Sales Is About Servant Leadership. Here’s Why.

Thought leaders who help others via educational programs, coaching and consulting tend to be highly creative individuals. We possess a wide array of gifts and modalities that we bring to our work.

Part of the challenge, however, is that we tend to struggle with sales and lead generation. Why? Because we want to give, share, and tell people about all of the things and all of the ways we can serve them.

But, this does not align with how adults are able to digest information and marketing materials. Too much information causes overwhelm and people don’t end up seeing the need for all the information they are consuming.

When you talk too much about the process you use to address their pain points, your audience is going to get stuck in their heads. They’ll think it’s too much and that they aren’t ready (which is why they need your help in the first place).

So, what’s the fix?

As service leaders, we need to put ourselves on a “communication diet,” so to speak. It’s important that we chunk down what we do and how we do it into a succinct framework. This framework can’t just include the process or the pain points we solve. It needs to address the vision on the other side of the problem and viable outcomes.

In other words, adult learners will feel motivated when your content is about them; when they see themselves in the situations you’re describing. This is the case with any educational framework for coaching, consulting, and training.

Being a thought leader who is putting their creativity out there to serve people puts us in an interesting position. When we offer people our programs or services, it is our duty to step up, be bold, and be courageous. We need to allow for the space of building a vision with our audience and actually seeing a vision of possibility within ourselves.

To do that, we need to walk the walk and model our own journey. We need to talk about outcomes and how people can expect to see a transformation. The best way to do that is by giving explicit examples, modeling the outcomes you’re describing, and be candid about your own journey. And, yes we need to tell stories. But not just the story, we also need to illustrate the vision for our people and how they see themselves in their own story. Then, we can invite people into a conversation and help them move toward those outcomes for themselves.

Sales is about servant leadership. It is not something scary where we are pushing someone into buying something. It’s not about hierarchy or dominance. It’s about showing up for each individual and outlining your vision for them. Let people know that they are responsible for their results, but that you’re going to help them get there with love and intention.

By creating a container of trust and belief, you’re helping them see the possibilities that lie ahead as a result of working with you.

Takeaways for Success

• Avoid content overload. When you talk too much about the process you use to solve pain points, your audience gets stuck in their heads.
• Go on a “communication diet.” Create a succinct framework that explains what you do and how you do it. Address the vision you have for your clients and viable outcomes as a result of working with you.
• Model your own journey. Illustrate the outcomes you’re describing by being candid about your experiences. Tell stories that allow potential clients to see themselves in it.

Want to chat more about how you can show up as a bold and courageous leader through your sales process? I’d love to host a free, one-on-one discovery call with you. Book time on my calendar here: https://calendly.com/brigetteiarrusso