The following is a guest post by Dr. Drew Vercellino from Chico, CA.
“Selling is not convincing people, it’s helping them.”
When I first heard that statement from Shawn back in 2016 at a BDC sales workshop, I thought my brain glitched. The last time I was “sold”, I went into a Motorcycle store just to look around and ended up riding off in a brand-new Suzuki GSXR! That meant another monthly installment, increased insurance payment, and dealing with the fears of riding, not only from myself but of my family as well. How was this helping me?
The motorcycle was definitely not something I “needed,” so, of course, I put all the blame on the salesperson for pushing me through that process, running a credit check, and convincing me of how convenient a motorbike was compared to driving when it came to traffic. Traffic was hardly an issue because the farthest I usually drove was about 15 miles, but his description of how the bike would allow me to avoid slowdowns seemed so convincing, I had to have it.
Eventually, I owned up to the purchase and accepted that I made the decision to buy the bike, however, that experience left a sour taste in my mouth. I got “sold” and it sure didn’t seem to help me. At this point, my mind was racing and we were barely 5 minutes into the workshop and I started to regret being there.
“How am I going to be able to sit through and learn how to put someone else into the same situation I was in, regretting a buying decision because it didn’t help me solve a problem because I didn’t even have a problem to solve!”
But what he said right after changed the entire ballgame:
“As long as you’re doing it with integrity and have your prospect’s best intention in mind.”
This was the key that I had been missing when it came to the mindset of the salesperson. I always knew I wanted to help people with the service I provide as a chiropractor, however, my mindset around sales was one of negativity and regret. The workshop continued on with tons of other valuable gems and advice but that key phrase in the beginning literally changed my life.
At that point in my career, my business was struggling and what was even more disheartening was that I wasn’t helping anywhere near as many people as I could. So I decided to take Shawn’s advice and make a shift in my mindset around sales to one of helping with integrity and then it happened: my business began to take off. I was determined to make sure the sales process for my future patients was one that would help them feel comfortable and confident in their decision to move forward and less likely to feel regret and question their buying decision.
I began by implementing a thorough pre-qualification phone consultation where we discuss everything from what they’ve tried to what they can expect regarding their financial and time commitments before they ever set foot in the office. This made the entire process a breeze because when people walked into the office, there were no surprises! Not only did this build a HUGE trust and credibility factor with my patients, it made follow-up conversations regarding referrals (my next big implementation factor) that much easier. I literally increased my business 5-fold within just 2 months and I’ve been steadily growing ever since.
My business is now thriving, even in these strange times, and what’s so exciting and motivating is that I get the chance to continue to help more people. I don’t think I’d be able to serve people through my business had I not made that switch in mindset. I actually have these phrases hanging in my office for the last 4 years as a reminder that mindset is key to growth and success. Every time I start a new blog, email, or enter into a sales conversation, I look up to remind myself.
