I've said it. You've said it. We've ALL heard it in sales. If you haven't heard "I want to think about it" when making an offer to a prospect, you haven't made enough offers!

This objection is not even really an objection, as it is the equivalent of the prospect pressing the "pause" button, because they feel like things are moving too fast.

This sentence also usually doesn't mean what the prospect says it means.

Usually, when someone says they want to think about it, what they are really saying is:

"I don't trust you yet, I can't afford THAT, Your offer isn't clear to me, I don't really need that right now, My spouse will KILL me if I buy this", I am feeling pressured"

These are just a FEW of the possible reasons that someone says they want to think about it.

So what do we, as salespeople DO when we hear it?

Well here's what NOT to do. Don't EVER get defensive, or turn up the heat on the prospect by trying to convince them why they need to act NOW. That is pushy, arrogant, and frankly you deserve to lose the sale if you behave this way.

What we should do is first validate the prospect by telling them we understand how they feel, and respect that they want to think about it. Don't just think it. SAY IT! You need to let them know that you heard them AND respect where they are. If you don't, kiss it goodbye. You ain't gettin' their business, and you don't deserve it anyway.

After we validate their position, we then need to ask more questions.

I don't mean beat them up with a list of leading questions trying to get them to say yes. I mean REALLY ASK good questions. Here are a few:

"May I ask what in particular you are feeling like you need more time to think about?"

"Is there a part of what we discussed today that you still feel is unclear?"

"May I ask if you need to think about whether this program is even right for you, or is it more of a financial decision you need to be more comfortable with?

Once you get the answer to this question, you can take it another layer deep. For example, let's assume you asked them question number 1 above, and they responded with "Sean, I like everything I heard, but $5000 is a lot of money!"

Guess what you do next?? Validate, then ask another good question"

I'd try something like "You're absolutely right, it IS a lot of money, and believe me I don't EVER take that for granted. Can I ask you though, are you wondering if the program is worth that price, or are you just in a place where you aren't sure you can afford it? Or both?"

Then you'll have a professional conversation about what's actually going on with them. Based on what they tell you, you could move to the next level. Perhaps you'd offer a payment plan, or perhaps they've illuminated that they don't feel like it's worth it and you need to see if there's something you can explain better if they are still interested in going there.

Bottom line...

"I want to think about it", is NOT an objection. It's a CLUE

Your ONLY job as a salesperson is to find out what that clue is really saying about how the prospect feels at this moment.

Once you know, you can move to the next step, and remember, it doesn't matter if they say YES or NO. We are only concerned with helping them make a decision. We cannot get involved in trying to push them towards the decision we want.

Finally, understand that sometimes they say this because they really do just need a few days to think about it.

When that happens, again, I respect their decision, and honor it, but I let them know that if they do decide to move forward today, there is a substantial incentive for doing so. If they come back next week, of course I will still serve them, but because in my experience the folks who take decisive action become my best success stories, I really want them to see the benefits to acting quickly. If they still don't, I allow them their space, and thank them for their time.

Hope this helps you handle this phrase a little better next time. Comments are welcome below of course!

My good friend and amazing life coach, Amy Pearson, pointed out to me recently that my message to clients who are trying to sell high ticket programs is basically "Stop Hiding Behind Your Submit Button!"

I thought this was brilliant, so with her permission, I used this phrase in my blog here to drive home a point that I think is critical to your success as someone who wants to sell more HIGH TICKET programs.

Here's the deal. Many of you want to build online businesses, and run virtual programs, and I think that's great. I run plenty of those myself, but here's what I've found...

In order to get prospects to invest HIGHLY in one of your programs (meaning an investment of $2000 or more), we MUST speak to them one on one, or speak in front of a live audience.

WHAT?!?!?!?

That's right. As comfortable as it is for us to build these fancy sales pages, squeeze pages, and send emails asking for sales, it is just NOT the way to close high ticket sales. We actually need to TALK to people.

I learned this the hard way when trying to launch online program after online program and watching my numbers disappointment every single time.

I was 100% committed to launching this online course, and then I started asking myself WHY I wanted it so badly?

I realized that one of the reasons doing an online launch was more appealing is because I wouldn't have to hear the word "NO!", nor would I have to hear some of my other favorite objections when I ask someone to make a $2000, $5000 or even $10,000 investment in themselves to work with me.

In addition to just "NO", here are some of the others you can expect to hear when you are getting out there and making BIG BOLD offers:

"You're crazy, Sean"

"Are you freakin' kidding me?"

"Holy S*#t"

See, this is all part of the process.

Read my earlier blog about Lowering Your Conversion Rate so you actually hear "NO" more often.

There's no way around it gang. In order to make high ticket sales, and really reap the benefits of such a business, we need to get uncomfortable, and understand that often 7 or 8 out of 10 people will say NO to our offer. That's right. 70-80% will say NO!

So while I am in full support of launching your programs online, my advice to you is that unless you have an e-mail list of say 2000 or more, you need to be speaking to people directly on the phone or or make an offer live from the stage. It's going to be very difficult to get your income to grow rapidly without being willing to hear the rejection, face the feelings, and learn from them.

Sorry. No shortcuts here.

Don't hide behind your submit button. Get out there. Talk to real people. Feel the fear and proceed anyway!

Thanks for reading. Comments welcome below.

By the way, to check out my friend Amy Pearson's work, check out her business "Live Brazen". She is a total expert in helping folks overcome their addiction to approval so they can take action on the things I'm suggesting here. Amy rocks!

Hearing yes feels good doesn't it? I know. I LOVE getting that gold star of approval too.

WELL STOP IT.

This thinking will keep you stuck, and in my case, kept me broke years ago.

Now, this isn't an article about the sales idea of "go for no". That book has already been written. This is about actually TRYING to lower your sales conversion rate, especially if it's higher than 60%! (In many cases, I would say if it's higher than 40%, it's too high, but I've allowed some room for error, given how shocked you probably are right now.

Yeah, that's right. I'm telling you is that in most businesses, if you are converting more than 60% of your leads into sales (give or take) you need to convert LESS! Give up some sales. Get more NO!

WHAT???? WHY???

Because my decade of sales experience has told me that if too many people are saying yes to you, it means your prices are too low. It means people are jumping at the chance to work with you because it looks like a STEAL.

That can be a good thing at first, but the laws of economics say otherwise. It means demand is actually higher than supply. In the stock market, that means your value is going up!

Think about this...If you doubled your price, yet converted half as many leads into clients, you make the SAME amount of money and work HALF AS MUCH! What usually happens, is that you convert less, but when you sell, the price is higher, and so is your income.

(Guess what?? The quality of client is usually better at higher prices too)

How do I know this? Supply and demand. It's been around for thousands of years. If more people are saying yes to you than you can keep up with, it's too easy to get your time. Higher prices means more people may say no, but over time, your business will grow exponentially with the new clients who say YES!

"But I like having a high conversion rate!!#*#"

I understand. It feels good to hear "YES" all the time.

Guess what? You'll never grow by chasing what feels good. You'll grow by stretching your comfort zone, and trying something you've never tried and adjusting as you go.

If you don't want to make more money, or you want to be working at full capacity all the time and not growing your income, then keep chasing the "yes" feeling, and don't invite more "no"

I get it. I really do, but my encouragement to you from someone who hears no 8 out of 10 times for one of my high ticket coaching programs, is that it's TOTALLY WORTH IT.

Go for it. Embrace no. Invite more no. Purposely go out and look for the next person that can say no.

Then...the YES's are more rewarding both financially, AND emotionally!

Thanks for reading.

Comments welcome below!

I wanted to use "ready, fire aim", but I think that's a little played out, so since I just completed my 2nd Marathon in Los Angeles, I thought a running analogy would be a perfect fit for this blog.

When I ran my first marathon in December, I had trained and planned for almost 6 months. I was supposed to run in New York, but that got canceled due to Hurricane Sandy, so I had another month to wait and train before participating in the Delaware Marathon.

This length of training really made the race almost easy. (ALMOST). I had planned and practiced my pace, my strategy and my technique for almost 6 months, but the beauty of this training is that I was running the entire time.

The preparation and training was 98% running on the road (or rest days), and 2% off the road (reading articles, reaching out to my support groups, etc.)

Almost immediately, I signed up for my 2nd marathon in just 3 short months, and ran L.A. a few Sundays ago.

Wow. This was a totally different experience. It was a hilly course, not flat. There were 25,000 people instead of 800, it was 70 degrees instead of 45, and I had flown cross country 2 nights before, instead of sleeping in my own bed like I did for the previous marathon.

What happened at mile 21, I will never forget. I had already pushed through "the wall", but my legs and feet were in so much pain, I had to make a decision to abandon my time goal, and just make the goal to FINISH!

And finish I did! I crossed the line in just over 5 hours, and met my beautiful wife on the other side who hugged me as I cried tears of joy (ok...and tears of pain)

After the race, I dissected the experience and asked myself what I learned and what I'd change for next time. I had a list of things I would do differently, and plan to implement those immediately. I also decided NOT to run a spring marathon and instead will focus on strength training so that when I run my fall marathons, I will be stronger and more fit, which means more FUN!

So what does this have to do with business? Well, did you notice in both cases how I learned what to do next time? I RAN. During the training, I RAN.

I FINISHED a marathon, and used that as my data for course correcting next time.

This is how I roll in business as well.

I start running, and then course correct. Always have...always will. I launch a program and sell it, THEN I build it. I pre-sell a product, THEN I create it.

Why on earth would I do this? Well because I want the market to tell me what IT needs. I want to learn from DOING instead of THINKING. I want RESULTS while I'm planning. I want income TODAY, while planning for tomorrow

Too many solopreneurs get caught in this trap of planning, perfecting, tweaking and NEVER RUNNING!

Get on the road. Get into the game! Ask for some business. Make some sales. I promise you, it's the ONLY way to grow and grow rapidly.

People have told me I'm "lucky". That may be true, but ya know what? There's nothing like creating your own luck by getting to work.

So, I look forward to starting my strength training, and then learning what I need to tweak. Sure, I've ready articles and have a plan, but I'm going to start executing the plan before getting locked into full time research.

Risky? Maybe. But it's all calculated. I'm willing to risk failure or imperfection, if it means I can generate momentum.

Thanks for reading, comments are of course welcome!

   "People"

One of the most common things I hear when someone is struggling in their business is a sentence that starts with the word "People"

Oh...I'm sure you've said things like:

"People just don't want to pay the prices I'm charging anymore"

"People just aren't spending like they used to"

"People just don't want to buy something like that"

These are just a few examples that I've heard most often (and have even said them myself)

Here's the problem with each of those statements; THEY ARE ALL UNTRUE

Usually we say these things because one or two people said no to our offer, or we've had a rough day of sales or even a rough month.

Perhaps they would be true if you inserted a qualifying word like "Some" in front of the sentences. As they stand right now, they are generalizations only, and generalizations can be the DEATH of your business.

If it were true that all people weren't spending like they used to, how is it possible that some businesses are making more now than they have before? How is it possible that I was able to build a 6 figure business from scratch during the height of the worst recession in 70 years? How is it possible that first class cabins on airplanes are full every time I travel, and how is it possible that places like the Ritz Carlton seem to still manage to get $500-800 per night for a hotel room?

The TRUTH is that there are ALWAYS people out there who are willing to pay what you're asking, spend like you want them to, or buy what you have. 

You just need to work a little harder (ok a LOT harder) to get to them and attract them in your business. Once they are there however, they will pay you whatever you ask as long as you are offering to solve a problem that is important enough for them to invest their money at that level.

The reason first class cabins are full is because the right people or companies are willing to use the miles or spend the money to fly in first class because of the problem it solves. (Lack of sleep on a plane, quieter cabin for doing work, more relaxed when you reach your destination) - those are worth something.

Trust me when I tell you that the people sitting up there are not there on free upgrades most of the time. In fact, I am a premier status member on several airlines, and I can't remember the last time I got a free upgrade to first class. No, those folks are paying for those seats, or cashing in valuable miles to fly first class!

Think of your business now. What is it that you offer that is a MUST? What would the right person pay to get that "must" item or service? Hmmm...kinda changes the game doesn't it?

I hope so.

Comments welcome below as always.

Thanks for reading.

Today, I was reminded how important business Karma can be.

What's business Karma? Well simply put, it means that we reap what we sow in business, just like we do in "real" life.

In other words, if you always show up late for appointments with people looking for your business, then folks who are looking to hire you will show up late. If you always look for the cheapest way out, so will your clients with you. If you don't return calls or emails from folks that you told you had interest in their services, your prospects will do the same. Finally, if you join programs and always look for ways to get a refund, then…You guessed it, your clients will too.

My mentor, Lisa Sasevich, always says "Be the type of client you want to attract"

This week, I've attracted so many wonderful new clients into my business, and I am very grateful and very excited to work with them. Today however, someone stood me up for an appointment and didn't return my attempts to reach out for an explanation. Was I upset? Sure at first…but then I remembered that it's not my job to judge them. All I can do is move on, and remain grateful for what I do have.

I know that business karma always takes care of things. The Universe is very wise.

Maybe you don't believe in business Karma, but I do, and I choose to pay it forward with kindness and professionalism.

My suggestion to you is that if you want to attract ideal clients - BE an ideal client. If you want to attract great networking opportunities - BE a great networker. If you want to have clients invest in you at the highest level - YOU have to invest in yourself.

The funny thing about addictions is that you often never realize just how dependent you are on the thing you’re addicted to until it’s taken away.

My latest move in my quest to live life at a higher level and raise my standards was when I gave my TV away and took it to my mom’s place in Pennsylvania.

I made this decision with my wife for several reasons. 

First, we wanted to challenge ourselves to "raise our game" in 2013, and we realized that TV is not aligned with that goal

Second, I've noticed that my business makes a whole lot more money when I am focused, disciplined, and watching LESS TV.

Third, we are moving into a new apartment, and frankly, I just don't want to waste space on a TV!

I was very excited for my mom to get her first HDTV, and I was happy to give it to her but a funny thing happened on my ride home to New York City.

I felt sad. Then groggy, then irritable.

By the time my wife Tanya came home from work that day, we both realized we were a little “on edge”

This is EXACTLY how I felt when I gave up my most recent addiction a few years ago. Caffeine!

Then, I noticed that my first instinct when I got back to my apartment was to turn on my TV.

It was gone! Now what?

So, I got online. Then played a little Angry Birds. Then started reading a book on my new Kindle.

It was so quiet in our apartment. It was nice, and awkward at the same time. My wife and I decided to take a walk to the grocery store, and once again I felt some sadness.

Was I actually GRIEVING over the loss of my TV?

C’mon really??? It’s just a machine!?!?!

What I’ve come to realize is that it’s not the TV itself that I was addicted to. It’s the ability to completely “tune out” the world for a while and not process my feelings. After a hard day in business, sometimes I just want to turn on the TV and watch something that won’t make me think all that much ya know?

Well, now. I’m learning that the best course of action for me is to actually sit with my feelings, and process them. Or...wait for it.....

Talk about them!! Whoa...That’s deep.

Today is day 2 with no TV, and I can honestly say I have gotten more done, came up with some great ideas, and enjoyed some quality time with my cat. Not a bad little Saturday.

I even wrote this blog article! That would NEVER happen on a day like this.

More to come. Let the TV detox continue.

So the calendar has turned to a new year, and with it comes much optimism. I love New Year's Eve, not because I love to party like a maniac (those days are over) - but because of the fresh hope it brings for what's to come in the New Year.

One thing really ticks me off though about the coming of the New Year. It's this idea that we should completely blow up our plans and make DRASTIC changes in our lives and in our businesses simply because the calendar changes to a new year. 

Time is not real. Humans invented it as a way to measure events and to help us define things like days, nights, and seasons. The only thing that's real is the present. The NOW.

I understand wanting to start fresh, and certainly we should make changes in our business if we feel there are changes to be made to get us better results, but I don't suggest making massive shifts in your life all at once, simply because the calendar we invented tells us we SHOULD.

Instead, take this first week of the New Year to reflect on what's working well, and how you can build on that. Look at where your sales came from last year. How can you enhance what's already working.

THEN. Look at what isn't working, and what's keeping you from hitting the goals you have set for yourself. Once you've identified the areas you do want to make change, start with ONE thing, and make a commitment to change that one habit or ritual every day for the next 30 days. Then add another, then another, and then another. This is called MOMENTUM.

Don't just take massive action without the correct strategy. There is a famous quote that says "There is nothing worse than moving in the wrong direction enthusiastically"

Take some time, evaluate your business, and then yes. Take massive freakin' action. I'm all about that. 

Don't fall into the societal trap though of blowing up the ship and making massive changes that are unsustainable, without a plan. Your chances of success are much smaller. Just look at gym memberships this time of year. The people who start and stay are the ones that have a plan of action, and a real goal with real measurable objectives. 

The one's that quit, usually come in with massive fire, and then sputter out because what they're doing is unsustainable, has no real strategy behind it, and no clear goal.

Happy New Year! May 2013 be your best year yet in business!

I'm going on day 12 of living in hotels after Superstorm Sandy came to visit New York City last week. 

I consider myself to be extremely fortunate that the only thing I lost was some time, and some sleep. Our apartment building was severely damaged, but it will be repaired, and we will be allowed to return very soon. Other New Yorkers were not so fortunate, and will have to start over from scratch. 

Having said that, it's been a little tougher than usual to keep business moving forward the way I like it. I am obsessive about making sure my business is ALWAYS moving forward. When I'm standing still, I literally go nuts on the inside!

However, after about 8 days of fighting and uphill battle, I decided that I needed to chill out. I needed to just allow things to unfold at the pace that the Universe decides. With limited internet and power, no "home base" and feeling like my life is decided by the battery level of my cell phone, it's OK to not try to push through the brick wall that was Hurricane Sandy. 

She came, and she won (for now). I need to be ok with that. By me pushing through and beating myself up for not keeping my deadlines, and not growing my revenue at the pace I want, I have a chance to regroup, learn from this experience, and focus on my gratitude for what's really important in life.

Sure, business is starting to resume to normal operations, but it will go a lot smoother if I just allow things to unfold for a change. This is a tough pill to swallow for me. I'm such a believer that I can control my own destiny. What I learned this past week is that while that is still true, I CAN'T control many of the circumstances that dictate the speed at which I fulfill that destiny. 

If you or your loved ones were impacted in any way by this storm, I hope things return to normal for you and for them as soon as possible. You're all in my thoughts and prayers.

This past weekend, I was up at 5am again and heading to Brooklyn this time for a 9 mile run with Team For Kids. We headed across the Brookyln Bridge, into Manhattan, and then back across the Manhattan Bridge into Brooklyn, before repeating the same course for a total of 9 miles.

This particular morning was a bit different than most, as it was already 85 degrees before our run started at 7am. Crazy hot. It was the kind of heat where you sweat just getting from the subway car to the top of the stairs. The forecast called for a high of 100 degrees and a heat index of between 105 and 110.

The first 4.5 mile loop was no problem. Sure, it was warm, but I didn't notice it being all that bad. Then, the second loop hit me like a smack in the face.

My running mentor, Jessica, and I headed back across the Brooklyn Bridge, and the thermostat on the Watchtower read 91 degrees this time. It was not even 8:45am yet!

Te reason this loop was so hard was the sun. By now the sun was fully overhead, and as beautiful as the Brooklyn Bridge is, one of the things I noticed was there is NO shade to be found anywhere.

By the time we got back into Manhattan, I was hurting pretty bad. Jessica was talking with me about running tips, and making sure I was hydrating. Honestly, if she wasn't there with me, I think I would have stopped. She helped me one step at a time (literally), and we gradually finished our 9 miler back in Downtown Brooklyn, as the thermostat read 94 degrees

My takeaways from this long, HOT run:

1. Just like in life, when you think the heat is on you, sometimes it hasn't even STARTED to get hot yet!

2. When those CRAZY hot moments hot in life, it's very important to have a mentor or someone you trust (or love) to help you navigate unharmed.

3. When you know it's going to be really hot, it pays to plan ahead and start early. If I know something extremely difficult is coming in business or in life, I can help make it a lot less painful by planning ahead, and making sure I have a solid approach to get through it safely.

Next installment... HILLS, HILLS and MORE HILLS!!

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