How to Build Before Selling

Today's issue is brought to you by Wendy, The HR Lady. Wendy trains administrators on H.R. compliance and managers on the rest: the people part, from hiring to termination. Her focus is on your bottom line.?

When Wendy says, "Suck It Up, Buttercup," you're about to hear all the facts, proposed solutions, and possible consequences of your actions or inactions.?

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In today's issue, I share an experience that proves how powerful storytelling is as a marketing tool.?

I know many creators who have sold themselves and their offers using business storytelling.

But I also know hundreds of people struggling with poor sales, zero leads, and low trust.?

So today, I'm going to show you why you should begin to build trust before selling.

I received this letter sometime last week, and the sender has graciously allowed me to share it with my network.?

"Dear Nora,

I've been in your network for a while now, soaking up your content and enjoying your stories.?

But this time, I'm constrained to crawl into your personal space and seek your help.?

I have a couple of courses I created around Accounting for Engineers, and I'd like to get at least 100 sales before the year runs out to help me meet my financial needs and those of my dependents.

I'm an introvert who dreads cold calling. So how can I close 100 deals before the end of December 2022 (3 months from now)?

I don't know how to go about it. Please show me what to do.

P.S. I don't have the funds to run adverts or hire an influencer.

Love,?

Miriam."

Dear Miriam,?

It's my pleasure to have you in my network. Thanks for being here.

I've checked your profile and seen your recent posts.

Though this might not be the advice you expected, I'd like you to stop trying to sell and, instead, start building.

Miriam, I'd need you to:?

• Build not just for now but for the future.?
• Build not just for the leads but for the community.
• Build not just for the money but for the relationships.

Consider building your brand to be like clearing the pipe so that when you turn on the tap in the future, the water (leads) will flow.

Your message reminds me of a time when I saw firsthand the incredible relationship between storytelling and building trust.

Years ago, we relocated to the Southern part of Nigeria, and my mum had left my older cousin to run her business.

We were away for three years, and when we returned, the young man had indeed run the business, but sadly he ran it down.

Everything was a heap of financial rubbles!

Being a resilient woman, my mum picked up the pieces and began to rebuild.?

First, an old customer returned, then another.

Gradually, they came back.?

At first in trickles, and then in droves.

My mum would welcome them and tell stories of her time away.

She'd tell them how different the culture was in the South.

"You know, up North here, children refer to all mothers as Mama," she would say.

"But not so in the parts of the South where we lived."

I'd watch their eyes widen, begging her to continue her stories.

"Once, my daughter greeted an older woman, referring to her as "Mama."

"As it should be!" one customer shouted. "Anyone old enough to be your mother should be called Mama."

"Big mistake, my sister," my mum said.

"You don't say" another customer chimed in.?

"Wait till you hear her words", my mum said. Would you believe she instantly turned red with anger?

"Pointing her index finger, she told my daughter: Don't call me Mama. I'm not your Mama.

"That was our first culture shock.?

"You see, down South, you don't call anyone Mother except she's your real mother.?

"Women there are fashionable, and the term Mama makes them feel old."

I'm sure I'd heard that story, and others like it more than a dozen times.

But because my mum was a masterful storyteller,? each time, they sounded new.?

Her customers would laugh, and others would express shock about differences in culture, food, and clime.

Those women lived for her stories.

Every Saturday, the shop would be teeming with customers.?

Many of them came because of her compelling narratives.

Mum's shop was their peace away from the storm.

They came not just for business but to listen to her narratives, share their stories, and laugh heartily.

The salon was not just a business. It was a community of women who lived for those hearty banters.?

So it happened that while we provided the haven they needed, we also made money.

Within six months,? the business was back to its past glory, and from then on, it only got better.

I know you're wondering what this has to do with your target.

Miriam, your ideal customers will like you to stop selling and instead build trust.?

With time, the sales will come.?

And what excellent way to build trust than with storytelling?

When you tell stories, you reveal a part of yourself that we don't readily see.?

• You're being you.
• You're sharing you, and
• You're owning your vulnerabilities.

We, in turn, will reward that with our trust.?

We'll know you, like you, and buy your offers.

Love,

Nora.

P.S.: An excellent way to stop the scroll and reel in your ideal customers is to optimize your LinkedIn profile. Download my free LinkedIn cheatsheet, and let me know if you need help with content.