Open Mic Recap: How to Sell Without Sounding Salesy or Robotic

Does the mere thought of having sales conversations make you nervous? Are you afraid of coming across sounding like “just another sales person”?

Sales expert Aleasha Bahr helped us set those fears aside in this month’s Open Mic event.

Thanks to those who joined us in the audience. While we aren't able to record LinkedIn audio events, here's a quick summary. And be sure to follow me for notifications of future Open Mic events! (If you have a suggested topic, please share that in the comments.)

First we discussed why it’s okay to be a bit awkward in sales conversations:

• Following a script doesn’t allow for personalization or intuition.
• Be human – let the conversation happen organically.

For more tips, listen to my podcast episode with Aleasha:

I asked Aleasha to explain the concept of “Authoritative Empathy”:

• She said it’s powerful because it’s so rare – it helps the person feel understood.
• It’s not the same as compassion or mirroring, but rather understanding how someone feels.
• Lead with hope, not pain. Acknowledge and guide them to a new path – don’t brush off how they feel.

We then transitioned to the topic of how to sell a high-ticket deal:

• First of all, “expensive” is subjective – what seems like a lot of money to you might be viewed as a great deal by them. So find out what it’s worth to the person you’re talking with, and relate it to things they’ll understand (give perspective).
• Stay focused on the result, not the deliverables.
• For more on this, read Aleasha’s post, “How to Land Large Clients with Confidence.”

Next we talked about reframing the way you view objections:

• It’s not about overcoming objections – instead you want to be preventative. Ask questions and bring up/address common issues from the beginning of the conversation.
• Everybody has baggage –?it stems from a lack of clarity and fear.
• Objections might actually be valid, so listen and help the person understand and compare. And it’s okay to not be a fit!

Finally we talked about improving your post-show follow up:

• Don’t say “circling back” or “touching base” and don’t just ask if they have any questions. Guide the conversation instead. Ask if their timeline has changed, or remind them of a specific thing you discussed in the booth, and always give value.
• Ask a direct question – don’t be passive. Ask about a specific part of the conversation saying something like, “Did you feel that XYZ covered things for you?”

What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to sales conversations, either in the booth or in your post-show follow-up? Please share in the comments!

And if you'd like help prepping your booth staff for your next show, please reach out to me. We can discuss how to educate your team to gather the most qualified leads.