A Little Intro To Partnering…
Partnering with someone who is learning the same process as you is powerful because you both get to experiment with what works well and what doesn’t, as a facilitator and as a potential client. It requires you to be flexible, go with the flow of the conversation, as though you are experiencing a real sacred sales conversation with a potential client.
The process might feel awkward, but that’s ok! It can be clunky when you first practise a structured conversation that doesn’t come naturally. You WILL get the hang of it with practise, so feel free to practise as many times as you like with your partner, you friends or your family. The more informal practise you get, the less pressure you will feel when you speak to a real potential client.
Your Roles
The Potential Client
Your job is to take on the characteristics of the facilitator’s tribe, to immerse yourself in their biggest problem, putting yourself in their shoes. You may find this quite easy, especially if you happen to identify with the tribe’s biggest problem. Or, if not, you may need to make some things up to allow the conversation to flow. Your job is to make your responses as ‘real’ as possible to allow the facilitator to experience how he/she would genuinely behave in this situation. It is a good idea to take notes as you go, so you can offer feedback to your partner at the end of the exercise.
The Facilitator
Your job is to facilitate a breakthrough about his/her biggest problem and what it’s going to take to get him/her to reach his/her desired outcome.
Sacred Sales Partnering Exercise
Before you start the exercise, take a few minutes to get to know each other. Then, take turns facilitating your sacred sales conversation with the following steps. I have included some example questions to help guide you, but go with your intuition and see what flows with the conversation.
Before You Begin
So that your partner can connect with your offer and the characteristics of your tribe, briefly explain your offer to your potential client, including your tribe’s biggest problem, their ultimate desired outcome, milestone 1 and the details of your offer.
Step 1 – The Breakthrough
Informally begin the conversation, then have a discussion based on the 5 steps of the Sacred Sales Journey, guiding your potential client to experience his/her own breakthrough with your probing questions and enlightening him/her with your insights and wisdom:
NOW – Allowing them to connect with their biggest problem
“Where are you at now in your life that has caused you to reach out to me today?”
FUTURE – Guiding them to experience the possibility of their ultimate desired outcome
“Where do you want to be in 12-months time? What would your ideal life look like?”
GAP – Highlighting the gap between where they are now and where they want to be
“What’s missing for you right now, that’s stopping you from having the life that you want?”
PLAN – Enquiring about what they plan to do about their ‘gap’
“What do you plan to do to change your life in the next 12-months, to reach your ideal outcome?
STRATEGIES – Educating them with strategies that will help them take steps towards their ultimate desired outcome
“How do you feel about the strategies I have suggested? Do you think they will work for you?”
The purpose of these steps is to connect your potential client with their pain (biggest problem) and their pleasure (their desired outcome), and then, get him/her to collaborate with you as your educate him/her with your strategies. Make sure that you are deeply enquiring into his/her situation and listening to his/her response. What you are aiming for here is a breakthrough and then collaboration as you lead him/her to her desired outcome.
Step 2 – The Invitation
“Would you like to know more about my program/package/service?”
Once you have facilitated his/her breakthrough, it’s time to ask if he/she would like to know more about working with you. Then, go on to explain the details of your offer. This is where you ‘pivot’ the conversation towards the future, giving him/her concrete information about how you might work together.
Step 3 – The Close
“Would you like my help?”
If you have facilitated trust with your potential client, it’s time to ask if he/she would like to work with you. At this point, he/she may have some objections, so you need to respond to them, highlighting any limiting beliefs that may be standing in the way of what she truly wants.
Debrief
Now is the time for you both to share your experiences and insights about the conversation. How did you feel? What did you learn about yourself or about the process? How can you improve next time?