What has to happen before someone buys from you?

We've talked about various beliefs that need to be established over time.

But for most of us there's also something simpler.

They have to talk to us. Or at the very least experience us in action like on a webinar.

So for all the cleverness about understanding motivations and psychology, we mustn't forget to ask people to take a simple action that gets us interacting with them.

I'd advise thinking hard about what format that action should take.

I see a lot of people offering a “quick chat” or “let's hop on a call to discuss your needs” or some form of strategy session.

Better than nothing (which is what most people offer). But in my experience, those “quick chat” offers just don't come across as very attractive to potential clients. 

If I'm going to give up my valuable time I want it to be for something that's going to be more useful to me than a quick chat or telling you about my problems. I want to get some value from the time I invest.

And there's something a bit scary about a 1-1 call.

Most have us have been burned at least once by hopping on a call we thought was just a chat or was supposed to be about giving us some ideas – but turned out to be a thinly disguised sales pitch.

Sadly the coaching and consulting worlds have been inundated in recent years with “experts” teaching how to do strategy sessions and enrolment calls that are repackaged boiler room sales techniques.

So clients have got a bit more wary.

I you're going to offer a 1-1 call of some kind, make sure it's very specific, the value from it is clear, and you don't just follow some kind of “tell me your goals, visualise how much achieving them would mean to you, I can help you get there if you pay me a fortune” type script.

Personally I prefer regular webinars or group calls as ways of potential clients getting to interact with you, see you in action and get value from you. Without the risk of it turning into a high pressure sales call.

And, of course, they're a bit more efficient for you.

But however you do them, the key is to plan them, be really clear on the value people will get from them, and then offer them regularly. 

Next time, a little tip on how to make more of these call to action offers – without it seeming like you're offering more or being pushy in any way.