My last post was all about the ultimate objective of every business—to sell our products or services. If we don’t, we won’t stay in business!
So why do so many of us feel uncomfortable about selling? Because we’ve been on the receiving end of too many canned sales pitches delivered by pushy people who tried to force fit something down our throat! They weren’t at all interested in whether or not it was right for us!
Of course, that approach turns people off. Successful selling, on the other hand, is simply the process of uncovering a prospect’s needs and determining if what you have to offer meets those needs. If you don’t, so be it. No pressure on either side. The real question is, how do you find prospects? And how do you let them know what it is you offer?
The fastest and easiest way to make sales is to get yourself in front of small groups of friendly people who need and want what you have! That’s where my friend, colleague and Group Talk Expert, Jan Maresh, comes in! She has the best approach I’ve ever found to finding and talking comfortably with prospects. So I’ve invited her to tell you how she does it:
By Jan Saunders Maresh
My mom wasn’t big on housework, so to make it less tedious she’d crank up the old record player. While she worked, I would dance around the living room. So at age three, she enrolled me into The Stevens Dance Studio where I danced for the next 12 years.
However, when I got to Speech Class in college, I was scared to death to get up in front of my peers and “Give a Speech.”
What’s the Difference?
I had been taught how to dance. I knew what to do. So I was comfortable performing in front of an auditorium full of people. But in speech class, I was assigned to speak about some random topic my professor had on the syllabus that I knew little or nothing about. That was scary! 
So let me ask you something. When you go to an event and don’t know anyone, if someone asks you what you do, are you scared to tell them or do you have trouble knowing when enough is enough? I’ll bet it’s the latter.
What’s so different about speaking to more than one person? If you’re looking for the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to market your business and create a sustainable revenue stream, you need to get over this fear of public speaking! Period. How? Change the way you picture public speaking!
Think About This…
When someone opens a new store, what do they usually do? They throw a party, right?
When I start working with a client, they throw three to four “Launch Parties” to introduce their personal and professional “fans” to their business. It usually takes place in comfortable setting like their living room or small meeting room at a public library or community center. And the talk is designed to inform, entertain and move the audience to actually do something (i.e., to buy something or set up an appointment for a consultation).
What does this have to do with you? When you deliver a well-designed, “edu-taining” talk in this kind of venue where the audience is 10 fans or under, you’re sharing your passion with people that already know, like, and trust you. Here’s what happens.
- You aren’t Scared to Death because this small group wants to support you.
- When you stand up in front of the group, your natural position (you are standing the rest are sitting) says you are the expert – THE “Go-To Person” in your niche.
- You close more sales, get more speaking invitations and grow your business naturally.
Jan Saunders Maresh is a top-selling For Dummies author (Home Staging for Dummies and Sewing for Dummies), sales professional, and Group Talk expert. She is passionate about helping business owners get a continuous stream of clients and never have to rely on 1-to-1 selling again. Early in 2015, she launched Talk For Profit – The #1 Resource for Creating Group Talks That Sell. Jan regularly teaches online classes and speaks at national and local industry events. For more on Jan and Talk For Profit, visit www.TalkForProfit.com.
See what I mean about Jan? She teaches you just what to do, so when you’re in front of a group, you know what you’re doing and you feel totally comfortable! I’ll be including more about how Jan does that in future newsletters!
Tell us, how do you feel about public speaking right now? “Super scared,” “a little nervous,” or “I’m totally over it!” Comment below!
