Your New Sales Pitch with Aandra Bohlen
Episode 515: Show Notes
Today we welcome Aandra Bohlen, sales guru, inspiring friend, and all-round badass! She is here to demystify the stigmas around selling and the ways it is being taught. Her work is centered on developing and teaching entrepreneurs how to create an amazing enrollment experience that leads to higher conversion rates. She is an expert on sales calls and mentality and if you did not get the point already, she has it going on! We are going to talk about getting your mindset right and some real techniques for conversion so you are not going to want to miss this, we promise!
Listen on your favorite podcast player
Aandra has almost 30 years of experience in sales and we are so lucky to get to throw a bunch of questions at her, things we know you would love to have answered. We discuss getting past money-mentality blocks, perfecting your pitch and how to translate sales onto social media and your content creation process. Aandra has a bunch of great reframes of the sales thought process and we promise that this conversation is going to help do better and think better about your sales game. We also have a great activity that we really want you to do, so stay tuned for that!
How Aandra Got into Sales Initially
We need to be having these conversations! It is time for female entrepreneurs and leaders to take back sales. We often think of a very dated image when sales are mentioned, something along the lines of a greasy car salesman or a sweaty and failing door to door seller. Aandra wants us to reframe that idea, to her the salesperson is amazing! They hear 'no' so much and just keep going, what is more impressive than that? We can look at them and the activity of sales differently, taking inspiration for our own resilience. We all have inner sales intuition, even if you feel like you don't! Aandra has some clear memories of her first ideas of sales, getting all up in her family's business and you too can use your own natural curiosity to win more clients today! She had her first sales job at 16 and admits that it was the first time she really felt a connection and attachment in her life. The sales job gave that to her, something she had been sorely missing. She has worked her way up and has now established herself in the game in a big way!
What is the Point of this Pitch-Free Approach?
There seems to be a lot of talk on social media about pitch-free approaches to sales and people trying to get across a 'no-selling' way of selling things. The problem with this is that it immediately starts to teach us that selling is bad. But remember, all countries, especially the United States, are built on commerce, the world revolves around buying and selling! No one wants to be manipulated but that is not what selling actually is. We really need to disband these two concepts. Aandra believes that only manipulative people manipulate customers when selling, so unless that is you, don't sweat it. She also says that sales can be a beautiful mirror for you to reflect and resolve insecurities. This is important; rejections are by you and for you, they are there to teach you things about yourself! When you experience rejection it allows you to turn inward and ask some questions. Peel back the onion and work on yourself in the way you can see you need to! According to our guest, you need to respond, release and remove and this applies to all aspects of your life, not just your sales process.
Aiming for the Right Feeling and The Audience You Serve
The wonderful thing about sales is that you actually get to witness someone's transformation in front of your very eyes! This is an honor and reminds us that your sales should be more about your customers than about you. You have to make sure you can help them and this is where it starts to feel good when you realize the disconnect between your personality and your business' persona! Your biz can do so much good out there if you just allow it to. So how do we get to this place? Aandra says we have to be brave before we can be right and that you have to go all out, fearless and determined! Don't be afraid of being hung up or someone closing a door in your face! In the end, you have to have your business' back, you are its voice and if you do not speak for it, no one will. So lead with that thought and follow your innate curiosity towards a helpful solution.
Intentionality and Awareness for the Success of a Sale
Aandra reminds us that we must be conscious of the content we publish. She does not just post for the sake of it but rather asks herself questions before posting anything. What is the outcome you want from this? What do you want your audience to feel, believe and know from engaging with this content? If you can tap into the outcomes first you are on the right track. You cannot expect instant sales but if you are clear on who you serve and make your content meaningful, it is sure to connect with a large enough audience. You are not here for everybody, so don't allow your content to be bland and regurgitated. Aandra lives by the ideas of connecting and a commitment to convert. In fact, her own ABC of sales is 'always be connecting'!
Moving into the Sales Confidently and Authentically
There is nothing wrong with a little bit of surprise in your pitch! And if you do it right you can always be testing the waters with clients and finding the right fit. Aandra likes to call this 'surprise and delight' and it often comes from a real place of organic problem-solving. You may say things like, "I have an idea," or, "What about if I help you in this way." It is only once you have heard from your client about what they need that you are really able to offer them something and it can be really surprising and delightful how you find you can do this! It is more organic this way too. Aandra says that you are not auditioning for a client, it is, in fact, the other way around!
Trying out a New Money Mentality
Many of us have money issues and these usually stem from some childhood conditioning. Once you are aware of any issues, you can start making decisions and change the feelings you have towards money. According to Aandra, the only way to know is to try it on! Give that new belief a go and see how it feels. As we can see, it does not have to be hard to make money, so what would your ideal situation look like? Follow your curiosity and imagine the ideal version of yourself and how they would act. Aandra wants us to build this character and try it on, if it fits you can starve out your old limiting beliefs and try something new! Imagine how empowered you will feel when you make a responsible financial decision and see its benefits. That's why Aandra says that selling is love, it is an act of radical self-care to take control of what you are doing and make sure you are the best version of yourself. You can be the one to solve those problems and by helping someone else through their problem with a sale you are leveling up. Sales are just inviting and helping someone step into something that they have already said yes to!
Quote This
You have to be brave before you can be right. You have to go all out and have your business' back, you are its voice and if you do not speak for it, no one will.
Highlights
How Aandra Got into Sales Initially. [0:04:49.6]
What is the Point of this Pitch-Free Approach? [0:11:22.2]
Aiming for the Right Feeling and the Audience You Serve. [0:17:40.8]
Intentionality and Awareness for the Success of a Sale. [0:22:51.4]
Moving into the Sale Confidently and Authentically. [0:30:48.5]
Trying out a New Money Mentality. [0:37:02.2]
ON TODAY’S SHOW
Aandra Bohlen
Website | Free Playbook | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Aandra is on a mission to demystify the stigmas around selling and demachofy how it's being taught. She develops and teaches Entrepreneurs how to create an epic enrolment experience that leads to higher conversions through her Signature Sales Call System, The Sales Fix Mentorship.
KEY TOPICS
Sales, Vulnerability, Growth, Pitching, Conversion, Authenticity
