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It’s a simple one … yet profound in its import.

Why am I talking?

In business, as in life, the strength of your connections with other people plays a huge part in the success of your relationships.  The strength of your relationships naturally translates to the success … or lack thereof … of any business you’re running.

Here’s a scenario I see all too often as a business coach …

The “service professional” … whether that’s a coach, consultant, or wellness practitioner … does a complimentary consultation with a prospective client.  They’re excited.  They feel as if the session went really well and the prospect got solid value.

I ask them where things stand and I hear these fateful words …

There it is again.  That word.  It makes my skin crawl.  As both a business coach and just as a regular person, I literally flinch when I hear it.

What’s more, it speaks volumes about the mindset of the person speaking it.

I’ve been working with business owners for 20 years, helping them streamline their processes and procedures, so they bring in more clients and continue to serve existing ones to the best of their ability. It’s my job as a business coach to see the things my clients may not be seeing.

And what I’m seeing quite often is entrepreneurs who aren’t making it easy to hire them … or not as easy as it could be. They unwittingly put up barriers or roadblocks.

Let’s look at what some of those might be.

I’ve been a full-time business coach and life coach for 18 years now and I get to see some of the biggest mistakes people make in their sales and marketing efforts.

Here’s something that’s been bugging me lately … the common use of two “dirty” words in marketing. I’ve had several clients use them with me recently, which motivated me to go on a bit of a rant here.

Please note, I’m not talking about just avoiding these words in your speaking. The use of these words does nothing less than reveal how you conceive of the sales interaction!

If you’re using them, I’d like to see you engage in a mindset change where you completely transform how you conceive of sales. It’ll greatly enhance the results you produce.

So what do you think the dirty words are?  Take a guess!

Have you ever wondered why one service provider gets chosen over another? Why did they pick that coach or consultant instead of you? The first thing I’ll tell you, as a business coach, is it’s not always about price.

Intangibles play a much bigger role than you might imagine.

And I want to give you one simple insight that can mean everything for your business, allowing you to attract more clients and make more money!

I knew better. My intuition was saying, “Don’t go there.”

But, I wanted so badly to help … to be of service … and I let my heart override my gut.

Just last month, I have this likeable prospective client come to me wanting to build his fairly new consulting business. He wants to do it via the strategy of speaking. That’s my specialty, so he seemed heaven sent.

The 4 A’s Transform the Sales Process

You want to know what the biggest difference is when it comes to being a service-oriented facilitator vs. a “salesperson?”

I’ll give you a hint: It starts with an A. That’s because we’re into Part 2 of revealing the key practices that transform the sales experience … the 4 A’s.

We talked about the first two, Ask for Permission and Acknowledge in Part I. Ready for the next two? Drumroll please.

The 4 A’s Transform the Sales Process 

The bitter truth?

You can be excellent at what you do, and if you aren’t adept at sales and marketing, you’re left with the equivalent of a lot of unsold inventory. Your time and talents are going to waste, sitting on the shelf. You’re not making the kind of living you should, and the people who need you aren’t being served.

That’s downright tragic.

To be successful, you need to possess two distinct skills beyond your professional qualifications … the ability to market … and sell.