How to Sell at Every Step of the Customer Journey - And Still not be 'Pushy' - Part 1 of 3

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Successful sales means you are selling at every step of the customer journey, not just a single point in time. Therefore to be excellent at sales, is to be brilliant and delivering the entire customer experience.

There is a prevailing reluctance to talk about sales based on our aversion to the “pushy, unwanted salesperson who lacks integrity.” This is not that.

Sales is a much broader part of your business. It breaks down into three key phases: Customer Attraction, Customer Service, and Customer Retention.

In this edition of Open Jaw U, we will cover the first phase:

Customer Attraction

Customer Attraction is a personal invitation to work with you.

It differs from marketing attraction in that it requires your one-on-one attention.

Focus on a setlist of high-value prospects. Conduct a series of specific customer attraction actions that influence their decision to buy from you. Create a wide array of specific "touchpoints" so that you are in their sightlines, and when the time is right you're the first person they think of. (See the Love "em Up List below)

The key to the customer attraction stage is to be very intentional about it. This means letting your prospects know that they matter to you.

The other side of attraction is to be attractive. You are the authority of your business. People are attracted to you because of your energy, confidence, and conviction.

Recently an advisor shared with me a profound example of conviction, inspired by Cathy Denroche, Regional Sales Director, Oceania Cruises.

“Think of your life laid out on a measuring tape. You are already two-thirds of the way through it.

The inches roll faster every year. There are no guarantees on how far you will make it on that tape."

Wouldn’t you rather travel sooner and in a more meaningful way? Don’t cut corners on your trip. Take the one you’ve always wanted.

The agent took charge of the conversation and drew the client in by her conviction for what good travel looked like, and why it mattered, now.

In a similar way, your travel business is on a measuring tape. It takes time to build your business, your way. What would happen a year from now when you look back on your business and you don't make the calls you need to today or this week. Take action, even if it's a small step towards cultivating your customer attraction strategy.

The Love 'Em Up List

Here are just a few ideas to warm up your list and attract your own "A-List Crowd:"

Print out your list – a physical representation of 250 – 500 people you care about (I do love a good printed list and a highlighter pen!);
Focus on 30-50 ideal clients who fit in the market you are shifting to;
Make note of who is the most engaged with you – who’s opened your newsletters, liked you on social media, responded to your emails – call and thank them!
Commit to a goal such as 1 a day, 5 calls before 10 am, or 30 calls per week;
Experiment with the best times to call, best questions to ask, make it a game!
Be easy to find (do people know where you are, how to reach you);
Be easy to buy from (update people on your new schedule and routines);
Share a “thinking of you” piece of content (personalized);
Check-in with people without selling a thing'
Send note cards'
Share a text message with an attachment;
Share a news article via a personalized email.

There is really no limit to the number of things you can do to improve your customer attraction skills. The key is to choose one or two that speak to your strengths - and double down on them. Find someone to hold you accountable to do them every day.