Your marketing is starting to pay off, and what was once a prospect is now a solid lead. Before you know it, you’re in the sales meeting, pitching your coaching program.
There are hundreds of strategies out there that claim to “guarantee the sale,” but I’ve found there’s one strategy that stands out above the rest.
I call it stretching the gap, and I believe it’s an absolutely essential part of the sales process. Let me explain.
Imagine standing on the bank of a small creek, so narrow you can step across it. You can see where you are right now, and you can see where you want to go — it’s right in front of you.
You probably won’t be looking for someone to help guide you across. It’s only one step!
Now imagine the gap was a bit bigger. Instead of a small creek, you now have a wide, fast-flowing river with rapids, boulders, and debris.
You can still see where you want to go, but the bank you’re standing on now seems much farther away. If you want to make it across, you know you’ll need some serious help.
This is exactly what we need to do when selling our coaching programs. We want to stretch the gap between where our prospects want to be (their desired result) and where they are right now (their current reality).
When we get this right, some amazing things happen — like getting hired, for starters. When we don’t stretch the gap in our sales meetings, though, the results aren’t so good.
1. No true buy-in…
First, if you don’t stretch the gap, you don’t get true buy-in.
Prospects may nod intellectually, but when it comes to the business end of the conversation, they bail. Have you ever had this happen?
Have you ever had someone seem to understand your program and nod in agreement with everything you say, but still not buy from you?
That’s because there’s a big difference between understanding something logically and committing to it emotionally. These are two completely different things.
We don’t just want prospects to collect information from us. We want them to make a decision to buy from us.
2. Have to ‘push’ your product…
When you start talking about your program, you’ll feel a little bit like you’re forcing it onto somebody who’s just not into it. It’s a little like force-feeding a baby who just doesn’t want those mashed carrots.
Have you ever felt this?
You’re going through the motions a bit. You’re not feeling it and they’re not feeling it, but you’re just doing it because you’re supposed to?
It’s weird, right?
When that happens to me, I know that I didn’t stretch the gap just right.
At the end of the sales meeting, we want them to say, “This is awesome, how can you help me with that?”
They’ll only ask this if we stretch this gap just right.
3. [Insert feeble excuse here…]
Finally, when you don’t stretch the gap, at the end of the sales meeting you’ll probably get an excuse as to why they can’t buy from you right now.
They hardly ever come right out and say ‘No’, they just don’t say yes.
“I can’t find the time for it right now.”
“I need to talk to someone higher up.”
“I just don’t have enough cash-flow.”
Long story short, you talk and they run, and that’s not what we’re after.
I’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts below. Leave a comment.
P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are 4 ways I can help you grow your coaching business:
1. Grab a free copy of my book
It’s the roadmap to attracting prospects, signing clients, and scaling your coaching business. — Click Here
2. Join the Coach Dojo and connect with coaches who are scaling too
It’s our new Facebook community where smart coaches learn to get more income, impact, and independence. — Click Here
3. Join our Implementation Program and be a Case Study
I’m putting together a new coaching case study group at Black Belt this month… stay tuned for details. If you’d like to work with me on your client-getting and scale plans… just send me a message with the words “Case Study”. — Click Here
4. Work with me and my team privately
If you’d like to work directly with me and my team to take you from 6 to 7 figures… just send me a message with the word “Private”… tell me a little about your business and what you’d like to work on together, and I’ll get you all the details! — Click Here
Leave a Comment