen to the customer’s problem, they essentially tell you how to sell to them. And once you have that information:
Step 4: Solve the Problem
This is where it all comes together.
You know the value of your services. You know exactly what the customer needs.
All that’s left to do is give them the guidance that makes their life easier.
Tell the property manager how quickly you can be at the property, what you can do to minimize costs, when and how she can expect updates, and how she can reach you directly for literally any question at any hour.
Just as you would in a conversation with a struggling friend, focus on what you can do to ease their mind. Do a quick mental inventory of your skills, services, and resources, and offer up the ones that solve the problem best.
Honestly, sales isn’t about being flashy or impressive.
It’s about helping the client see that everything is going to be okay. They have nothing to worry about. They’re in good hands.
You are Already in Sales
One final secret:
We are all in sales all the time.
We just don’t call it that.
You sell your kids on eating their vegetables. You sell your spouse on finally getting that new grill. And don’t forget: you sold yourself on following your dream of business ownership.
You already know how to guide others to make the decisions that will enhance their lives.
The only reason this feels so hard is because you’ve built up this idea that sales is an art form of clever manipulation and smooth moves. It’s not.
It’s about honesty.
Curiosity.
And service.
That I know you can do.
Further Resources on This Topic
Blog Post: How to Market Your Business When You Hate Selling Yourself
Blog Post: Marketing Message Strategy: How to Be Likable, Memorable, and Trustworthy
Free Video Course: Accelerating Business Growth
Book: Marketing to Humans: A Customer-Obsessed Strategy to Drive Connection and Sales