We are bombarded with messages and opportunities every day. There are so many choices, it’s often overwhelming. There’s competition for everything, every service, every product. What makes one stand out from the other? For me, the first thing I look for is quality and relevance to what it is I need or want. One thing I don’t want, and I think many people feel the same, is the feeling that I’m being sold to. That sounds weird, because yes I do in fact buy things and so technically I’m sold to all of the time. But, what I mean is there’s this feeling of “just being sold to” that feels like the salesperson isn’t really seeing me as a person, but just as an opportunity for them to make more money. While I understand that may be the whole point of their job, it just doesn’t feel good when the exchange is impersonal, pushy, fake, and forced. Especially in situations where I don’t feel like I’m being listened to at all, just talked at. At that point, I start to not care much if the product or service is anything worthwhile, just that I’m annoyed and don’t feel respected and valued.

In HubSpot Research’s newest study, Buyers Speak Out: How Sales Needs to Evolve, “respondents were asked to submit the word they most associated with salespeople. The #1 response? ‘Pushy.’”.

One way to avoid this and increase the chances of both parties getting what they want in this situation? Be personable, trustworthy, friendly and LISTEN. Make the experience pleasant for both you and the customer. Even if they decline to pursue you or your product, maybe they’ll come back at another time or recommend a friend. You never know what might come out of an interaction, and so it’s best to try and be your best and most positive self at all times.

I know this can be hard when you have many ideas to share about how you can help the customer, but listening to what the customer needs and what their communications style is like is more important than getting your pitch in as fast as possible. 

Here are a few tips to establish a caring, personable personality that will improve your relationships with new clients in a service-based business.

Show That You Care

It’s important to be professional when in a professional setting. But we aren’t robots. We are human beings. And most human beings want the same things out of life: love, safety, shelter, respect. Even if you are gaining 100 clients every day, you should treat each one of them as if they are your only one. After all, without them, you wouldn’t have a successful business. . No one wants to hear about how busy you are and how many other clients you have, so treat them with your undivided attention. Be personable by showing that you care about them and have respect for them. “Keep it personal, not transactional”. Call them by their name, try to be mindful and present so that you can remember details of the conversation to bring up again later, be honest, and be transparent. Make sure you are listening to them, asking questions to make sure you understand their needs, and pay attention to how they are reacting to you. If you notice you are talking really fast, slow down. If you said something that confused them, try explaining again. Do not be aggressive, all-knowing, irritable, indifferent or arrogant. 

Establish Credibility 

Once you’ve got your kind and helpful attitude right, you should also establish yourself as somewhat of an authority in the field. Why should they hire you over someone else? How can you help them with their problem? Do you have examples or case studies from your past work that demonstrate your skills? You can be as sweet as ever but if you don’t have the skills to actually help someone, they probably won’t become a client. Make them believe in you, and believe in themselves. If you have a client that’s wary about something, always maintain that you’ll find the solution and won’t give up. That gives them hope and peace of mind that you really care about them and will do everything you can to help. Not all people have that kind of empathy, so use it as your superpower!

Follow Up With New Information or Questions

Salespeople get a bad rep for their persistence, even though that’s a huge part of the job. However, there is a difference in being pushy and persistent. One tactic to keep top of mind, is to think about how you can add value to the customer every time you reach out. You should have something new to share or something helpful to give. If not, then you just may be wasting time for the both of you, and they might just think you only care about your sales and not how you are serving them. Always keep the customer’s needs and wants in mind.

Know When To Take “No” For An Answer

If someone declines your help or services, it is probably for a reason. Maybe you could have said or done something differently, but the worst thing you can do in this situation is continue to bother them or try to change their mind. Asking for a reason they said no may be helpful for you to understand what happened, but it’s important to then let go and respect the person’s decision so you can spend time and energy on the next potential client.

Offer Free Consultations, or For a Small Fee

One way to get new clients is to offer free consultations. This gives you both a chance to meet, for the client to talk more in-depth about who they are and what their goals are, and you both can see if it will be a good match. It gives both you and the client some insight into if you’re able to help each other out without them committing to a large bill right away. If it goes well, they just might turn into a long standing customer.

Make sure to structure the consultations and make them attractive. Just saying “free consultation” on your website, may not be specific enough. Set a predetermined time and goal, for example “Free, 30 minute consultation where we’ll discuss the best marketing strategies for your business”. Make a plan of what to go over during the consultation and give clear direction on what the next steps are when it’s over. This is just a mini trial run for you and the client, so try not to give too much of your expertise away. You should also give your potential clients some options to sign up for your email list or follow you on social media to stay connected if they aren’t sure they want a consultation yet. This gives you a chance to continue connecting with them and makes you easily accessible if they decide they are ready at a later time.

This might take some trial and error, but soon you will figure out a system that works best for you. Having a strong, friendly, consistent, confident and empathetic attitude will help you avoid being pushy. This paired with offering free or small fee consultations will help you get more clients to say yes!

Author: Destanie Martin-Johnson

Destanie is a writer from Minnesota and is based in the Twin Cities area. She has a background in journalism, communications and public relations.

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