How the sales process is like online dating (hacking this process creates unimaginable efficiencies during client fulfillment)

Finding and qualifying high-value leads is like putting your profile on an online dating site, scrolling through hundreds of potential connections and sorting them into heck yes, maybe and definitely not!  You get a strong, almost visceral reaction when you’re sorting through them.

Sorting them is possible because you have criteria that you’re looking for: sometimes your criteria are conscious and other times, unconscious.

Just like online dating though, you don’t really know if the connections you put in the maybe and the yes categories are a match until you talk with them. Those first text conversations are fun and exciting. Even though each person is completely new, we all tend to follow the same pattern of getting to know a new person.

• How are you? (rapport)

• I’m a little nervous, are you? (empathy/trust)

• How long have you been single? (confirm the problem)

• Is this your first time using online dating? (establish the need)

• What are you looking for in a relationship? (confirm the desired outcome)

• What are some of your deal-breakers? (gather evidence and/or manage objections)

• Would you like to go on a date with me? (ask for the sale)

You are fine tuning who you will and won’t go on a first date with, so you aren’t spending precious time in uncomfortable situations with people you have no desire to spend more time with. 

In this phase of the dating process, you are asking each other a whole lot of questions trying to uncover whether you have the same (or similar) goals, values, ideas, interests and so on.  The purpose of this stage is to save you time and energy later – it helps you avoid BAD dates and relationships.

Very much like your sales process!

The purpose of having a sales process is to have a systematic approach to deciding who you want to take on as a client. Being systematic in this stage means you get to avoid the uncomfortable feelings that often come up, feel confident because you know what to expect, and position yourself as an authority who leads the prospect on the journey to making a decision....and eventually work with to get the outcome you offer.

This lets you assess each new prospect through the same lens - because you use the same criteria every time - and that is going to save you time, energy and profit during delivery! 

The goal of your sales process is to uncover the RIGHT fit clients and avoid the BAD fit clients. Each step of the sales process is going to help you get closer to knowing if YOU want to work with this person while also helping them decide if they want to work with you. Like any relationship, it's a two-way street!

The sales process follows the same kind of pattern that sorting through potential dating matches does:

• Build relationship

• Instill TRUST

• Identify the problem

• Confirm the need/desired outcome.

• Gather evidence.

• Make a recommendation to solve the problem

• Prevent objections (throughout the process)

• Ask for the sale

• Close the deal and establish next steps.

Following your own process helps to put you at ease during your sales conversations. And when you are at ease, you feel less desperate to just get through it, and that leads you to closing more sales, more consistently. Not only that, it positions you to work with high-value clients who has what it takes to get the results you deliver within the timeframes you set. These are the same clients who will go on to love you, shout about you from rooftops and work with you again and again.

Just like dating. When you’ve vetted your potential matches through the initial text conversation, you feel more excited to go on that date. Sure, there’s a little nerves when you meet for the first time, but once the awkwardness of the first hello is over, you start to relax and enjoy yourself – and so do they!

Wrapping up this series.

You now know that if you are an entrepreneur who wants to be engaged but less involved in your business even as you take your business to the next level...

You need one thing -> a fulfilment and sales process that is built from perspectives of the THREE human beings who use those processes: You, your team AND your clients.

Once your process have this one thing, you will have a streamlined process that empowers your team and clients to act with self-responsibility while  empowering you to lead your team and clients without being in the weeds or burning out.

Without it, it's a lot harder. That said, I appreciate you following through with this series. 

So what's next? 

If you loved the series and want to step back and be engaged but not as involved even as you take your business to the next level...  Let's work together to create EPIC Scalable Processes for the People Who Use Them.

Check out here to see how we can help you streamline client fulfilment and sales so you can finally deliver your services efficiently and give your clients, team and business the best CEO version of you as step back and stop being the bottleneck in your business.

OR

Book a call to talk about how we can help you streamline client fulfilment so you can finally deliver your services with less work and stop being the bottleneck in your business.

Read the full "Time Freedom & Business Growth" Series below.

Here is Part 1: Get out of the weeds of your business.

Here is Part 2: Dreamy clients...wicked witch behaviors.

Here is Part 3: Going after major client projects or more clients?

Here is Part 4: Clients who behave like billboards

Here is Part 5: (this post) How the sales process is like online dating.

Be amazing,

Danielle & Chanel