Reopening After COVID: How Can My Small Business Survive? | Annie P. Ruggles - 1450

Today on The Sales Evangelist, we’re joined by the Founder and Dean of The Non-Sleazy Sales Academy, Annie P. Ruggles. Annie has spent the last decade harnessing her Hulk-like disdain for hard sales and tacky self-promotion to help others sell their services without feeling slimy, queasy, or untrue to their ethics. And on today’s episode, she’ll explain how we can maneuver these tactics for sales in a post-COVID world.

How do I ensure that my business will succeed in a post-pandemic world?

• Change areas of your selling that aren’t right for your message and delivery. You no longer have the excuse of COVID to keep those bad habits.
• Consider the post-pandemic a clean slate to look at your selling procedures and identify where more education or skill is needed.
• We tend as small business owners to sell and manage our sales folks to sell to people exactly like us. Cast a wider net. 
• Balance your emotional storytelling with the details and KPIs.

What are some other things salespeople do that may be subtly eroding trust with a prospect? 

• If you can throw your sales script out the window, please do.
• The typical 30-minute discovery call no longer works: How do you know if you're the right fit for them if you blab the whole time?
• Instead, ask, without any fluff, what is the most important problem we could solve together? And how will you know if we're successful?

What can I do for my business to thrive?

• Do more to rise against the horrible reputation of selling.
• We can have literally anything brought to us in minutes, yet we still have this idea that selling requires a ghoulish, predatory behavior. 
• Whoever you are or whatever your personality is, you’re a salesperson if you deliver value and receive profit. That includes parents, coaches, teachers, and many other professions you might not consider.

If you're telling your story, how do you know how much emotion to bring?

• What she doesn't want to do is come off like it's all about her. So she's not going to share personal or painful details, but she will share her story, the emotions she felt, and why that experience helps her understand the prospect’s needs.
• Dial down the detail, dial up the emotion; it helps cast a wider demographics net.

Annie’s major takeaway?

• Post-COVID, we crave connection more than ever. Be a genuine individual. Be present, be honest, and listen.
• Learn when to close your mouth and listen. Especially after sharing the price point, we tend to babble and fill the space. Do not fill the space - that’s their thinking space, and you should respect it.

Did Annie impact you? For those in an education space, visit her website. Otherwise, connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram. 

If you’re interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

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Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com