The online coaching and digital learning landscape is growing faster than ever. It is estimated to grow to a whopping $325 billion industry by 2025. With the industry becoming crowded, it is more important than ever for coaches/solopreneurs to learn the skill set needed to infuse their business with clients and cash.

As a one-person show, you may not have had formal sales training, and that’s ok. While selling your talents, gifts, and services may not come naturally, it is essential to your success. The good news is it isn’t that complicated or hard to learn. Even better news, once you know a few core principles it gets to be easy.

Let’s start with where most get it wrong so you can sidestep these mistakes and start helping the people who need you.

Mistake – Jumping the gun.

Too many online coaches try to run straight out of the gate to close the deal and sell their services to a cold audience. Based on the law of averages, this will work, but it feels sales-y, slimy, and it is a whole heck of a lot of work. Who has the time or energy for that??

Solution – Slow down – You need to build Know, Like & Trust.

People buy from people they K, L,&T.

This doesn’t necessarily need to take months. Building a rapport can be done instantly, but doing it virtually does take a little more practice. Start with taking the time to notice things about your prospect.

If you are on a video call, note body language, tone of voice, facial expressions and mirror them. If you are having a conversation in the dm’s or email, note language and writing style as well personal details you share in common and use them to form a connection.

Mistake – Talking too much.

This is super common. TALK, TALK, TALK, which screams ME, ME, ME albeit unintentional, this is the message being communicated. Truth-bomb, your business or service isn’t about you. The sales process isn’t about you either. Sometimes it’s nerves or the desire to fill the awkward silence, but one thing is certain if you spend too much time talking and not enough time listening, that potential client will be unlikely to buy.

Solution: Ask open-ended questions, zip up and listen.

Allow your prospect to share their struggles. People want and need to be both seen and heard. This validation will not only builds trust (see 1) but opens the door for a relationship to be built. Coaching, business building, and sales are literally all anchored in relationships. Listening will show both your prospect and you if you and your services are the right fit.

Mistake – Selling the bells and whistles – Diving right into what you get.

Things like – # weeks, workouts, zoom calls, and FB community, etc. Yes, people want to know these but it certainly isn’t the selling point. People buy based on emotion. People buy solutions to pains and struggles.

Solution: Paint the picture of possibility

You know the life-changing transformation or problem you solve. Focus on that.

Let’s imagine your BFF invites you on a trip to the Bahamas, then says….

“Ok, so here is how it is going to go down: you need to research airfare, book a ticket, reserve a driver, pack a bag, catch a taxi from the airport & check-in, blah blah.”

That glamorous trip goes from super enticing to “I’d rather stay home because that seems like a lot of work.”

Alternatively, if your BFF said:

“Want to go to the Bahamas?? We are going to sit on the beach, have cocktails and soak up some rays.”

Which would you pick?

Both are accurate versions of what will happen, but the focus is way different.

Mistake – Viewing a potential client as a sale

There is a human on the other side of the phone, screen, etc. You are not closing a deal and making money. It isn’t about hitting a revenue goal or how many people you can cram into a group course.

Solution: Sales should feel like serving (because it is)

When you are so firmly rooted in knowing you can help an individual, you are serving them by selling your services. Not only do people pay attention when they pay, when you serve you deserve to be compensated. You are opening up a relationship not closing a sale.

Selling should look and feel like serving.

Selling should be in alignment with you and your integrity.

Selling should be a conversation.

Selling gets to be easy when you lead with authenticity.