Three ways you may be sabotaging your sales (plus how to shift it!)
We all do some suuuuuper cute things when we’re baby business owners. And I call them “super cute things” because that’s just about all you can say for them.
One of these super cute things I did back in the day (we’re talking six years ago at this point) was a series of posts that I called The May Morning Edit.
While not entirely without strategy, the general idea was that each day in May I would post a photo and journal prompt for others to answer and share using the hashtag #maymorningedit.
This was back when I was longing to pivot my design studio of 3 years to land my very first coaching clients, without the teensy tiniest clue HOW to actually become known for something entirely different.
It was the good ol’ days when Instagram was more about sharing aesthetic photos of your lemon poppyseed pancakes and less about 6-second reels that take 45 minutes to make. Ahh, this post makes me feel like an Elder Millennial in the best way.
At most this plan for the May Morning Edit was a visibility strategy that I think was supposed to get more eyes on my business and maybeeee (if I’m being super generous) also point people toward my freebie of how to design a better morning routine. This is also super cute because I definitely wasn’t talking about said freebie.
Somewhere in there, I thought that if people read enough of these they would also connect the dots that I was a good coach, people valued my ideas, and therefore I was the perfect person to help them design the thriving life and business they desired (this was before mindset and sales totally rocked my world, mind you). It really was a lot to ask.
It’s always 20/20 in hindsight but I can tell you right now that looking back, this plan had a lot of flaws *cough* super cute moments.
Basically, I was a prime example of what NOT to do (and I share that so that we don’t go all Mean Girls over here and single out someone else’s sales strategy or lack thereof).
So let’s talk about why so you can spot where you might be sabotaging your own sales and shift it for more consistent clients in your business.
I wasn’t selling a result
The truth is that as humans we really want the results and we’re WAY more excited about (read: sold on!) the benefit of what’s in it for us than the process that gets us there.
This came up recently when I was talking to a Future You client about an amazing course she’s selling. When I asked her to tell me about it, she dove into everything it had to offer inside like:
✨ It has 8 in-depth video modules
✨ It dives into SEO
✨ It gives students the opportunity to ask questions
And while that’s all wonderful information to know, the actual process of the course isn’t going to be the thing that makes the sale.
So we chatted a bit more about the ultimate purpose of the course. That’s when she was able to tell me it’s for people who want more traffic to their website so they ultimately close more sales.
🔔 Ding, ding! THAT’S going to be the thing that makes the sale.
More specifically because those are the results on the other side of the process.
Sure, YOU might be really excited about the SEO module, but it’s probably not the sexiest thing to your ideal client. The results of SEO, though (getting more people to the website and closing more sales)?
Those are SUPER sexy! And that’s exactly what your people want to know you can help them achieve.
If you want to make more sales, lean into talking about the results your clients will get THROUGH the process you’ve created. That’s what they want most, so it makes sense that you talk about that most!
I wasn’t getting specific enough
I see a lot of really vague copy in the online space, and I’m sure you have too!
How many times have you read a sales page or a call-to-action on an Instagram post that said “I’m here to help you finally feel good!”?
I’ve totally done it too. And I get it—we all want to feel good, but that can mean something entirely different to you than it does to me—even within the same industry!
Let’s take a health coach’s sales copy, for example…
For you, feeling good might mean getting a full night of interrupted sleep without tossing and turning.
For me, feeling good might mean identifying foods that give me more energy and allow me to do everything I want to do during the day.
So, when you read sales copy that says “I help you feel good” it’s really hard to say “I want in!” without knowing what the specifics of that entail.
When you’re writing your own sales copy, you’ll want to focus on those sexy specifics so your ideal client knows you’re speaking directly to them.
We want to get creepily inside their head so they can say “Oh my gosh! How does she know I’m only getting three hours of sleep each night? How does she know that I’m looking for the cure-all solution that will give me the rest I’m craving?!”
Adding specifics to your copy helps your ideal client to picture themselves in the results you’re selling. AKA they can see it and they can see themselves working with you.
The more specific you get, the easier it is for your potential clients to connect with you and buy from you because they know you’re the right person to solve their problem so they can get that specific result. All that to say: it’s the sexy specifics that sell.
I was terrified of actually selling
I see so many people holding back in their sales process (even when they know they’re the perfect person to solve your problems!) for fear of sounding too pushy, too salesy, or like they’re trying some icky tactic. I get it!
I know because I’ve been there and it’s literally why I have the business I have today—so you can book consistent clients, make more money, and truly thrive. Because trust me, life and business gets about a million times more fun (real-life stat from my amazing clients) when you have the mindset to book clients on repeat and truly thrive.
But here’s the thing…
People can’t make an informed decision to work with you if you stop shy of telling them why they’d want to. AKA sell them on it!
For example, I coach a lot of designers because I have a background in branding and web design. I know the industry, I know what their mindset blocks look like, and I’m really familiar with the challenges that come up for them because I’ve quite literally been there.
So I would be doing a huge disservice to potential clients on sales calls if I didn’t let them in on the fact that I worked in corporate as a designer and ran my own design studio for 3+ years before pivoting to coaching. Or share how I’ve helped multiple brand and web designers book $10k+ projects, hit 5-figure months, and achieve six-figure years in their businesses.
Honestly, it’d be freaking weird if I DIDN’T tell them that because those are the details that make people say “Oh cool! You get it! I totally want to work with you!”
It makes it easier for them to step into our Future You coaching work together because they feel sold on a really important benefit to our coaching work together and the results that are possible for them.
But I’d likely fade into the background of every other coach if I didn’t share that.
Our job in sales is to make sure that the potential client has all of the information they need to make the decision that’s best for them (which includes YOUR magic and why you’re freaking amazing BTW!).
I encourage you to tell your potential clients why you’re the best person to help them solve the problem they have and why they should work with you over anyone else—then watch your sales improve because of it!
The bottom line:
I made some super cute missteps as a baby business owner and served as a prime example of what NOT to do to close sales and land consistent clients in your business. BUT the good news is that you can totally learn from my mistakes.
Not only that, but I’m incredible at spotting these sales mindset blocks from a mile away because I’ve literally been there. I’m here to help you finally stop sabotaging your sales so you can achieve the five-figure months and six-figure business you desire—probably with way more ease than you think possible.
That’s why I’m inviting you to a totally free Set to Scale coaching call where together we’ll identify your biggest blind spots when it comes to growing your bottom line (because sometimes this sh*t is so hard to see for yourself because you’re IN IT, ya know?) and get you moving in the direction of more leads, clients, and money in the bank so you can THRIVE. ‘Cause at the end of the day, that’s what we’re all here for, right!? There are limited spots available so don’t wait to grab yours!
