Podcast Episode

TRANSCRIPT

Hello, and welcome back to the sales show. I'm your host, Maree Kirkpatrick and I want to start today by saying a huge Thank you to all our amazing listeners. It's always funny. I forget that there's actually people on the other end of this recordings of these recordings. And so when people send me an email or tell me that they'll listen to my podcast, I kind of still get shocked by it. So I just wanted to say, a huge big thank you to each and every one of you that listen. And I hope you're getting some really good quality tips and advice around your sales, your business and any strategy that you're looking to implement today. This podcast was going to be something different. but from the conversations that I've had with multiple people in the past week. I feel like I need to touch on this stuff, because not just for my clients and the and the conversations that I've had with them, but also for past clients that I've spoken to, and other business owners that I'm using their services, and they're struggling with this and what it is when life, or the economy, or the weather and seasons that you're in impacts your business, and how you can change things up and still grow your business and still have really good sales through those times.

Now, if you've been listening to the sales, show for a little while, you know that I have a small human that is now 9 months old. And so if I speak to some people, they'll be like, Wow, Maree, like you're in that season of life where everything's a little bit more challenging because you've got a baby, and you've got sleepless nights. And rah! Rah! Now, if I listened to that my business would not be growing at the rate that it is which at the moment, I think we're on track for about 30%, 35% for just this year. Then if I was listening to that I wouldn't be anywhere near that, I'd be like, Oh, okay, yeah. You know, I it's like giving me permission to sit back and be like, it's fine. I don't really have to do a whole lot, because I'm in that phase. All that season of life. Now it also happens when businesses to some businesses when the weather changes. So this week I went and got a massage to loosen up my back and kind of get me moving a little bit more freely. And you know, as the masseuse was setting up, and we were having a bit of a chat. And she was like, Oh, business has been really quiet. I think it's because of the cold weather and the rain. And I was like, Oh, okay. And you know, in good Maree ways. I never stopped thinking about business and sales. I know it's stupid, right? But as my head is in the little hole on the table. I was like. Wow, like her business is quiet, and she's blaming on the weather, even though she runs a business that is like inside, right? Like people aren't outside in the rain, like she's not selling camping tents where people aren't camping as much because it's cold and raining right? She's in a center that people go into when it's raining and cold, and all of that. So that for me wasn't a very good reason why her business is quiet. And so, when my head was in the hole, I was thinking. I wonder what she's doing to actually reverse that, or to move with whatever's going on in the economy or around her or the weather.

So. as I'm lying there like, I'm sure every other business owner does, and I'm trying to relax. My brain is gone into full strategy mode. Because there are facts that the weather is colder. If you're in Sydney it has been a little bit miserable, and yes, people may want to stay in bed, and may want to be staying home, and all that sort of stuff. But the real question is. what are we doing to adjust to those external factors? Or are we just sitting there going? Man is what it is. What can we do to reframe the slowdowns and change up our selling opportunities? How can we make the most of it? And what about what do you need to do in your marketing, where you need to address these objections before they even become reasons for people not to buy or work with you. I know one of my other beautiful clients. She was saying that around her local community they've had some drought and been affected by weather and all that sort of stuff. But I said to her, your store. She has a bricks and mortar store. Your store is just one element of your business. She also runs a really beautiful online business, too, that has the stock online. That's also in the store. And I was like, Well, if it's quite around you, what do you need to do to boost your sales in the online part of your business to support everything else happening around you? Or what else can you do to get people coming into your store like, let's not just sit and cop it right, because the fact is that seasons will always change. Nothing stays the same life constantly has seasons. The economy has seasons. but your sails should not disappear because it's cold outside, or it's raining.

What we need to do is we need to look at ways that we can change things up. So don't be one of those business owners that assumes. Oh, it's winter, so people don't book in or the economy is bad, so no one's buying same when Covid hit, and I know I keep going back to Covid. But Covid was such a game changer for so many businesses, because some people just sat down and went. Oh, it's too hard, Covid, and it's like they had a reason to kind of give up or not. Try as hard. I had businesses coming to me during Covid that were like, I know, I need to do something different. I know I need to change up my sales. I know I need better strategy. I know I can't just keep winging it. What do I need to be doing to grow my sales. Maybe now is the time to actually focus on putting processes into place that's going to support the business can't just keep winging it. And so all of this sort of stuff is just assumptions like don't assume that people aren't buying. Don't assume that because it's cold, that your business can't grow, or that people are staying home. It's absolutely not the case. So what we need to do is yes, during these seasons that our buyers behavior can change. But that doesn't mean that we need to stay exactly as we are. They're not not buying altogether. We just need to shift our messaging, not what we're doing right.

So let's go back to my beautiful massage that I was having when I rocked up into it was raining the day that I went. So the fact that, or saying that because it's raining and cold, people aren't going is not true, because clearly I was there. But when I walked into the room with the table. She had the coziest setup ever. She had an electric blanket, she had warm towels, she put like a doona thing over me. and I was in complete bliss. I was like, oh, my whole body was just like yes, this is what I need. I need some love. but nowhere in any of her marketing or her messaging, or her focus on driving sales. Was any of this mentioned? I didn't even know before I went in there. I was like, oh, this is nicer than what I was expecting. like people still do self-care in winter. You've just got to change the way that we do our messaging, so that people are willing to come in and they want to come in. K. That massage table was a warm, toasty, little perfect spot for me at that time. If people aren't buying from you at that moment, or because of everything that's going on, I want you to look at your messaging, and I want you to look at ways that you can still boost your sales like. It made me think when I was on that table. how often do we forget to market the actual experience that people have with us the ability for them to truly understand what it would be like to purchase our services or our products. Your clients need to feel what's going on in your business, so don't assume they'll just remember that you're great, or don't just assume that they'll remember, or even know, that you've got a nice toasty, warm electric blanket on. Don't wait for them to come back when the sun is shining and the weather's a little warmer. like. Figure out ways to entice people to come into your business. Okay. The other thing that I want to go through today is how we actually get ahead of the objections that may potentially been coming up one of my beautiful clients or past clients. We haven't worked together for a little while. She we had a big chat on. I think it was Friday afternoon a little while ago, and I was like, How's business going? Because that's like the stock standard question that I ask people, how's business going? What's been happening? And in her industry there is a huge impact from AI, positive or negative, whichever way you want to look at it, there is an impact from AI. And I said to her, How are your sales going? Because you know, the sales check has to ask how sales are going right? And she was like, Oh, yeah, sales are down. And I was like, Why do you think that is? And she's like, I think, because AI is having quite a big impact. And I was like, what are you doing to overcome the objections around AI like AI cannot solve everything. It is freaking good. Yes. but there's still going to be people that want to buy from you that aren't interested in the AI side of it. And AI is not perfect by any means. Okay. So I said to her, What do you need to do to overcome the objection. Call that stuff out.

Here's 5 reasons why we're better than AI. Here's what our clients have said compared to what they've done with AI, and I guarantee in her industry that people would have already thought about, considered, or even tried AI to solve their problem. But I said to her, We need to kind of get ahead of that. So the secret to selling in those slow moments, or those moments where the seasons change or the economies change, or maybe even technology, if we look at it from an AI perspective is we need to overcome that objection before it even hits in our marketing, in our sales in our connecting with our customers. your job as a business owner and a business development salesperson. Whichever way you want to look at it. Maybe you've got salespeople business development managers already in your business. Maybe it's you running the whole show whichever way you look at it. The sales people, which is everyone in your business. But that's a whole nother. Podcast we need to be able to get inside your clients and your ideal clients, minds and answer any questions that they may have before they've even asked them. So if it's too cold to leave the house. Well, we have got your session ready to go. We've got our electric blankets on. We have big, fluffy doonas to keep you nice and toasty while we release the tension of the week or something along those lines. Right? You're literally wrapped in comfort. relaxing escapes. Like all of that, people are still wanting that in winter. Okay, we just need to change our messaging to make it more enticing when people are trying to cut back on spending in inverted commas in my little bunny ears. Sometimes things aren't looked at as a luxury. It's a reset of your body, your mind, or I know, for some people, or for some of my friends, when they go and get their hair done, or they're waxing down. They're like, Oh, God! I feel so much better sometimes. That sort of stuff isn't just a luxury. It's about setting yourself up. It's about changing your mindset. It's about resetting things. It's just the way you market it and the way that you change up your messaging so I really want you to think about what can you do to get proactive? So anticipate what they're thinking. Call out any objections that are coming up. Be that voice in your industry that's like I understand what's going on. I know that you may think or feel this, but here's some reasons why I think this is still a good option to purchase work with me, or whatever that looks like for you. And then you obviously like. In all of this, you want to make sure that you're content, and your offers and your messaging all meets them where they're at right. So it's not just about changing your messaging and hoping that your offer is still relevant in the time that's going on. If you need to tweak your offers based on the industry or the economy or whatever is going on. Then obviously, look at that as well. But 90% of the time. It's literally just the messaging and the way that you sell it. And if I give you a few quick tips as well on how to drive those sales during the seasons of life. So, for example, for me at the moment. Small human, 9 months old, not sleeping. We've had croup. We've had a whole heap of amazing sicknesses going on in this house. So this little Teddy bear's running off, probably maybe 3 to 4 h maximum every night for the past nearly 3 or 4 weeks. And so for me, it's about. What do I need to do to still support the sales in the business?

But like there's plenty of opportunity for me to just go. Oh, this is too hard. I don't want to do it. I'm tired. I'm in that season like everyone would be like, Yeah, that's fine. You've got a baby like, sit back and relax like you can relax with a baby. Sorry I take that back, but you know what I mean like. It's being able to go cool. I know I'm in this phase of life. What do I need to do to support the business and to keep sales turning over? So sometimes in those moments, whether it's weather, whether it's lifestyle, whether it's kids, whether it's economy, whatever it is, create some even seasonal promotions, so make it relevant, make it timely. Make it so clear that you are keeping up to date with whatever's going on. So you're not insensitive to what's going on. But you're also willing to overcome it and help people in all different walks and spaces. Right? And we also want to look at, how can we bring in more emotion into our selling. So sell that feeling not the function right. If I go back to my beautiful massage, lady, she could have been like I like, come and get a massage. Come and get a massage. That's 1 way to do it. Or she could have been like, come and feel warm, toasty, comforted. Release the stress self-care. Take time out for you. All of that is selling the feeling, not the function of the massage like. come and get your back released. Not that sexy. But if you think about it like electric blankets and warm, fluffy, it's like being in bed with someone giving you self-care and massaging you and giving you so much love. Oh, divine! I think I need to book in for another one, and then we also want to look at what can you do to up your visibility? How can we get people to book in with you to drive more traffic to either your site or your store? Or how can we use more social media pro proof? Or how can we change up the research that we're doing or touching base with other people that deal with your ideal clients.

So, for example, the client that I was telling you about from an AI perspective, I was like, go and talk to the people that are using your products and services, or go and talk to the people that are the end result of your clients that have. Have. I'm trying not to identify her that have gone and used your services and the receivers of that, and see what they're saying, because I can tell you for a fact. even if we go back to the AI stuff, there's plenty of things that I can see that people are like completely bodging up in the AI side of life right? And I just look at it and go. Oh, my God, stop it! People that are constantly just using AI to sell, and they've not actually learned how to sell. And they're just thinking, oh, that sounds great. AI is nailing it when no, that's not really the case. We need to actually make sure it's sales optimized. And so call that sort of stuff out and be like, yeah, cool. I know that everyone's using it. But here's 5 reasons why, if you are going to use it, do it better, or come and see me. And we can work through it specifically tailored for your business process whatever. Okay? And we also want to make it really, really easy for people to buy like, let's make that really clear. Click. Here, buy here, walk in book. Now, whatever that is for you. Okay, remove the friction. Remove the reasons as to why people aren't buying, and if people aren't coming to you the way that they used to go to them, find other ways to connect with them for me at the moment. I'm very time poor, very time and energy poor if I'm honest.

And so it's like, how can I still serve people and still help people to move forward while also making sure that me as a human is still going along, and that my family and stuff is supported. So we've got her sales hub, which has all our sales, documents, and templates and frameworks there. They're cost effective for small businesses. They are optimized for sales. It takes you through how to use them. It's basically working with me in a really short, cost, effective way of going great. This is going to help me sell more. So it's a win-win on both sides. My clients and the people that buy them get really, really good results when they implement it. And it's really, really cost effective for either people starting up. People that are having some cash flow issues. or those times when I don't have enough time and space to work with a whole hit more people. So in closing of this podcast and today's episode. I just want to get across. I don't want you to just sit back and cop it. Right don't. Let the seasons dictate your sales. the seasons, the economy, the elections, the tech that's happening in the world. Don't let it dictate your sales, use them to your advantage. Find ways to overcome, how people can still be working with you and create offers that fit that moment or that time in your life, in the economy, in the whatevers. Okay? And speak to really what people are feeling and what's going on for them, and then find ways to help them overcome it. People are still spending. I can guarantee you that. And I use this example over and over and over again. Good old Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift came to Australia in the middle of what they call what I think they were labeling it like an economy downturn or something along those lines. People weren't spending money cost of living. Rah! Rah! Rah! But Taylor Swift comes out and there's billions of people online trying to buy tickets trying to throw money at ticket tech, or whoever was hosting it. And the reality is that it wasn't necessarily that people didn't have the money. It was more that people were like, Wow, I want this right. She was creating that experience for people. So find your inner Taylor Swift ticket selling, so show them that now is the right time to work with you. Now is the right time to be buying. Give them that reason to work with you.

If you need any help doing this, we have her sales club open where we go through all this sort of stuff, when things necessarily aren't working, what do we need to turn it up? What do we need to do to change things. How do we overcome it all of that? Until next episode, my beautiful people go out. Sell, be the amazing business owners that I know you can be chat to you soon. Bye.