Five to Thrive - The 5 Steps to Selling

When it comes to selling, people often think about the old-school motto: "Always be closing." But in my experience, that’s not the best way to approach it. Instead, let’s talk about a sales strategy focused on thriving—not just closing. This approach is about building genuine connections, sharing a vision, and creating lasting value.

We’re all selling something, whether a product, an idea, or ourselves. Effective selling isn't just about pushing the close - it's about knowing how to stimulate interest, transition that interest, and finally, manage and develop the vision you've shared with your clients or partners.

Here’s a look at what makes this Five to Thrive strategy powerful, and how it can change the way you approach sales.

1) Stimulate Interest

The first step in any successful sales strategy is to stimulate interest. But let me clarify, stimulating interest isn’t about pushing a sale. In fact, that’s where most people go wrong. When someone’s unavailable or uninterested, a hard sell won’t change their mind. Instead, focus on creating curiosity and making them available to you.

To do this effectively, separate the initial interest from the actual sale. Your only goal at this stage is to make people want to learn more. For example, if you call someone and they don’t answer, your only goal should be to leave a message that excites them enough to call you back.?

This curiosity you create is what makes people want to call you back or continue the conversation. Sales isn’t just about closing; it’s about opening doors and finding open minds. That’s what stimulates genuine interest.

2) Transition Interest

Once you have someone’s attention, it’s time to transition that interest. But this isn’t the point where you hit them with a hard pitch. Instead, use this moment to connect emotionally and let your authenticity come through.

When I meet someone who loves sports just as much as I do, I bring that into the conversation.? Take the time to be more interested than interesting and learn what your prospect cares about and is important to them.? These connections matter because people want to work with those who they have an emotional connection with. Sharing a story, experience, or even a vision creates that bond.

Once you’ve built that connection, you can transition into sharing more about your product, service, or solution.?

The easiest way to do this is through Open-ended questions, which are meant to gain the most information possible about people's values, wants, or needs and how they relate to a given task or opportunity.

Some of my favorite open-ended questions to ask are:

• “What are you doing today?”
• “What do you like (or not like) about it?”

Asking these types of open-ended questions and truly listening to the answers allow us to learn about a person’s current mindset and emotions. When we are emotionally connected to those around us, we get what I call “stable data."

This is a set of correct information that enables us and empowers us to share a vision.

3) Share a Vision

Now it's time to share your vision. By utilizing the data you have collected through open-ended questions, you now transition to close-ended questions that highlight the value you can provide. By doing this, you'll be able to connect their goals with your solutions,? increasing your chances of closing the deal by asking them, ?"Can you see any reason you wouldn't want to move forward?"

4) Manage and Develop the Vision

After sharing your vision, focus on managing and developing it. This isn't about exceeding expectations—it's about meeting them consistently. Be honest about what you can deliver. People appreciate transparency, and it builds trust.

Provide continuous value and keep the lines of communication open. By doing so, you're not just making a sale; you're building a relationship.

5) Thrive

Finally, it's time to thrive. At the end of the day, a successful sales strategy doesn’t just end at the close. Instead, it ends with your customer’s success and satisfaction. When you approach sales with a genuine desire to help, and when you stick to these steps—stimulating interest, transitioning interest, managing the vision—you’ll thrive. You’ll create a network of people who aren’t just customers, but advocates.? You will build a community of people who buy from you, and sell for you, for life.

This approach works because it’s about more than transactions. It’s about building connections that last. So, the next time you think about sales, think about thriving, not just closing. Because when you thrive, so do your customers, your partners, and ultimately, your business.