If you’re selling products and services, chances are you want to sell more of it.
(Who doesn’t?)
That’s why I want to share a quick little story about how two companies convinced me to replace my entire wardrobe last year.
And what’s funny is, I HATE shopping.
But these two companies made the whole process PAINLESS. These two companies convinced me to buy something I had no intention of buying.
How?
Watch the latest Social Triggers TV.
I’m in the process of putting together a ton of new content about sales. Take a second and share your struggle with getting sales in the comment section.
(Do you struggle with getting leads? Closing the sale? Negotiating your rates? Promoting yourself? Be specific and I’ll do my best to answer it with upcoming videos and material)
Next week I’m hosting a live 2 day workshop on Creative Live all about generating online sales. It’s 100% free to stream live. You can enroll for this training right here.
You have gained me as a loyal follower. Thanks man.
“And I was DOWN!” hahaha.
Love it, Derek. Spot on and entertaining.
So funny I hadn’t visited in a while and saw the clothes and thought – Whoa! What’s up with Derek LOL
I like the new look or new clothes looks great on camera. And the reminder on the guarantee is a good point. I normally include that but it’s great to put it in the email blasts too. So thanks for that 🙂
Nice work Derek. Interestingly enough when, “Trunk Club” reached out to me they said you used them, so you knew I had to jump on it.
Keep up the good work man. See you in San Diego.
~Ambassador Bruny
Just found you and excited to learn so much from this site!
Derek,
This is great as I was looking for something to use in my 60-second commercial at local network meetings. I’m going to paint the picture of how people typically enter my market because someone told them to use a similar product to get fantastic results. When they find the process, not mine, as frustrating and unfulfilling as they anticipated, they’ll throw everything into the trash and scream, “ahwscrewit!” Then I show them my system to get it done easier, faster and without the hassle. This will be great! Thanks.
Great work, Derek! What you said are real eye-openers for businesses. Really, if one wants to sell more, he should be following your tips.
I am glad I decided to watch this video. By far, that was the best way to spend 4:01 minutes. Not only was it entertaining but educational; it prompted me to write a response which I am guilty of not doing. I am on the email list and now that I’ve seen the video, understand your writing is a true extension of your personality. Great job….”ahscrewits”…loved this!
Thanks for the inspiration! Love getting rid of my “ahscrewits”! Already thinking of ways in which I can get rid of at least three!
Very good advice, as usual.
All sales men/women need to watch this video. This week someone wanted to sell me a vacation. When I said I could not attend the sales meeting, they became rude and abusive on the telephone.
I wondered what kind of people buy from a company like that? The were forcing the vacation down my throat and did not want to hear NO, for an answer. Still trying to recover from the experience.
Thanks Derek. Your sales lessons are a breath of fresh Air.
I just knew what the punchline was going to be before I watched the video, but I had to watch it anyway.
That’s not to say it.s not great advice – it is. As always.
Awesome stuff Derek,
take care & best wishes,
Alan
Love the new look! Have noticed the change. You did well with those companies. I can relate with the shopping. The worst though is shopping for growing kids. It is a never ending task plus they destroy the clothes.
Great analogy! Find, eliminate and address it…perfect framework for selling without being a douche, love it! 😉
Awesome stuff, Derek, thanks for your creative, practical and inspiring spirit! Love being able to incorpoate your ideas into my new website and sending your link to fellow freelancers.
Multiple “ahscrewits” where I came from:
In Europe, Hungary buying online is this: Buyer fills out the form, confirms order in e-mail, we send out the invoice manually, we wait 1-4 business days until costumer wire tranfers the money… Painful… this process has 3 additional “ahscrewits” moments – so we send a separate followup e-mail sequence with bonus materials, additional video giveaways just to make costumers stick to their buying decisions.
Compared to this, making the buying process as painless as possible at the worldwide market (with one-click credit card payments) seems a lot easier
– but still a very important issue, thanks Derek, for Your video to brought this to my attention!
Great article Derek,
By eliminating the risk the customer has to take, they have nothing to lose by purchasing your product. That is what gets me to buy so many products the fact that if it doesn’t work for me, I can always get a refund.
Great Video Derek. Your advice is bang on, i totally agree that we need to make the process painless for customers to get more sales. I am struggling how to get right customers and right now working where to look for customers in an online Sales business for Sports Goods.
I love reading personal finance news everyday as much as I love commenting on them. The problem is that the steps applied in the comment section for most websites are too complicated, even limiting. I end up leaving the article I love without commenting at all. Makes me so frustrated, saying “Ah, screw it!”
Another great video and awesome tips ..
Derek, you did it again!
Painless.. Having SocialTriggers in my life is utterly painless.
Now, how can I deliver my service without pain?
Being a fitness coach and promising no pain is a tough one.
Hmm…
It’s nice to read your blog Dereck.
It is a continuing inspiration and know-how.
I send you greetings from Spain.
Great video Derek. Thanks! My biggest challenge is finding leads for my local SEO/SEM business. Looking forward to CreativeLive next week.
Great video. Simple but very true and often ignored even by the biggest marketing companies. I had a fast, hassle free buy and next day delivery when I bought Jonah’s “Contagious” book at Amazon.ca last week. Can’t wait for your next week’s Creative Live.
Hope to get some methods for dealing with the negative skeptics. Life is tough enough then you have them! Almost makes you want to throw in the towel or your old clothes. I have a new term for you to use, idiot magnet, what I often feel like with so many of the people I have dealt with in the past year. If they are out there I will find them. Hoping for a brighter future with more of your positive training.
Great Advise Derek! I’m using this information to get our buyers to register and sign the confidentiality agreement we need before we can give out information on our restaurant listings. Before, a good portion of our potential buyers were reluctant to return the registration. It’s kind of long and has language required by the Department of Real Estate that’s kind of thick. Now I send them the form and I call them immediatly to let them know that it doesn’t obligate them to buy anything or even work exclusivly with our brokerage. That human contact and plain explanation works so much better than my email alone. Thanks so much for your great videos and information!
Hey, Derek—
I enjoyed the video and the points you made.
But when you asked me to share the vid with a friend, it occurred to me that there was a perfect example of an “ahscrewit” moment . . . because although I could share via Twitter or Facebook with one click, there wasn’t a “share via e-mail” button.
Now, obviously if I am highly motivated, I can copy the URL and paste it into an e-mail to a friend.
But I’d be so much more likely to take action if I could do it immediately and with no hassle.
Just sayin’.
Ok, I want to use what I learned for my e-book. Now what I think I’m going to do is guarantee that, “if you don’t learn something new, contact me and I will personally write the most heart felt blog post about your website or about whatever you want. Because I know you would love that. That’s ‘if’ you don’t learn anything.”
Now that’s just an idea. But as far as what is the point when people say, “screw it?”
That’s a really good question. I will really have to think about that. If I think of it I will write another comment about it.
Wow, you gave me a lot to think about and now I don’t have to read anymore of your blog because this was what I needed. Thanks.
Joking of course.
I agrree this works well for selling items such as software or things of this nature. How do you let clients know this if you selling tangible items like diaper products in a gift form? If a customer takes the product out of the box and doesn’t like the product, are you suggesting we indicate they can return it?
Looking forward to seeing you on Creative Live!
Thank you for this great advice. I am just starting out in my business and I have trying to figure out the best packages and services that I can offer and it would be great to include items that make my customer feel confident without any worries before they say “ahscrewit”. I just have to do some homework now.
I’m subscribed to your podcast Derek.
You’re good at what you’re doing. Thank you.
Listening to lots of Gary Vaynerchuk and Ramit Sethi.
Trying to learn all I can before I launch.
Blessings, Carl.
Congrats Carl. What does Gary Vaynerchuk talk about? I don’t know him. I also follow Ramit. Thanks for your comment.
P.S. I will follow you when you launch if you send me your link.
Negotiating rates is a real problem. Sometimes I get so excited about the project and the idea of helping the person I’m going to work with I loose focus and take on a ‘I would do this for free’ attitude and completely loose focus on what I want. This probably comes from not thinking through my process thoroughly, because there’s always the moment half way through the project when the excitement has died down and I realise, damn I should have charged more.
I’m also weirdly ashamed to discuss money when it comes to closing. When I comes to pricing I always want to please the other party.
By the way, a couple of months ago when I wrote 3 blogs I’d like to guest post on in your comments section, I’m now writing a piece for one of them. Cool eh.
I hate shopping too but when pros start playing you simply can’t resist. Great video, very interesting.
Happy weekend!
Derek, you are so funny! You hit on a point that I think is super important. I am definitely one of those people who wants something simple, easy and with no hassle, so if I find it difficult to buy something or get the information or whatever, I’ll definitely say “ahscrewit”!
With our primary online site, AdSenseFlippers.com, we struggle more with inventory than sales. We’re addressing this by switching to a marketplace model where we will offer other people’s sites (vetted, of course, we won’t allow crap like Flippa) and productized service offerings of things we already do well on the behind the scenes.
Our main challenge is growing the outsourcing side of the house which represents a large part of our business. The most valuable clients in this space are acquired by building relationships. How do I compete with the companies willing to spend money on a huge sales team, large travel budgets for doing in person presentations, and a long list of of Fortune 500 companies willing do give referrals?
You’re hilarious Derek! Your videos make me smile 🙂
This is awesome! This video came at the exact right time as I am making the first sell on my Etsy shop. Making everything painless for my customer is exactly something I need to do in order to make sure that my customer is 100% satisfied and leave a glowing review. It’s a big deal! Thank you, Derek!
I love the videos Derek! I’m looking to setup my own video system to record some of my own videos soon. Do you have a picture/description of your setup?
Antonio
Great post as always. I’ll have to go through my site and check for any potential “screw it” moments.
As far as getting sales, I really struggle with promotion. Not necessarily with the act of promotion, but the HOW. I spend a fair amount of time on social media, I’ve done several guest posts this year, and I’m always looking for ways to get the word out more, but I feel like my message isn’t as effective as it should be. I’ll be looking forward to hearing what you have to say on the subject.
Thanks for the work you put in; your posts are always helpful :)!
I LIKE the new clothes. MUCH better than the white t-shirt!
The biggest problem I have is to negotiate the rates and in consequence to close sales.
I am a woman and I HAT E SHOPPING!!! I can understand how your feel. I go to the mall for Auntie Annie’s or Chicken Teryaki. I like break into sweats right at my 2 hour time limit in the mall. I would outsource all my shopping in a heartbeat if I could.
Those two companies you mentioned, do they service women or just men?
Hey Derek,
Would love more info on generating leads. What are your strategies and what are some actions to take?
Thanks!
Great advice. A bit easier to do if I step back and act as if I’m a customer at my own website shopping.
Derek, I read your advice as “find key qualms, and remove them if necessary.” Here’s what I’ve found is the key to removing qualms:
1. My maxim that the only way to remove a strong qualm is to prove that the REVERSE is true.
2. Remove the qualm before it comes to the reader’s/listener’s mind — as you demonstrated.
3. Make the truth that the qualm doesn’t apply to YOU for some interesting reason(s) the core of a story about your competitive uniqueness.
Well done video. the “ah screw moments.” That’s memoriable.
TROUBLE I’M HAVING WITH SELLING. When it comes to sales, i find that my most difficult point is asking. It’s like there’s this zone I’m about to cross that makes me feel uncomfortable. And then also being afraid to overcome objections. I’ve been selling for 12 years, and I’m uncomfortable about 90% of the time. thanks for reaching out.
I love your videos! I don’t need to tell you they are good cos you know that! 🙂
I love the way you pick out a few common sense keys and drive them go home in a simple and fun way that is actually relevant and usable. Thank you!
Your videos remind me of one of my fave sayings; “life is too serious to be taken seriously”
Trying to tie a cohesive message that ” triggers ” the brain & shows the value to close the sales is our hardest issue. The Branding…………….. they say it is all in the brand, for us startups that is a daunting task.
This gave me a whole new prospective on my customers perspective. Now making changes are clearer for me and actually painless to implement. Thanks Derek
Good stuff, looking forward to your full session on Creativelive.com
I like the short format of this.
You covered the issue ‘your client may not voice it, but they still have an issue with it’ but you could go on for 3 hours and some people may not ‘get it’. Just because a client does not raise an objection, does not mean they don’t have it.
Especially in today’s higher pressure sales world, where many try to avoid any confrontation. They may not voice it just because you might try to ‘pressure them’ into a sale (like the 1st sales approach). So many of ‘us’ fear being sold rather then serviced that we prefer the ‘do it yourself’ approach of trying it on at home. Amazing how ‘less service’ seems like a better approach at times.
So 2 issues:
– Understand and mitigate as much as possible, your potential client ‘fearing’ you putting the sales push on. It is about trust building
– Assume that unless they say otherwise, there are issues they are not telling you about. They don’t trust you.
Shucks, how often does family not trust each other?
I LOVE how you combine high-quality information with energy and humour, Derek. It seems simple advice, but it is SO common that people do not think though the sales process.
I recently helped a networking group who was creating a flyer to get prospects to attend their meetings. They had wall-to-wall text, which even included minute details about their registration process. No one would ever want to read all that – it was a lot of work! They were so focused on getting all the information to the prospect, they had not thought about his or her reaction to it.
Thanks for keeping it simple and fun, Derek!
Great video! Making the transaction as painless as possible is a great way to approach each sale, after all, the customer is coming to you to have you address some pain point. So start the relationship showing why you are the best choice – you take away the pain, right from the beginning!
Awesome advice, Derek. Finding objections and handling them before they even occur will get us closer to closing a sale. However, I have the same question like Shannon: how do we find out the part this moment happens on our website?
The worst thing about shopping? Spending the day looking at your own ass. Thanks for another grrrrreat video, Derek!
Make it easy!
Great advice that can be easily overlooked. Your shopping example is great. Also ease of finding information is key. I know if I’m shopping and I can’t find certain information about the product very easily, I’ll give up and move on.
Thanks, as always.
Maia
I’m very much service oriented (massage therapist), but am working on becoming a health coach and build programs online which means I will have to promote and sell. Sales is something I’ve never really felt confident with and it’s outside my box. How do I get over that in order to succeed?
Great stuff dude. Love the energy. It is a cold, rainy Friday evening but you make me want to get up and GO!
Awesome video again, Derek! I like how you tie you own shopping preference (my husband hates shopping too; not sure if this is a “man” thing 🙂 ) to giving insights on closing more sales. Would like if you can talk about strategies to get more leads and close the sale in your upcoming articles.
Always a great read and videos are superb!
Another great video! I agree with Constance’s comment above…looking well dressed Derek. Replacing your wardrobe has made an impact judging by comments 🙂
Dear Derek: This is really great info for many people. Like most women, I love to shop so I wouldn’t do it. But I know plenty of men would.
P.S. And you do look well-dressed and slimmer in these new clothes! 🙂
Thanks, Constance
This sounds really interesting. By minimising all the steps in the process, you have a higher chance of making the sale.
As a graphic designer, I send out proposals on a regular basis. I’ll definitely be making it more straightforward than before. Thanks for the advice.
Great stuff!! I have learned a ton just by watching your videos. You are making a huge difference in our businesses.
Thank you!
I always love your videos but a testament to your awesome-ness is the fact that my husband who doesn’t know much at all about marketing loves them too. The way you explain things makes sense to someone with no knowledge of marketing. That’s pretty awesome.
Nice shirt, Derek! Great video as usual.
Derek, great video. How can we figure out where these “ahscrewit” moments happen on our websites?
There are a few ways to find where these “ahscrewit” moments exist on your website. Look at your Google Analytics reports to view if customers are places where customers are dropping out of your sales funnel.
You can also install another analytics package that records your visitors actions while they visit your website. Mouseflow, Clicktale, and Userfly are a few examples.
Using one or both of these methods should provide good insight on how your visitors navigate your website and complete (or abandon) your sales funnel.
So far I have got Google Analytics and histats.com to monitor traffic in my blog. But here I find other tools like mouseflow, clicktale, and userfly.
This article does not only show me an interesting video to learn but also add me more new useful tools.
Thank you very much for sharing this good article.
Serious. Best advice ever. Being painless is one of best the ways to reduce our customers trauma to buy any product or services from us.
Thank you Derek. Thank you. Serious, I mean it.
Hey there! Derek, I love your videos and especially all of your tremendously valuable content. My question is about closing the sale. I provide high end spiritual counseling. When I talk to people, and ask them questions about their issue and then explain to them how I can help them they are DESPERATE to work with me (I talk to dead people and provide divinely channeled messages…), until I tell them my price… Then they claim they have no money. What I do for people, literally is life changing, can you help? Thanks!
Is it possible that you are out of market? A lot of times, especially early on in our businesses, we look for clients in the wrong places. I know I did. I was offering book ghostwriting services to people who had no book ghostwriting money. When I corrected that and began speaking to my ideal client, I saw much better results. So make sure you are talking to/seeking out your ideal client, and not just anybody who may need what you offer, but may not be able to afford it. Write a profile of this ideal client and then look for people who fit that. Hope this helps!
You “talk to dead people and provide divinely channeled messages”? Ask them what they recommend to close the sale, seriously, you might just get some gems of advice.
Hey Derek,
As always, great advice!
You are so right, making it basically risk-free for the customer take the plunge and buy, like you do for your business courses.
Vanessa
Hey Derek,
Love Social Triggers TV! Really looking forward to your 2 day workshop next week – I need a lot more sales in all of my businesses. Thank you for all that you do.
~Ashly
Your headline made me think you knew German. I’ve never thought of the “Ah Screw It” moments like that. Great advice. Every business has one, just need to put some thoughts on that one. Keep it coming DH.
Lol Seth, I thought it was German as well. More particularly the name of a place most people don’t like to remember…
Derek I laughed a couple of times in the vid (and seriously, you don’t even have to leave the house to shop now?! = my dream!)
I’m in the process of writing my sales page so I am definitely gonna go through it and 1) eliminate the ahscrewits or b) address em. 😛
Elise