I blew it. Can you relate?

As I was thinking about what to write you this week, I really wanted to avoid telling you this story. But because we often learn more from our mistakes than our accomplishments, I’m vetoing my pride and sharing this with you.

I totally blew a sales call. Like, tanked it.

A referral came my way from a past client, and I was excited because this referral was my ideal client. But by the time the call was over, I absolutely knew I wouldn’t be getting the business.

For the sake of learning, I’m going to break down the top reasons why the call didn’t go well:

1. I didn’t prepare (tactically or energetically) — I felt disconnected from my business and the work

2. I didn’t ask enough questions to uncover the true pain points of the potential client before moving on to talk about working together

3. I focused more on the mechanics of what it looks like to work with me, rather than the results I bring (remember, “details tell, benefits sell!”)

Now, believe me, I know we can’t win ‘em all. I’ve heard “no” plenty of times over 20 years, and I rarely cry over spilt milk.

However, something about this particular experience felt different — and while I always try to learn from my mistakes, I knew there was something really important to learn about this one.

In reflecting, I recognized pretty quickly that the lack of preparation was the first domino to fall. Going into the call feeling disconnected and ungrounded set off a chain of events that derailed the whole conversation.

And let’s be honest. Who isn’t feeling disconnected from work right now? 

We are in a collective time of mourning and action, focusing on the critical need to fight for racial justice. Of course we’re not fully present for sales calls — and that’s okay.

And at the same time, I know a big part of this work — especially for white people — is to weave racial justice into our lives for the long haul. No more flash-in-the-pan activism.

We must continue to build our businesses WHILE we dismantle white supremacy. We’re not doing anyone any favors if we’re tanking sales calls.

Between the pandemic and the uprising for racial justice, you might also be feeling disconnected from your work and wondering how to get back to closing business.

We live in a new world, and I think that’s a good thing. You might find that referrals and word-of-mouth is no longer enough to reach your goals. You might be realizing that you need new strategies to keep going — and we need you to keep going.

My advice to you? Get back to basics. 

It’s a great time to revisit your sales funnel and reevaluate how you’re attracting ideal clients, leading them through a sales process and closing them.

To that end, I am pleased to share the Sales Breakthrough Mastermind — a 10-week group program to strengthen your sales process and help you sell with confidence. If you know you need support to grow your business right now, I’d love to help.

Have you recently had some learnings? Please share in the comments below!