Here we are again, for another tip in the Surprising Sales Tip Series with me, Kim Fredrich, CEO of The Ventas Group.

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Kim Fredrich  0:02  

Welcome to another episode of Surprising Sales Tips with me Kim Fredrich, Founder and CEO of The Ventas Group. Joining me today is Maggy Sterner, who I’ve so been looking forward to having on the Sales Tip Series because she is a brand and business coach who works with her clients, small, usually small entrepreneurs and small business owners. And she helps them learn how to talk about what they do, simply and clearly, so that clients come to them and say, “I need you.” Maggy is a ton of fun, and I’m going to turn it over to Maggy now and I’m going to say, Maggy tell us what your top tip for increasing sales is?

Maggy Sterner  0:48  

My number one top tip for increasing sales is know what you do. Know what you do; know your target audience. Know who you serve, that’s the target audience.  Absolutely know the problem you solve, really get clear about the results you deliver. And be able to communicate that in the language that your perfect clients speak. When you do that, when you use their words, to talk about your brilliance, because you are, it magnetizes your perfect clients. 

I’ve seen this play out over and over again, not just in my business, but in my clients’ businesses. As soon as they get clear, the clarity has to start over here, then they take energetic ownership of it, which really matters. It’s not just about the words, it’s about your ability to stand in those words and articulate it and own it. Because that’s what people are really listening to, also, in addition to the words, and when you can do that, the energy, the words, the clarity, about what you offer, when you have all of that, what shows up is confidence. 

Kim Fredrich  2:15 

Right.

Maggy Sterner  2:16

I was fortunate to have a coach very early on in my career as a brand new business coach, who talked about the importance of selling with conviction. And when I coach people now I tell them, you know, there’s no convincing, there’s no persuading, like, just get like that, don’t even worry about that. Because that’s so get over here, and stand in it and own it; come from a place of be of service.

Kim Fredrich  2:47  

Yes. Which is obviously what I say too. So what’s so interesting is you’re connecting the conviction, in standing in your words about what you do and that builds confidence, that allows you to serve, which is all, of course, what I talk about too. But, I have a question for you, Maggy.  Out of the things that you said, being able to clearly identify what you do, and, to stand confidently in that, is it more important that the words are the words of the ideal client, or, is it more important that they’re able to communicate the problem they solve? Or, is it a combination of those two things? 

Maggy Sterner 3:29  

Perfect question.  It’s a combination. So when I speak and how I coach my people communicate, talk about the problem that your ideal clients are struggling with using their words.

Kim Fredrich  3:43  

Okay, so it is really critical to use their words?

Maggy Sterner  3:46  

Absolutely, because that’s where connections get made. That’s where people because a lot of this stuff is subconscious. 

Kim Fredrich  3:54

Mm hmm. 

Maggy Sterner  3:55  

Well, if I use the words that my people use when they’re stuck, and they can’t, they’ll be like, oh, my God, I get freaked out when I have to introduce myself. And I don’t, I hate promoting myself. You know, the problem, the problems they have I stumble over myself, when I have to tell people what I do. I only use their words. 

Kim Fredrich  4:18

Right.

Maggy Sterner  4:19

Because my words, I mean, why would I just use my words, right? Because I want them to feel and it’s sincere. It’s not some marketing technique. It’s just I want you to know that I get you.

Kim Fredrich  4:31  

So that’s where that’s where the authenticity comes in, isn’t it?  

Maggy Sterner  4:35

100 Percent.

Kim Fredrich 4:36

Then you have an authentic connection between the person experiencing the problem and the person who can help solve the problem.  Which of course should lead to more sales, shouldn’t it? 

Maggy Sterner  4:49  

Yes, and here’s the key thing, Kim, it’s not about like people like oh my God I hate to promote the market. It’s not about you, it’ not about you at all. Get out of your head. 

So it’s like, I remember early on I coached somebody who was afraid to just say what she did. And, you know, just because she’s like, well, they’re gonna judge me and who am I and bup, bup, bup? And it’s like, well, it’s just the truth, right? I help who? Who’s the people who struggle with this thing, get this result, so that they end up feeling a particular way. 

I help who have to be discovered what? So that’s the result, right? People are subconsciously listening for two things. What do you do, which is not that important, frankly, what I do is like, so what, and I say this in all my talks, it’s like, here, I do this, ta dah, nice for me, nice for you. I do this so that the ability to use the so that so that you my dear beloved future client, and up with this result that I deliver.

Kim Fredrich  6:02  

The result is the key, and, actually what I’m so loving what you’re saying is it’s not about you. There’s no persuading. There’s no, there’s all of those things that so many people tell me they hate about sales, have no part in this. So, right, exactly. So what we’re talking about is if you can be clear about who you serve, what you do, and, what that outcome is the so that you can definitely increase sales and it’s not even about being salesy as we talk about it. 

Maggy Sterner 6:34  

Oh, no, not at all. Yeah, if people are worried about being salesy, what that tells me is, they’re concerned about themselves. 

So that client who was like really nervous, who she was an introvert and starting off a little bit, and I said, you know, you get over there with them. Get real curious about the people you’re talking to.  Ask them questions that are connected to what you do. And then be real curious and investigate over there. I said we can’t be all freaked out about ourselves. If we’re over there connected to the other person, our systems can’t be in two places at once; it’s like a neurological thing. So, if I’m all worried about myself, that means I’m overly focused on myself. I’m listening about myself.  It’s not about me. 

So that there’s a thing we I don’t know if you know, this, in coaching world, we call it, I call it, “the come from.”  My “come from,” like, in my heart “my come from” is, how may I be of service? How can I help you?

Kim Fredrich  7:40  

Well, you know what, right there, right there, as far as I’m concerned, is how you can be successful in sales. So if you add, how can I be of service to the clarity, and the being able to stand confidently in that clarity, so that, that’s it right there. 

So, thank you, Maggy, this is a great tip. I love that somebody who is not really involved in sales can so amazingly connect all these dots, so, that really it does become about sales. And I really appreciate you coming on today. So, if people want to get a hold of you, how’s, what’s the best way for them to reach you?

Maggy Sterner  8:19  

The simplest way, without getting into all the https colon, bup, bup, bup, is to just go to my website, Maggysterner.com, Maggy with a, “Y,” although either way, it’ll point, and, just go to my contact page.   Book a call if you have any questions, happy to chat.  

I offer 30 minute complimentary calls, I call it a brand message diagnostic. You know, let’s just take a look at what’s going on under the hood and see if I can help you.  Maybe I can’t because, I can’t, I don’t.  Oh, here’s the other thing, you know, you don’t help everybody.  I don’t help everybody.

Kim Fredrich  8:51  

But that’s exactly what you’ve been saying. You’re talking to the people you want to talk to you because you know that you serve them best. And everything about what you’ve said today allows those people to find you and resonate with you. So really, it’s it’s a fast track. It’s a fast track to finding the right people and increasing sales.

Maggy Sterner  9:12  

Yeah, and the more you do it, the more confident you feel. I just realized something the other day like I knew it, but I didn’t really, I didn’t have it crystallized.  We embody our message. Like when you say it a lot, it gets in your molecules and you start freaking out less, you start feeling confident.  When you, you have to be telling your brain all the time what’s happening.

Kim Fredrich  9:40  

You probably create those neural pathways so then it becomes easier, becomes easier for you to just say that because it’s, there’s a new pathway.  Yeah!

Maggy Sterner 9:49  

Yeah, so just go to my website Maggysterner.com and do the thing, reach out, love to chat, don’t stay stuck. You’re not alone. That’s my, you know, ask for help, none of us get ahead without help.

Kim Fredrich  10:02  

No, I agree with that.   Well, thank you so much, Maggy!  This has been really interesting and I’m really appreciative of you joining us for another Surprising Sales Tip. 

Maggy Sterner  10:12

Thank you, Kim! You’re welcome. Take care.