In this episode, Curtis shares with us the concept of service and how service equals sales. Additionally, he talks about the power of choosing your ideal clients and refining who your ideal clients are through asking them powerful, yet impactful questions to cut through the process of finding customers that best fit your business. He also touches on the importance of turning down customers in exchange of getting higher overall returns.
Here are the highlights of my conversation with Curtis:
Curtis’ coolest sales experience when he was the customer.
The only way you can run a good business is if you’re serving your clients.
Many people don’t like being sold to.
The importance of having an idea who your ideal customer is for your business.
Reading Michael Port’s Book Yourself Solid four times and eventually doing the work.
Refining who your ideal client is.
- Sending the first email to qualify them to move into a phone call.
- Asking the same questions during the call.
- Asking them if they enjoyed the call.
Getting lower financial value for his business but getting higher value overall in life.
On turning down people,
- He doesn’t say “no” a lot. Personally; he makes them say “no”
- Requires them to answer seven questions; if they don’t answer – bad fit!
- Evaluating those you’re looking at as your ideal customers
- Having the ability to say no to customers who are not an ideal fit for your business
Expense vs. investment
[Tweet “Get people to shift their mindset from think of your product or service from “being an expense” to “being an investment @curtismchale””]
Curtis’ questions on his initial email in finding his ideal customers:
- Why is this current thing you want to do more important than you could be doing?
- Have your clients been asking for this or internal staff?
- What would happen if we didn’t do it?
- What opportunities would you lose?
- What happens in your business when we finish?
- How will you move your business to the next level?
- How are you going to measure success?
- Timeframe – How long?
- What’s your budget?
Current projects Curtis is working on:
- Focusing on how to 10x his business for 2015
- Putting his focus more on coaching, products (ex. his book: Don’t Be an Idiot: Learn to Run a Viable Business)
- His plan to release 4-5 books by 2015
Connect with Curtis over at curtismchale.ca (for coaching). He keeps one call per week for free.
For more information on eCommerce development or membership sites specifically on WordPress, you can find him at sfndesign.ca.
Curtis’ yearly course: Hope is not a strategy: Get a plan for your next business year
Curtis Sample Email:
Curtis’ Major Takeaway:
Book Curtis Recommended:
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