Many of you seemed to love the “Abundant Selling” approach that cuts sleaziness & awkwardness out of your sales process. Not only that, you feel truly inspired to get out there and talk about what you do with full confidence.
Today, I’m jazzed about bringing you part 2 of this concept so that you can continue building up your customer pipeline.
By the way, the juiciest part of this post will be my 3 secret tips at the end, so don’t forget to check that out!
In case you haven’t read “Abundant Selling Pt. 1,” go there first & come back to this because if you don’t start off right, the rest of the steps won’t add any value to your effort. Trust me on this one.
Just to recap, the entire cycle of the Abundant Selling framework looks like this:
Be Seen (Cultivate Curiosity)
Invite (Extract & Learn)
Offer Possibilities (Offer Beyond Their Desires)
Part 1 was all about “cultivating curiosity” by executing the S.O.S. method. I don’t care if you are an extrovert or introvert. Increasing your chance of being seen is the most optimal way to avoid coming across as sleazy or awkward. And, there are many “introvert-friendly” business activities you can do to protect your energy level.
Through the S.O.S. Method, you are basically doing your part by simply showing up while allowing people to decide whether they want to know more about how you help others through your business.
That was part 1.
The next step, the step we are going to cover today is Invite. As I previously outlined, even here at this stage, you don’t have to feel obligated to sell or make an offer.
Instead, consider this step to be the Intel-Gathering stage by extracting information from people you are interacting with in more of a focused setting such as video conferencing, calls & meetings as opposed to being at conferences and/or networking events.
The core objective of the Invite stage is to:
Figure out a few “frictionless” activities to further develop
business relationships over a relatively short period of time.
While you are working on the S.O.S. method, you start to notice who’s showing interest in engaging in a series of conversations with you, both online and offline, and who don’t. Here, you are going to focus on low-hanging fruit – people you felt most comfortable engaging with.
Here’s how we are going to tackle this topic. This post will be organized in 2 sections:
1. The step-by-step implementation plan for the Invite process.
2. My 3 secret tips for making the most out of the Invite process.
Before moving forward, one important thing I want to point out:
Don’t forget that you aren’t done with implementing “Cultivate Curiosity” while you move forward with the next 2 steps – Invite & Offer Possibilities.
This is immensely important because you will not develop business relationships with every new person you encounter. This means you need to keep meeting new people. Every. Day.
The good news is not all “cultivate curiosity” activities must be done offline. Although in-person networking is the most effective method, you can initiate plenty of meaningful conversations online. This is why being an introvert cannot be an excuse for you not to give “Abundant Selling” a try. Also, If you need additional support with sales, you can check out 10 Leads in 10 Weeks Challenge: Sales 101 for Creative Entrepreneurs Who Hate Sales.
Alright, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get started!
Hey! I’m Maiko.
Thanks for stopping by. If you are a visionary business owner with the desire to build a high-functioning, profit-generating machine of your dreams, let’s connect!
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Invite – The Step-by-Step Implementation Plan
Below is the outline of what the Invite section entails. To simplify, #1 & #2 are the prep work, #3, #4 & #5 are the action items you will incorporate during your conversation with them.
1. Set up a trackable system.
2. Prepare “trigger” questions.
3. Identify “frictionless” activities they will benefit from.
4. Offer quick solutions.
5. Create a cliffhanger that guarantees another meet or call.
These are no random “coffee date” conversations. You are going to be intentional about how you lead your conversation without giving the impression that you are the one leading it. In other words, a conversation will flow seamlessly and naturally.
Step #1: Set Up a Trackable System
You may already have a CRM (customer relationship management) tool like Hubspot, Zoho, Nimble, Keap, Insightly, and Pipedrive. In that case, you can use what you already have.
Frankly, I don’t use any of them. What works for me is a combo of Google Sheets, GCal and Trello. All free tools.
What matters is that you will visually see your progress with each person you approach. Simplicity is key here so that you don’t water down your enthusiasm with tools that require a steep learning curve.
Also, in the beginning of each week, either on Sunday or Monday, you will pre-schedule your emails asking to set up a call or a meeting to go out on Wednesday or Thursday.
Why?
No one has time to consider your request on Mondays. Tuesdays, not much difference. Why not Friday? You want to leave a day or two for them to get back to you so that you can keep the momentum going with no weekend in between.
See how considerate this approach is?
This is the most overlooked strategy I see to date. When you are too preoccupied with your needs & wants, you easily, perhaps unintentionally, discount how others want to be treated. You get hasty because you are just thinking about achieving your goals. As a result, you send emails on Mondays & Tuesdays when no one has the mental capacity to reply. In a way, by being desperate, you are doing yourself a disservice.
So, don’t be that guy.
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Step #2: Prepare “Trigger” Questions
Prepping for these calls or meetings do not require you to set aside a chunk of time. Once you get into the groove of it, you may be able to re-use or modify the “trigger” questions you already have in your pocket.
In my case, I skip this section entirely as, at this point, they show up naturally. However, in the beginning, do cover the basics by listing out versatile trigger questions & keep it handy on your phone or on your computer.
So, what is the definition of “trigger” questions?
In a nutshell, these questions are intentionally designed to get people fired up. Here is the list of topics for you to consider:
Breaking news that reflects badly on the industry or practice they are in.
Trends and/or lingo that get thrown around in the wrong way.
Stereotypical descriptions of the industry they are in.
Something they can brag about to show off their competency in the industry they are in.
Technology or a new business model that can disrupt the industry, which may possibly take their business out.
Things they hate to see in their industry.
Competitors who are killing it.
Competitors who are giving a bad rap.
Controversial? Polarizing?
They should be. Once you hit the bull’s eye, there is nothing you need to do in a conversation for a good 15 minutes or even longer. Seriously. You can pretty much sit back & relax. They will willingly go on about how they feel, what they think, etc., abundantly.
Now why is this important?
Emotionally triggering questions are the weapons that dismantle their guards. They no longer worry about whether you are going to sell them something. They will forget all about why they are even talking to you in the first place. But rest assured, they feel great about talking to you because you are letting them do the talking.
That’s the beauty of it.
This is why I roll my eyes when I still see people opening their conversations or emails by asking, “So, what are your pain points? What are you struggling with? How can I help?”
Amateurs…please…stop.
What you don’t want to do is to “make them think or search for their answers.” This is the biggest buzzkill that turns into friction.
Here’s my friendly advice: Unless they are in these industries, I would not go political or religious with this strategy. You don’t get much intel that you will be able to leverage from these topics.
By the way, don’t just listen. Take mental notes because while you are listening to all of this, you will start considering what you can do with the info you gathered here for step #3 & #4.
Step #3: Identify “Frictionless” Activities They will Benefit From
Step #2 was all about letting them talk about what they know well so that they will bring their guard down. Step #3 is where you gradually make a move to help them see why it’s beneficial for them to get to know you.
You might ask, “What’s ‘Frictionless Activities’?
These are activities that may not have anything to do with what you offer, but they would love to be in on them.
For example, if the person you are speaking to has a strong POV about what’s going on in his or her industry, and he or she just cannot shut up about it.
You might suggest he or she appear as a guest on a podcast or pitch to a leading trade publication about the topic. Say, you know a couple of people who might be able to help do just this, and you offer to connect him or her with these people.
An easy “yes” you can get from the person in question, right?
This is frictionless because there is no serious monetary or work commitment involved yet it is still a task that you and the other person could work together on. This is also frictionless in a sense that you are creating a situation which calls for another call or a series of emails to set it in motion seamlessly.
They may never notice, but what you are doing is letting them get used to doing something together with you with less risky activities.
This is not about making them owe you for something.
This is not about collecting brownie points by positioning yourself lower than the person you are interacting with.
Instead, this is all about abundantly showcasing what you are capable of without asking for anything in return because you are so confident in your ability to run your business and are completely free from desperation.
This is “Abundant Selling”
Key here is that you might be connecting them with someone in your network, but you are still involved in the process.
Step #4: Offer Quick Solutions
This is optional if you are able to execute Step #3 and create a lasting impression on the people you interact with. If you listen to them carefully, you will find a few things that are useful for them. Unlike Step #3, these are more transactional, and something you can casually throw in during a conversation.
Here are some examples:
Books or articles that can be inspirational to what they are ranting about.
Tools that can enhance what they are bragging about.
Organizations or communities that can be fit for what they do.
Examples, stats/data or case studies that they can reference.
Recommendations on who to follow over social media.
TED talk videos that are related to what they care about.
Keep in mind not to take the role of advisor when you are recommending anything. No one wants to be told what he or she should do. Think of putting yourself in their shoes. I’m sure you agree with me on this.
What you can do instead is to turn it into a question.
“I feel like I’ve seen something similar. Have you ever heard of (fill in the blank)? I’ll look it up later & email you.”
“Have you seen this TED talk video? It was funny the way she put it. I can send you the link.”
“I was skeptical when a friend of mine recommended this app to me, but it turned out to be a time-saver. Have you tried it?”
Once again, this is not about doing them a favor or collecting brownie points. This is the way you showcase how resourceful you are. Also, this is where you can add your 2 cents by incorporating your own experience or story that is relevant to the topic so that they will want to know more about you.
Step #5: Create a Cliffhanger that Guarantees Another Meet or Call
There are 2 ways you can end your call or meeting that calls for another call or meeting in the near future, preferably the following week. Because people go out of town for business, get sick, or get into a busy season, you want to do your best to keep the momentum going.
1. Intentionally let it run out of time without talking about yourself.
2. Step #3 & #4 are firmly in place where it allows you to have legitimate reasons to check in via email.
This is the difference between casual, unplanned “coffee dates” and “Abundant Selling.” I am sure you can recall a few occasions where your coffee dates seemed like a whole lot of wasted time. It’s because neither you nor the other person intentionally created a cliffhanger. So, neither of you know what’s next other than to say, “Let’s stay in touch.”
If any Netflix series ended with “This was nice. Let’s stay in touch,” no one will come back to watch the next episode, right? You get my drift.
By the way, I listed 2 ways separately, but my preferred method is to do both. If you are able to incorporate one or two good trigger questions in a conversation, time will fly. Before you know it, it’s time to wrap up.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, I did not get to hear much about you. We’ll have to do this again! Next time, you talk.”
This is exactly what you want to hear. If this person is sincere about it, you will know. If not, you can cut the losses here. No need to put up with narcissists.
Your response can be, “I am going to email you with the link I promised anyway, so we can schedule another call (or a meet) then. How’s that sound?”
See this? “Frictionless Abundant Selling” in action.
Since you aren’t creating a TV show, a cliffhanger does not have to be all that dramatic. No one has to get shot by an unknown character or get an urgent call from a distant relative out of nowhere. The secret is to keep an open loop.
Psychologically, people aren’t fond of open loops which leave the feeling of something being “unfinished” or “incomplete” because it causes an increase in their stress level. As a result, they will remember those occasions better and work harder to put a closure to it.
This is called the “Zeigarnik Effect.”
Basically, you are creating a situation that urges them to proceed with the next steps.
My 3 Secret Tips for Making the Most Out of the Invite Process
My guess is you may find that Step #2 of this process is somewhat challenging. Remember, anything you find to be challenging is a sign you are about to grow as a business owner. Also, this is one of those, “The more you do it, the easier it gets.” So, be willing to practice.
Having said that, I want to set you up for success. Here are some tips I use regularly that are easy to implement. Are you ready?
Tip #1: Test Your Questions over Social Media
What I’m about to share is a quite effective win-win strategy. I do this over Twitter only because it’s my preferred and most invested platform. But you can do the same on FB, IG Stories, and LinkedIn.
By using the list of topics under Step #2, you come up with short questions and post them on social media. Any of them that get emotionally strong comments are the winners to add to your list of “trigger” questions.
Just keep in mind that you will need to rephrase those questions if you are to use them in a conversation. Also, be sure to keep it short & be creative.
For instance, my biggest hit to date so far is, “How do you feel about the term ‘influencers’?”
That was it. That was the question. Marketers will have very strong opinions about this. Consumers have a different take on this. This triggered many people and resulted in receiving many comments.
Why is this a win-win?
While I learned how the word “influencers” is a strong trigger word, I got a bunch of new followers because the post ended up trending. The conversations I actively had with those who commented are the ones I am intentionally “cultivating curiosity” from (Abundant Selling Pt. 1). This is why this strategy is a win-win.
This is also my way of figuring out what to write as my blog posts.
Tip #2: Screenshot Everything
If I know I will speak to someone who specializes in voice search or executive leadership training for example, I will intentionally look for posts and comments over social media and screenshot all of them. I find this more effective as opposed to simply Googling because I see insights that tend to be more candid.
You might have noticed, but I mean business when it comes to how I spend my time on social media. I don’t ever get on it to kill some time or check on who’s saying what in my circle, etc. If I’m there, I am either doing research or cultivating curiosity.
If my tip #1 takes a bit longer for you to get used to, then this will be the best alternative. There are many people who have bigger followings than yours and mine combined. They have the luxury of asking semi-lame questions like, “How can I help? Ask me anything” & they get 1000s of comments.
Instead of feeling jealous or bitter about it, take screenshots of those. They are gold! Not only do I use some of them in my copy, I get to turn them into different questions (and test them myself.)
Who says you have to do all the work? Let those “influencers” (air quote) do the work.
This is a prime example of flexing your “leverage mindset” muscles.
Tip #3: Avoid a Series of Choppy One-Offs. Acknowledge & Ask Follow-up Questions
By now, you know creating “frictionless” conversations is key to the Invite process. Just because you came up with 5 trigger questions, you don’t want your conversation to turn into a job interview by asking them back to back with no relation to one another.
This is a sure way to make the experience cranky and awkward. I’m sure you can imagine.
Also, you have the agenda to make them feel like they were the only ones that did the talking (so that you can schedule another meeting or call later – Step #5). This is why the longer they are fired up about a topic, the better.
You can make one trigger question last for 45 minutes by using the technique ‘Acknowledgement’ and asking follow-up questions.
Acknowledgement is also known as labeling, and you can learn more about it in this post. Basically you respond to their stories and comments by confirming their feelings.
For example, if he says, “This was so ridiculous and made me angry.” You will respond by saying, “That must be so infuriating.” I would avoid repeating the exact word as it will come across too obviously. What this does is it acts as encouragement for them to keep going with their stories.
You also want to supplement this effort by asking follow-up questions. They don’t need to be anything complicated. The simplest example would be, “Tell me more.”
Often, I pay attention to subtle expressions they use so that I get to ask something like, “You know how you just mentioned (fill in the blank). This got me curious. Why did you think that way?”
A combination of acknowledgement and follow-up questions can keep a conversation lively and make them forget time. After this kind of a call, the only feelings they should be left with would be:
1. That they were heard.
2. That they would be happy to talk to you again.
What do you think these 3 tips have in common?
Answer: All these 3 tips require a fair amount of mental investment.
None of them are time consuming or labor intensive, but they require you to pay attention. So long as you are being intentional and mindful, ideas and inspiration will just show up in front of you.
On the other hand, if you run your working hours on autopilot, you will miss everything.
OK, there you have it. Now get out there and start implementing. Don’t forget to share your success stories!