Okay, let me paint a picture. You've got a client or a potential client who says they see the value in you. They're maybe even paying you if you're, if they're an existing client, they're engaging with you. If they're not an existing client, like they're giving you all these great signs. But every time you try to move the relationship forward, it's like pushing a shopping cart with a busted wheel, right?

You know those ones, it's the loudest cart in the entire store. I just had that experience. So if you've ever thought, am I being strung along, or should I push harder, should I pull back? This episode is for you. Welcome back to Selling Your Expertise podcast. I'm Renee Hribar sales coach for service providers and consultants who are sick and tired of being undervalued and disrespected.

I help you package up, sell, and deliver your expertise that goes way beyond just replacing. Your income from your corporate job. Whether you've read my book and found this podcast, or if you've seen one of my talks like the one I did for TEDx, I'm glad you're here. Now. Let's continue on with this juicy, awesome episode, shall we?

What I'm gonna share with you is especially important in January. When everyone is planning, but nobody seems to want to decide yet, right? Dun, dun dun. This isn't forcing conversions. This is about positioning yourself so that the next yes is inevitable. So what's changed, right with our buyers, they're more risk averse.

They're slower to decide. Maybe they're full of cheese still from the holidays, or they're, they've got brain fog from the cleanse they're doing bottom one, they're, they're ultimately overwhelmed by all the options, right? There's just more and more and more options for everything, and they're getting like Cheesecake Factory overwhelm, but they're also terrified of choosing the wrong next step.

Because let's face it, they've made the wrong decision before. They've chosen the wrong decision before and it's hurt. And right now they're remembering. So if you're trying to convince someone instead of cook it right, we wanna cook it nice and get those warm coals going, then you're gonna feel frustrated real fast.

So this is what brings me to this, this week's client story. So this week we're gonna call this person. Chris, I love the, uh, the names that you can't tell their gender, but this is a, this is a woman who I've worked with. She's amazing. She's fantastic. And this is actually from a recent call that we had. And so Chris is a respected expert.

She has a strong reputation. She gets really good results for her clients. She has multiple ongoing retainer clients, but this one particular client. Who definitely loves her work. You know, says they see the ROI keeps negotiating these tiny details. It's like, can we meet on Tuesdays instead of Thursdays?

Okay, sure. Can we do this instead of that? Okay, sure. Like it's these tiny little negotiating details and this particular client, again loves her. Sees the ROI, they want guarantees and equations and certainty and spreadsheets on spreadsheets. I mean, this, this person is a classic data brain buyer, right?

And Chris is over here like, okay, I don't sell widgets, you know, I sell transformation. But you know, she is also very data driven. So she does, she's complicit, right? She's definitely, she does have. She has the guarantees and the equations and the certainty and the spreadsheets on spreadsheets like that is also her love language.

So it's not that big of a deal. But the reality is, is she's, she doesn't sell widgets. She sells transformation. So what do you do when, in this case, they're paying you already, but they're not ready for that bigger. Yes, that next bigger phase or an additional bigger project and pushing harder would just backfire, right?

So here is what we did. We, what I call, changed the front door. So let me share my framework. Hint, you don't push, you indoctrinate. And this totally unlocked everything for Chris with this particular person. So you might've heard me say before, there are four mile markers that every buyer must pass. Before they can say yes to anything, the first mile marker is proximity.

They need to know you exist. You need to be near them. With the internet, it's easy. An email, proximity, a dm, proximity, a post proximity. Proximity is easy, easier today than ever, ever, ever, and in history. Second Mile marker is a reason to engage and everybody loves to get stuck here. Stay here and it drives me bonkers.

So let me just tell you a reason to engage. It's, it's a reason to reach out, right? Clear context for why you are talking to them right now. This goes for existing and potential clients. Mile marker Number three, education. This. Is the biggest, most important mile marker. It's where they understand what you do and they feel understood about their problem, so they feel like you've been educated on them and their problems, and you've taken the time to clearly educate them on what you do and how you do it.

The fourth mile marker, which is the one that we're gonna talk about today, is indoctrination. Whereas they know that if they're ever gonna solve this problem, it would only be with you. Most people try to sell at stage two, which is reason to reach out, reason to engage that is too much, too fast, too soon.

So they go like, oh, I don't know where my leads are. So I give them proximity. They find their leads. I don't know what to say, to start the conversation. So we create a reason to reach out, a reason to engage. And then they're like, okay, here. Bam. And I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down, slow down.

Because part of the mile marker number three, the education part is. Asking questions. So in this particular case with Kris's client, they were stuck between education and indoctrination, which means pushing the offer would've actually slowed things down. So instead we created a new container and instead of chasing or convincing or be like, I'm just touching base about that thing.

We had that conversation about that thing you said you needed. No, we're gonna be more specific and we're gonna be have be more poignant, more contextual. So number one, we created a new paid entry point, which acted as a filter. So in Chris's world, that's a blueprint session where over the course of two screen sharing zoom calls, first one's 40 minutes, second one's 20 minutes.

She and the client map out what's important now, establish a realistic timeline to put it into action. And gather the assets the client has and what they need to get or find or create so that once the project starts. It can be completed efficiently. In other words, all the big decisions are made before the project starts.

And Chris sells this separately as a filter. So for you, it might be a review, an audit, an assessment, or a short term engagement, like one week or one month or 21 days. I've done that a lot, or a VIP day. So this is not an end offer, it's a filter. It's, and not everyone gets invited to this. So number two. We asked great qualifying questions, and this is key.

It's not just checking in, but instead it's direct questions that are research based so that no matter how they answer, it's going to move the the needle forward. In this case, it's an existing client, an existing retainer client, but there's another big project that's. Been on the wings for a long time, and Chris just wants to get it moving, but they're dragging their feet and instead of just asking about it and asking about it, we're gonna ask all the satellite questions around it.

And so a direct question like, do you have X? Which is a component of what she knows the bigger project is. So. For example, if it's a website, it's like, okay, do you have the text for this page? So not even the whole website, just this page for example. , Outcome based prompts. Like, Hey, finish this sentence for me.

When it comes to blank, I want blank again. We're making it as easy as possible for the client, in this case, Chris's client, to move the needle forward. We're asking little questions because the big question, They can't consume it, they can't receive it. We also can do invitations to share results like that.

Sounds amazing. Send me a screenshot. So, for example, Chris's client had, put up a post about one of their wins, and she reached out to them directly, put a screenshot of the e of the post in there and said, this is amazing. Send me a screenshot of those. Dashboard results, which is what you know was not published publicly, but that Chris knew she wanted to see.

Because those are the kind of things that could go in the bigger project, right? So why would we even do that? The way someone replies to your questions reveals their readiness. So if they start talking on and on and on and on, or sending you a paragraph or 10. That's a buying sign, that's a signal that they're ready.

'cause they're really talking about it. And it also gives you lots of information. If they give you like one word answers, they're not ready. Like if they give you one word answers like my teenager, they're not ready. and if they don't reply at all, cool, they're still in your ecosystem. And this goes as well for people that are potential clients.

So if you ask a question, a follow up question, I'm calling them follow up questions. But really they're just really good questions, satellite questions, and they don't reply at all. They're still on your email list. They still get your broadcast emails. You can still send them SMS broadcasts when you're doing something, but you're not gonna be personally thinking about them or reaching out to them this week.

So I just wanna say like every single person that I work with has a focus for the week, not just the long-term focus. Yes, we talk about the horizon, but we also talk about what's in front of us, what's under our feet, what's under our nose. This week, take actions This week, we all are publishing, connecting, and closing, or at least Every single week with specific people, and I really think that that's the ultimate big aha moment that a lot of people have. It's definitely the one that Chris had when we first started working together. Now, again, that's not her name. I'm using it as an anonymously because I don't call my clients on the carpet.

But her situation, her scenario is very common and how we solved it, I thought it would be a great podcast for you. So onward and upward. Number three, we shared a client success story. Publicly now. This to me always feels like middle school, right? Like if I wanted, I don't even wanna say his name. 'cause you what?

If he's listening or somebody hears him. He is actually a really cool guy. So it's the guy that I dated when I was in seventh grade, right Guy kid. I really wanted to get his attention before we, you know, became girlfriend and boyfriend. So I would. Make sure that I slowly walked past his locker on the days that my hair looked great, right?

Or I would make sure that I showed up to, Hmm, happened to be working out next in the same gym as the, or next to the, the whatever the football practice like. You know, you kind of casually on purpose, not on purpose. Show up where they are looking your best. Right? So, and this is like every rom-com too. So even if you didn't have this experience, but it's very, it feels very much to me like whenever we do this, but it works like a fricking charm.

It's part of the secret sauce. So share our client success story publicly. So what we did is we shared a client success story with them in mind. So it's the thing you want them to see, but it's also really cool, so you don't mind sharing it with everybody. Right. So you're like, here's what's, so let's say you shared this, you know, it's there, it's a testimonial or a case study or just a, a clip, a snapshot, a clip of a dashboard or something that you've done for someone else, not the person you want to talk to about like in this case it was, Chris was not talking to the person.

She wanted to do this bigger project with she. Hoping that they would see it, but we're gonna do more than hope, and I'll tell you that in a second. So she publishes this email where, you know, it's like, here's what's possible. Here's what they did. If you want this too, reply here, do this. So now the sale is socialized, right?

Like you're no longer pushing, you're curating an experience. So here's the part, we're gonna do more than hope. So you then. Reach out to the person. So Chris reached out to this existing client who she was trying to get into a bigger project with, because it was one that had been on the the list for a while, but hadn't been put into a project at, at, you know, at any point it's been like, paused, paused, pause.

We're not gonna talk about that. There's this going on. There's that going on. You know, you know those clients, right? Like there's always a reason, there's always a wrench, there's always some kind of dot, dot dot happening. So publicly shared the success. Then reached out to the client wherever they were historically communicating.

So in this case it was actually dms. 'cause even though yes, they do answer emails, they do respond like the dm, then you know the, the founder actually knew she was talking to her, not just like in a Slack channel or just a general email broadcast. And this is what Chris said. So I'm actually gonna read to you, write the off the draft email that Chris sent to this client that we drafted together.

Okay. Ready? said, Hey, did you see the email I sent out today? I was thinking of you. And then she waited for a response and then she's like, okay, I would love to see you move forward with that same result. And this is perfect timing because you've been making some great progress lately.

I have an opening next week. Let's set up a progress meeting and see if your business is ready for the next step or if you should wait. Key. If you're ready, we can move forward with one of my blueprint sessions, which is the one she just created for him. Basically because you're an existing client, I'll hook you up.

Also important. And then she's like, I've got day, date, time, time zone. You know, these two times available. Would either of these work for you? That's it. So lemme just point out what we did here. She's like, I was thinking of you. She cares, right? You've been making progress. It's true and it emphasizes that you've been paying attention.

We'll see if your business is ready, right? That takes away what could feel like a personal attack, and it's like, let's see if your business is ready, and then if you're ready, this is what happens next, right? The blueprint sessions, and since you're an existing client, I'll hook you up, meaning I'll give you the best offer available.

PS that does not mean a discount necessarily. Offers are more than just. One component. Again, that's another big thing that I work on with my clients and, and again, this is all stuff that you know, is, is Marketing 1 0 1, but for many of us and many of my clients who are super duper schmo experts, they just didn't study marketing and sales to the extent that I did.

They didn't, they haven't practiced it. They haven't had their 10,000 app. Piece in each strategy yet, and that's why this podcast and the book and ultimately working together are what help genuinely. Turn the dial. So she also, most importantly, gave two dates and times. So if they're into you, they will choose one of those.

and if they have a conflict, they'll move the other thing without telling you. If they're not that into you, they'll go back and forth with you, oh, I don't know. I can't do it this time. I can't do it that time. Offer another time. So right here again, I've had people get stuck before like, well, shouldn't I just send my calendar link?

No, because you want the two dates. 'cause that builds in a natural deadline also, if they are not that into it yet and they go back and forth again, they might not even consciously know that they're not that into it, but their actions are saying this. Okay? And so if they go back and forth, you actually want the back and forth because it gives you a continuous.

Reason to reach out, and it continues to have that built in deadline without it feeling like this is now or never, or it's worse. It's whenever you're ready. Don't do that. Don't do that. Whenever you're ready. Oh goodness. Don't do that Because it isn't whenever they're ready. 'cause you're, you know, you're not gonna live forever.

I'm not either. We're not. Im immortal. So, and you're gonna wanna like, take vacations and have time off so it's not whenever. They're ready. Honestly, it is when you are available, and this is where you start to protect your time and you start to see how you can actually have more clients than you structure every client in a better way.

So again, not for this podcast, this one we're gonna focus, but you can see how like one thing always leads to another, right? So. This was closed with a direct question. So if you don't ask a direct question, it creates a barrier to respond. I'm gonna say that again. If you don't end every correspondence with a direct question, you are creating a barrier.

To them responding. And honestly bonus to all of this, even if, even if, even though you're focused on them and you're getting them into the next phase for this bigger project, you use this experience and this point in the sales process to create a broadcast email. So that also might scoop up a sleeper lead that is suddenly ready to make a move, right?

So I love this part of the strategy that we put into place with Chris. Okay, so let me break it down. Why does this work, especially in January? Because in January a lot of buyers are, they, they want safety. I remember my first company, my accountant was like, if you don't spend $1, she's, this was like, she said, this dollar for clients.

If you don't spend $1 extra, then end than you have to in January. It sets you up for success for the next. 12, you know, for the rest of the year. Now, I don't know where she got this. She definitely said it every freaking year to me and like, you know, banged on the gavel about it. So she must have got it from somewhere, and I'm sure she's not the only one who says this.

So maybe this is something people have in their head, but ultimately that's what she would pound into mind. And a lot of people feel that way, right? They want safety. One easy way, you know, to do that is to, is to. Create that safety is to share stories. As humans, we are more receptive to stories versus just pitches.

Even if the pitch is great, even if the offer is amazing, it's a brick of gold. It's an absolute next best step. Oof. But we gotta get it in. To the person's heart and mind. And so this approach lets them feel seen, heard, and understood, shows results, and invites them into the conversation. Keeps you positioned as the trusted advisor, especially with a sentence like, let's see if your business is ready for this, right?

Being their trusted advisor. Protecting the relationship at all costs is always the most important thing. Okay, so here's what, here's my little January challenge for you, or at least for this week. We wanna keep things as simple as possible. I know that we're rolling, we're rolling, we're rolling. But we wanna really set that foundation.

So I want you to identify a new paid next step for an existing client. So for Chris, the blueprint session worked because that is a new offer for that person. The blueprints are something that she does do often, but didn't do when she first started working with that client. So for this client, it was a new.

Front door to a new additional project because she is currently on retainer. The second thing is we gotta stop trying to sell the next big thing before they're qualified. Right? Like I get asked this question a lot and my team's, Hey, I have this offer. Do you wanna check it out? Yeah, I'll check it out.

Hey, the, yeah, the offer looks good, but the offer is only as good as the person that you're making the offer to and the context around that. And so the offer can look great, but if the context is off, well, it's not gonna land, right? Like if you just had Thanksgiving dinner and I knock on your door and I'm like, Hey, I have Turkey and, and potatoes and pie.

Do you want it? They're like, no, I'm full. Right? So the context, the timing is off, right? So the third thing I want you to do is don't shy away from communicating on all available channels. Don't just think, well, I sent an email and no one responded, or I sent them an email and they didn't respond. You know what?

Email? It, it's, it doesn't have the deliverability as it always did. We all get unended with emails. Not everybody's organized with their emails. Not everybody's is, you know, some people are really good with emails, some people aren't, but so don't just email, email, DM, text. I was talking to somebody else.

one of my other clients, and she was like, I was like, well, how do you normally talk to this person? She was trying to, you know, reconnect with a, with a former colleague. She's like, we just texted. I go, then just text him, like, don't feel like you have to go outside of what you've always done. 'cause that would feel weird to that person receiving it, right?

Like if Joanne always texted me and now she's suddenly sending me note cards, it's gonna feel weird. Sure I got the note card, but I'm like, why am I getting a note card? When she would just normally text me, is this really Joanne? Prove yourself. Right. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like if your, if your husband or your spouse always texts you and then suddenly, you know, I don't know, called you, you're like, why are you calling me?

No, I'm kidding. That's just me. Bottom line is this, everyone's attention is pulled in a thousand different directions right now. I know like our school calendar just changed and sports are shifting again, and all these different things are happening in personal and professional worlds that are just like making that one brain cell that I feel like I have left sometimes, like pulled in a different thousand directions.

So just know that everyone's going through that right now, especially, and so. If you just keep it simple to these three things, you're going to be fine. Okay? Like it doesn't have to be hard. I've just given you a killer strategy. If you just re-listen to this and deploy it, you will have forward motion.

You will not be stuck in a rut. You will not be a. Chained to the existing clients you have or the prices you currently are charging or the situation that you're currently in, you have control. That's what I want more than anything else. When I, with my book and with this podcast and with working with the clients and having the community that I have, it's to help you know that you have choices.

You can be in control of your lead flow, of your cash flow, and of your life, right, of your, the time you spend doing anything. it's not impossible. There is a better way. So if this episode hit home, make sure you're on my email list. Please leave a review if this is something that you, you know, really like, because every review gets us to more people's ears.

Keep getting those insights from me when you're on my email list. Of course. And the best part is when you're on my email list, you can hit reply to any email I ever send you and ask me anything. So thank you so much for being here today. I will see you next week.