HOW TO SELL TO HIGH LEVEL CLIENTS

WITH EASE.

Hey, are you an entrepreneur, a coach, or business owner who feels ‘icky’ around selling or is not quite sure how to sell and pitch in a natural, authentic way?

If that is the case, I get it!

I spent years struggling with either being too passive or too pushy. Then, I had to stop and reflect as to whether I was attracting my ideal clients.

My ego used to tell me I had to help everyone that asked or contacted me, but truth is there are less experienced coaches, less qualified that I can refer individuals to who don’t have a budget, or if they do, a very small one. It is a win – win, as they get recognition and experience and testimonials, and perhaps the visibility they need, and the individual gets the help they need. The bottom line is this: if someone does not value your work, they are not your target audience. I have spent thousands and decades honing my craft and so if someone cannot see I am gold, and only been exposed to silver, they won’t realize my worth, that’s ok… they are not my ideal clients.

Wanting to help everyone is a kind of “messiah” complex. If you have that, let it go. It's your fence and you can build whatever you see fit and make a decision to only allow the right people in – these are the people who are willing to climb over your fence – and this keeps the wrong people out.

Let me introduce myself, I’m Annie Ashdown, I help women overcome imposter syndrome, crush self- doubt, and let go of limiting beliefs so they can finally live that dream life they’ve always had their sights on.

You see, charging high fees and attracting in the right clients ISN’T just for a chosen few and you don’t need to have been in business for a decade, or be super famous like Marie Forleo or Denise Duffield Thomas before you can have a schedule packed with your ideal clients. Bull to that shit!

Selling with confidence in a heartfelt way without using manipulative tactics is a learned skill. I believe that being successful at sales involves helping prospects to make great buying decisions. It is all about figuring out what they want and need, together with the skills and confidence to show them why they should buy what you provide. They get what they need, and you get to work with your ideal client.

For 20 years I’ve worked as a master coach, cognitive hypnotherapist, author, speaker and intuitive with an extensive client list including ultra-high net worth individuals, Hollywood actors, CEOs, global decision makers, political leaders and high- profile entrepreneurs. I’ve helped them de- escalate anxiety, tackle self- belief, move past fear and insecurity, conquer imposter syndrome and build mental resilience so they can live their dream life.

I come from a family of entrepreneurs and since age 18 I had huge success in business. Then after many years working in the world of TV and Film, something traumatic took place and I crashed. Unable to work I lost everything… I was broke… completely broke. I used my credit card to hire a coach in NYC for 3 months. My experience was so powerful that I decided to max all my cards out on training to become a coach. In UK at that time, coaching was a rare phenomenon. I took a brave leap of faith put some daffodils in a vase on my lounge table and told everyone that would listen I was a coach, I emailed contacts, friends, drove to some local health stores and gyms and posted flyers and prayed the phone would ring. It was a nerve- wracking time.

I worked from the ground up, continually learning and investing in my own personal growth. I had to walk the talk if I was going to help others build confidence, move the needle, and play full out to live their dream life. Over the years, whilst working as a coach I honed the strategies and techniques that brought me success from an entrepreneur’s perspective, and it paid off. Showing people what I can offer by constantly giving value, has always been the magic source, it is the way to sell without being slimy.

In the rapidly changing and increasingly competitive business environment, you need an edge if you want to succeed with sales. I used to fumble around with language when trying to close sales. I learned that to thrive and close more sales I had to change my trajectory. I had to learn what prospects really want and need and build my skills and confidence to show them why they should work with me. In this mini e- book I’m sharing the tools I personally lean into myself.

If you are serious about increasing confidence and increasing efficiency in your sales conversations, establishing a connection with prospects, clearly communicating what you do, establishing your credibility, focusing your attention fully on their needs, generating more interest in your services and securing more clients,

Read on!

Every time you have a prospective client on a discovery call, you are making a sales pitch. Every time you send an email or write a blog post with an offer, you are making a sales pitch. Every time you write an opt-in page, you are making a sales pitch. And you are probably pretty good at it, too, or you wouldn’t be where you are today, would you? So why do you continue to think you are so bad at sales?

Sales Feels “Icky”

I hear this one a lot. You feel pushy or uncomfortable when talk turns to money. You do not want to force anyone into a decision. You secretly think your rates are too high. I am going to be honest with you. This is one of those things that gets better only with practice. But the good news is, you do not have to be on the phone with a prospective client to get that practice time in.

Instead, use the technique self-help gurus have been advocating for years: Look in the mirror and talk to yourself. Practice saying your rates out loud. Practice your sequence from discovery to sales pitch. The more you do it, the more confident you will be and the more it will sound natural, and the less uncomfortable you will feel when on a real call.

Fix Your Mindset

What if you were not selling anything, but instead were simply chatting with a friend about the incredible new product /service that was going to change her life? You are helping your friend to improve herself by sharing your experience with this new product/service.

That is exactly how you should think about selling your coaching programs. You are not trying to get your prospective client to spend money. Instead, you are offering a solution to her problems. You are genuinely helping her to overcome some obstacle in her life or business. When you can turn your thinking around from “sales” to “helping” you will find it is much easier to have the sales talk.

Do not Be Afraid of the Follow Up

Not all clients will say yes with the first call, and maybe not even with the second. But good coaches know that many sales can be closed if you simply take the time to follow up. Objections often boil down to; no need, no trust, no money, no urgency, or no real desire… since most price objections are fake this is a great time to exercise your leadership. Ask better questions, get better responses.

Send a quick email and invite your prospect to:

• Schedule a follow-up call to answer her questions

• Review your coaching program outline or sales page

• Or even join a different program of yours that might be a better fit

• Explore a payment plan

Do not let that old “I’m not good at sales” thinking stand in the way of making a real difference in people’s lives, and in growing your business and your profits. With these tools you can quickly turn your sales blocks into a system for landing new clients consistently.

Do not under give and do not over give. Do not diminish your role as a trusted resource, stop trying to be nice, you are a business owner, not their friend. Do not try and be liked but do make every prospect call effective and meaningful.

As a recovering over giver I so get it. It is easy to do and its part of being nice and because as women we are taught to be unselfish and put others needs above our own. Giving enables us to stay in control because receiving requires vulnerability.

1- We over give from a place of insecurity

2- We over give from a place of scarcity

3- We over give from a place of abundance.

Understanding the different roots of over giving enables us to be more aware and check in with ourselves. If you can over give because you are in a place of abundance, by all means do, but don’t do it from fear or insecurity, you will always

end up appearing needy, feeling resentful on some level, attracting the ‘low payers’ as clients.

In order to attract high paying clients its crucial to a) build your own self -worth and self -confidence and b) understand how your buying style as a consumer shows up in your selling style as a coach.

Ask yourself: a) How do I value my time, energy, and expertise? b) Am I a price buyer or a value buyer? I lacked

confidence for many years, I was a price buyer. I was motivated to price my services on the lower end as a seller for many years.

When I raised my confidence and started valuing myself, my time, my energy, I flipped the switch and became a value

buyer and became motivated to price my coaching services on the high end. I started attracting a very different type of client as I used language that was comfortable with me when looking to buy or hire a coach and that language became

the language I used when discussing sales with my prospects.

Ask Yourself

Do you spend time and energy researching prices before making a purchase?

Are brand names important to you?

Do you buy something that does not quite meet your needs but buy it because it is on sale?

If this is the way you shop, then it is highly likely you will constantly add extra bonuses to your services and programs to

‘hook’ a prospect.

If the prospect asks for a discount, you will say yes straight away to close the deal.

Or after quoting your fees you will offer a discount if the prospect goes quiet and you feel you are losing the deal.

You continually run over time with clients.

Or you immediately tell someone what your charges are before uncovering their needs.

Or at the end of a talk or a coaching program online instead of upselling, you offer loads of freebies.

Don’t get me wrong I can still be a price buyer when it comes to certain things, so don’t give yourself a hard time if you happen to be a price buyer as it may be that you buy according to value.

Have I screwed up with discovery calls over the years and lost clients by fumbling with words, confusing them, not asking the best questions, selling myself short, or maybe being too egotistical? Hell yeah…

Then I co -hosted a prime time show on ITV1 and my agent received loads of emails she forwarded me asking for free coaching advice… I learned to say; we are now moving into coaching, let’s talk about what it would take to work

with me’

It took me a long time to realize that my clients were a mirror of me. In order for me to attract high end clients I needed to start thinking and acting in a high- end way. When I did, I started rejecting any clients who were price buyers. I decided

to become the Burberry of coaches, a coach that high end clients would contact and that is exactly what started happening. No one walks into Burberry and quibbles about the price, well they may do, if they walked in there by

mistake… but any serious buyer walking into that store will know that they won’t be able to negotiate the price, buy something at a cheap price or be offered discounts. If anyone asked why Burberry are so expensive they would answer

‘because we are the best’.

Always remember you will be too cheap for some people and too expensive for others. Decide where you want to be in the market, decide who your ideal client, be true to yourself.

Options

People like choices and decide dependent on their learning style, their budget, their urgency to resolve their issue.

1.Most expensive service/program £10.000 and up.

2.Middle of the ground service/program £2997 and up.

3. Least expensive, entry level service /program £1997 or less.

How to price options is a whole other topic and not one I am covering here but I just wanted to flag this up as although

much is down to individual learning style this is what I have experienced over the years;

High end clients always opt for option 1 and are not interested in large groups, lots of workbooks, podcasts, and so forth. They want a quick solution and your most expensive offer. They are willing to invest in an accelerated solution and will pay accordingly. They want a personalized experience, unique access, bespoke programs, and the exclusive privilege.

They are used to VIP treatment and they have more money than time.

They may be a celebrity, a global decision maker, a well -known expert, or high- profile entrepreneur, CEO.

The person who wants to opt for option 2 is purpose driven, open minded, successful and ambitious and wants to solve

their solution also in an accelerated way, but they enjoy being part of a group and getting guidance from a coach without being too visible. They want tailored support in a safe environment and are willing to put in the work. They enjoy learning via workbooks, reading books, watching online training etc. They have more time than money.

They may be a corporate leader, coach, expert, service based female entrepreneur or business owner.

A person who opts for option 3 generally has more time than money and knows they want to make a change but are perhaps resistant to doing so. They may have some fear around success, or perhaps have worked with a coach before and spent a fair amount of money without getting results they were promised so are nervous to invest once again. They

are quite happy going at their own pace, listening to mp3’s, watching video, reading transcripts. It is not always that these people are broke, sometimes what is offered in this option is their preferred learning style and they like to process

things slowly and go at their own pace.

Let us move onto how to have genuine, authentic sales conversations with unstoppable confidence without using manipulative techniques.

The Art of the Soft Sell: How to Get the Click Without (Really) Asking for It

We have all seen those old-style sales pages filled with yellow highlights and screaming red text and lots of “BUY NOW” buttons, and when we think of copywriting, that is often what comes to mind. While that style of sales page can be effective, it is not the only way to make sales.

In fact, by taking a more subtle approach, you might even find that you generate more interest—and potentially more sales. Soft selling prioritizes the quality of your relationship with your prospects over how quickly you can land the sale.

Our job is to serve clients, not to get them to do what we want them to do.

Soft sell is a sales approach focused on subtle persuasion and casual language. It is not synonymous with “passive.” A soft sell is an indirect approach to persuading a client to but a service or product. A hard sell is a direct approach to asking for the sale. Do not ever be afraid to recommend someone else’s services that you feel may suit a prospect more than yours. I have found those I deemed competitors have become my greatest champions and me theirs. It is all about having the confidence that there is enough for us all and your vibe will attract your tribe.

Stories Sell

One effective way to entice readers to click through to your sales page is with stories, and these can be shared on a discovery call too. These can be your stories or those of other people, with the goal of helping your readers to see themselves in the same situation.

Your story needs to speak to your prospect’s hearts, interests, and worldview. You cannot guilt them, condemn them or shame them into buying from you. You need to articulate why your audience should care about the story you are trying to sell.

Anything you push away will pull back harder. It is the basic law of cause and effect. People do not want to buy information, they want faith, faith in you, in the story you tell. The secret to selling, persuasion, influence and motivation is a formula deeply grounded in story- telling. Did you help a client become more visible online, build their tribe via their list, community, social media etc.? Her story on your sales page will get more clicks than all the yellow highlight you can buy.

What about that time you trashed your entire business plan and started over because you simply weren’t passionate about your work? Your potential business coaching clients will be anxious to learn more and will click through without you even asking.

That is the power of stories, and you can use them everywhere: in your blog posts, on discovery calls, in your emails, on your sales pages, and even in videos and on social media.

Be Genuinely Helpful

Want to build a reputation as the go-to person in your niche? All it takes is to help people. Answer questions on social media, volunteer to speak to groups who need your advice, write blog posts that address the most common issues your readers face.

By offering time and knowledge, you will attract a wide audience of potential customers who may need your services in the future. Who will they turn to? That helpful person who went out of her way to offer them assistance in the past. I am not saying you must give away all your time, but if you really want to show off your expertise, you cannot do better than a little volunteer work. Not only will you make an impression with the person you help. But chances are good they will share with their friends as well, further expanding your audience.

Of course, it does not mean that there is no place in your business for a strong call to action. “Click here to buy” and “Learn more right now” are still useful (and even necessary) on sales and opt-in pages. The key is to know when to make a subtle offer, and when to offer a bit more hand holding.

Soft selling Techniques.

Learn as much as you can about the prospect’s current challenges and point of view. This will help you figure out if what you are offering is a good fit. Whilst you always want to remain professional you do not want to be over the top in your communication, but if you are empathetic and sincere, it will go a long way. Fostering a relationship is critical to closing the deal and establishing loyalty. It is always so important to show a genuine interest in a human level to anyone who wants to work with us.

Do your due diligence. Simon Cowell says, ‘Why would I be interested in working with anyone that hasn’t taken the time to learn about me?’

When prospects feel heard, it builds credibility which further enables your ability to make the soft sell and provide an offering your prospect wants. Asking thoughtful questions demonstrates a genuine interest in helping them solve their challenges and asking further questions displays interest in getting to know them better.

Providing value without asking for a sale is going above and beyond with providing them with a good experience. Maybe sending them helpful blog posts, or articles or recommending a book you feel they would find helpful. Then, step back, and allow them to deliberate to own their decision. When you do follow up 48 hours later, offer to answer any questions they may have to help them decide. It is so important to constantly provide value.

Simple Ways to Eliminate the Tire Kickers

In any business, you will spend a certain amount of time on clients who will never pay you. Website designers quote jobs that never come to fruition. Car dealers spend hours chatting up customers who will never buy. Book agents read

countless manuscripts they will never be able to sell.

And coaches spend time giving out free advice to clients who cannot or will not hire them. Truthfully, it can be frustrating, and it is a drain on your time and energy. But there are some things you can do to eliminate those who will never become

clients without having to spend time with them first.

Intake Forms

Before you get on the phone with anyone, require that they do a little groundwork first. A client intake form should tell you

everything you need to know about a potential client long before you pick up the phone. But what it tells you the most is how much work they are willing to do. Freebie seekers are not likely to do the work required to answer even a simple questionnaire, so those who do fill out your form are better prospects.

Not only that, but you can include in your form a question about pricing, such as “What’s your budget for coaching?” Use a pre-defined list of answers that start with “£1,997 and up” rather than letting your potential client fill in her own amount, and those with smaller budgets will not bother to complete it.

It is so important to spend time working on your client avatar and know who you want to work with. Once you are clear

and if they appear to be your ideal client and have expressed interest in working with you, then you can make it bright and breezy and say ‘are you ready to jump on a discovery call with me, as I’d love to explore your needs further

and see if we may be a good fit, this will give you the opportunity to ask me questions and me the opportunity to

demonstrate how I can take you from where you are to where you want to be?’

Sometimes they may say, I have no real questions, I know you are my coach and I want to work with you.

I always ask for their social media links, so I can research. This does not always tell the whole story. I’ve many clients who

do not have social media profiles and have booked with me fast without a discovery call and become long term clients. I have had enquiries from some prospects who have huge followings and extremely visible online, and yet have told me

they are living off credit cards and cannot afford my fees.

Remember ‘all that glistens isn’t gold’ but still take the time and effort to do your due diligence. Show the universe you are serious about generating more revenue and working with the right clients.

Change Your Language

Words have power, and if the words you use on your website and other marketing material are speaking to newbies or those just getting started in business, you will never attract the audience you are seeking. Instead of using words like “step

by step plan,” say, “advanced techniques.” Rather than talking about “easy systems,” mention high-end, complex software by name. Simple changes can help you to automatically attract the right audience.

You’ll still spend some time and energy on those who ultimately won’t hire you, but by making these simple edits to your

website, marketing materials, personal communication, and business systems, you’ll begin to see more high-end clients and fewer of those you no longer wish to work with.

Always maintain a conversational, warm, engaging “non sales” approach. I recommend you personalize the questions you ask so that they support your expertise. Say things like ‘Global businesses, entrepreneurs, innovators, successful coaches hire me because xxxxx’ I always recommend to clients they keep a script by their phone or computer, of course it needs to be as natural as possible, but it keeps you on track. And you must feel free to add in derivations that flow from the prospect. Employ questions which are “triggers” to activate a response that demands further clarification. Trust is crucial. Your prospect will always be more responsive when trust has been established. As Steven R Covey says in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, seek first to understand and then to be understood.

Use 3 questions if answers are consistent, and 6 or more if the answers appear to be inconsistent. It is not effective to ask questions about objectives if you have not asked questions to satisfy you that your talking to your ideal client. I cannot stress enough how essential it is to qualify the prospect, so that you do not waste time on tire kickers. But as much due diligence as you do, bear in mind your solution may not meet their needs and the timing may not be right, so do not take it personally if some prospects walk away. Questions 1- Why do you think we may be a good fit? 2- If we were to work together what are the 3 goal’s you would like to focus on first? 3- Have you worked with a coach before? You want to stay focused on determining whether the prospect is your ideal client, relevant to your expertise and pay your prices in return for your valuable contribution. Do not be on the defensive by trying to slay each objection with spikey words, self- righteousness, or manipulation. Embrace the prospect in the “solutions” and demonstrate that some objections are insignificant when compared with benefits. Questions 1- What is the ideal outcome you would like to experience? 2- What stress would be alleviated by us working together? 3- What would it mean to you to overcome your challenges? You can tell when someone is fully invested straight away and committed to making change by not giving a one -word answer and speaking passionately about their dreams, visions, and goals. Most prospects know what they want but not what they need. By pushing the prospect on the end results you are helping to articulate and formalize their perceived benefits, thereby increasing your own value in the process. I always say, ‘thanks so much for your answers, I love them, I can see absolutely why we are a good fit and I get where you are at, I’ve been there too and know for sure I can help take you to where you want to be’ Questions 1-How will you measure our work together? 2-What indicators will you use to assess our progress? 3-How, specifically will your life have changed when we are done? Measures can be subjective, but it is always good to discuss who would be doing the measuring and how from the get- go. Questions 1-Have you worked with a coach before and at what investment level? 2-Let’s be frank, what are you willing to spend? 3 Are you ready to invest in yourself? It is always good at this point talk to them about payment plans, retainers, or full payment. Do not proceed any further if the prospect has a seriously misguided expectation of how much it will cost to work with you, or they simply have an inadequate, fixed budget.

If they are keen to work with you and money is not a problem, you might like to consider upselling. 1-Would you be open to my providing some other options? 2-Would you also like an idea of what a retainer might look like? As Madonna says, ‘Most people are afraid to ask for what they want, which is why most people don’t get what they want’. Don’t ask for what you want and then throw loads of extra goodies in for free, in an attempt to justify your fee. Suggest other options that are more expensive and if they say no don’t pursue it… plant the seed that you have other VIP options so they can sign up to further along if they so wish. It is crucial to remember less is more. Say it and stop talking. Let your conscious mind set a goal for the sales conversation, as if it doesn’t then your unconscious mind will. Consider this every time.

1. How can I get what I want? 2. How can I get it without using any manipulative or sleazy tactics and preserve the

relationship using effective, honest language that comes from an authentic place of wanting to ‘serve’?

Establishing needs and wants. Let’s schedule a discovery call and discuss this in detail. Does Monday 3pm work? Let me call you and explain exactly what I can do for you. Does Tuesday at midday work? Can you free up 15 minutes to talk on Thursday, or would Friday be better? I don’t email out details, however, I can do better than that. I can call you personally. I appreciate you are busy, I am busy too, and that’s why I don’t want to waste either of our time. I am convinced that the time will be well spent. If I could help you to… what could you do that you cannot do now? Are you open to discussing in more detail how I can help you? Am I correct in understanding that…? What I understand you to be saying is… What do you like about my offer? Obviously…. is important to you, here is how I can help you … If you are happy with what we conclude here, when can we get started?

If we came to an agreement today, what would your next step be? Overcoming objections and being asked to discount. What were you planning to pay? I can lower the price, what would you like me to eliminate from my program or private coaching to do that? What are you comparing my prices to? Is money the only problem here? What concerns do you have? What do you need from me that would enable you to decide now? Is there anything I have not explained well enough? At this stage I do not offer discounts or negotiate on my prices. Are there any questions I have not answered? I do not discount as it would not be fair to all my other clients who have all paid full price. I am busy at my regular rates so I cannot offer a discount. You may like to find a coach whose experiences is more in line with your budget. If my prices do not work with your budget I understand. If your circumstances change, please do not hesitate to contact me in the future. I would not want to compromise on the quality of what I offer so my fees are firm. My fees reflect my experience, positioning in the market and my success rate, so unfortunately, I am unable to offer a discount. Clients who appear keen and then go ghost. I like to give them a few days and then follow up by phone or email and say. I would like to jump on a quick call to discover what is standing in your way of deciding about us working together. How are you fixed Friday 5 Jan at 2pm or Monday 8 Jan at midday? Hi, I have not heard back from regards us working together so I am going to assume you have gone in a different direction or your priorities have changed. Let me know if I can be of assistance in the future I wanted to drop you a quick line as I have held a space for you in my schedule. Typically, when I have not heard from someone it means they are either super busy or not interested. If you are not interested, do I have your permission to open this space back up again? If you are interested, what do you recommend as the next step?

Since I have reached out a couple of times and not heard back from you, I will assume timing is not right. Please find some resources for dealing with (pain point). In the future if it ever makes sense to reconnect, I am always here to help. RECAP AND REVIEW Believe in yourself. Focus on building confidence and reframe your mindset around not enjoying sales conversations and/or not believing you are competent and skilled at achieving successful outcomes. Always do your due diligence and send out an intake form to prospects you feel are your ideal client and have enquired about your services. Create your own script and place it by your phone or PC. Practice, plan, prepare. Determine what results you want from the conversation. What do you want to have happen and what do you want your prospect to know? Notice if you feel resistant to removing any words you currently use or adding any new words in that you have not used before. Examine your responses around any resistance to change what you say or do not say to understand yourself better. Do not treat clients like one -night stands. Learn what you do not know and get better at the stuff you do. Take a deep breath, do not over give or under give. Offer options. Use story telling. Be of service, give, give, give…focus on adding value all the time. Ask better questions to get better responses. Be ready for objections. Know why you are worth the money. Work out your USP. Giving up is not an option.

Want to share how you’re using these tips and the results you’re experiencing? I really love hearing your success stories! Tell me all about them by emailing me at hello@annieashdown.com

Thanks for reading! To your continued success. Wishing you a fully booked business, and a wait list packed with your ideal clients.

If you’ve found these tips helpful, and want more help attracting more ideal high paying clients, building your confidence, overcoming imposter syndrome, crushing self – doubt, moving past insecurity so you can build your fully booked practice, be sure to check out my book ‘The Confidence Factor’ – 7 Secrets of Successful People here. FIND ME ONLINE You can connect with me online at Linked in here. You can follow me on Instagram here. You can follow me on Twitter here. You can join my FREE group on Facebook here.