Earlier this week I heard my pal Nikki Rausch at Your Sales Maven speak. Selling Without Being Salesy is a topic near and dear to my heart and it was so great to hear her advice. Nikki says the #1 Mistake to Avoid when selling is:
No Disclaimers
Preach woman! As she says, you’re robbing us from having an authentic experience here. We are now distracted by whatever your excuse is (I have a cold, kid’s sick, I left my notes at home, I’m nervous, etc.) whatever your disclaimer is – take a breath and keep it to yourself. Text your significant other or BFF and tell them, but please don’t distract your audience or client or prospect.
This has been a bigger challenge for me lately with the passing of Hank. I took a few days off, I eased into work with clients who know me well and I did the work I knew I COULD do. But I also knew not to schedule many meetings or appointments that were going to be overwhelming for me. The mascot of your company passing away is a pretty big disclaimer, and then I end up talking about when their dog died 10 years ago. I appreciate making the connection, and I want to make sure it’s not taking either of us out of the situation at hand.
I’m lucky to have amazing clients who understand and are giving me grace this month. And the two new clients I’ve started working with are so wonderful and I’m doing my best to not use disclaimers! How about you? What are your disclaimers? Start paying attention – and email me if you need to dump that disclaimer somewhere before your next meeting!
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