how to make more money

The benefit of starting with nothing

By Christian

In my consulting business, I work with a lot of real estate professionals. That’s probably not too much of a surprise, because Dangerous Tactics is about how to make more sales, and Realtors definitely are in a sales-based business, correct? One of the biggest concerns I hear from new agents is the concern of income. Basically, “how long is it going to take before I start making money?”

We all need an income of some sort, so this seems like a reasonable question. But as I argue so often, I think this is the wrong question to ask. Don’t ask how long it will be before you start making money, because if that’s your question it means your focus is on making a sale. That’s the wrong focus.

The right focus

If your focus isn’t supposed to be on making sales, then where the heck is it supposed to be? Is that question on your mind? I hope so, because THAT is the right question 🙂

The best place to focus is on the client. What do THEY need? How can you best help them? What’s in THEIR best interest? If your focus is not on them, then you are not serving them, and if you’re not serving them, do you know what path you’re on? You’re on the path to becoming a high pressure salesperson…or a broke salesperson. I’d wager neither one appeals to you, right? So let’s work to correct that.

The best salespeople and highest-producing business owners don’t care if they make the sale. This might sound counter-intuitive, so if you’re inclined to argue with me, then I encourage you to spend a while talking with top producers and successful business owners like I have for many years. I’m confident that after a short while you’ll see exactly what I mean.

So if you legitimately need to make a sale, how the heck are you supposed to not care if you make the sale?

This is the big secret to high production and a lot of success in your business. Of course you need to pay bills, and that will always be the case. So this means that you need to get good at what you do. Education, training and coaching are the constant companions of every successful business owner and sales professional. This is no coincidence.

You need to get good at making more sales, but as you already know people don’t like high pressure salespeople, and they rarely buy from them. So if you legitimately need to make a sale, how the heck are you supposed to not care if you make the sale? This is an issue a lot of people struggle with, so I want you to stick with me. If you read this post and apply it to your business (this is completely applicable to anyone who wants to sell more of their stuff, not just Realtors), then you will be on the road to making a lot more sales. I guarantee it.

How to not care about money

You know how a bank will only give money to people who don’t really need it? It’s a funny situation, but the same principle applies to making more sales in your business. If you are desperate for a sale, it quickly becomes very difficult to make a sale, because customers know your focus is on yourself, not them. See the trouble? It really is essential to not care about money if you want to truly grow your business and start making more sales. So how do you do it?

There are two ways:

Have money in the bank
Spend some time in the trenches and learn that not having money really isn’t something to be afraid of

Clearly this may seem like a difficult choice, and for many people it is. That’s why top producing business owners and salespeople earn a high income…they don’t really need the money.

Points to be argued

Of course this is an easy thing to argue. You can cite the existence of self-interested and corrupt business owners. You could point out that this is an easy thing for me to say, because I’m so uber-successful, etc. I understand 🙂 But here’s the thing…it’s not my rule. The world gives money to people who don’t really need it, just like banks give money to people who don’t really need it.

Why is this the case? Because if you’re trying to make sales, your motivation is going to shine through every time, and people’s bullshit detectors are on high alert. Importantly, it doesn’t matter if you’re in a business like real estate where you’re working face to face with clients or if you’re in a marketing-based business where you rarely see your customers face-to-face.

Many business owners think they can hide behind their sales copy. Because they’re not physically face-to-face with their buyers, they convince themselves they’re not in sales. We like to call ourselves “marketers”, because we don’t want to think of ourselves as sleazy high pressure salespeople. But the fact is everyone is in sales, and your motivation is what matters, not your method of delivery of your sales messages.

You can do personal one-on-one sales demos, webinars, or you can write sales copy that will be read by thousands of people at a time…it’s all the same. If your motivation is to truly and earnestly help the customer, the customer will know it, and trust will begin to form. You will be on the path to earning some serious business if you stick with it. If on the other hand your motivation is to make money, pay your bills and get your balance sheet straightened out…the customer will know that too.

Which one do YOU think will earn you more sales?

The benefit of starting with nothing

When I first began my sales career 12 years or so back, I had nothing. I had a part time job at a restaurant and was making about $5k per year. Yeah, I was pimpin 🙂 My wife and I had basically nothing but each other, and I learned something really important during that time. It wasn’t a dark time. It was awesome. It was simple. No it wasn’t a rich lifestyle. I drove a Geo Metro, man! But we had everything we needed, and we got by.

…as soon as I took that attitude, my sales started coming in as fast as I could handle them.

The essential lesson was that even if I lost everything today, I know for a fact I would be OK. I also know for a fact that I could rebuild things very quickly, because I know what to do now to get results. How do I know that NOT making the sale is OK? Because I’ve done it. I’ve been totally, completely broke, and while it’s not my ideal situation, it’s really not that bad.

That’s the benefit of starting with nothing. You can focus on your clients without worrying about whether you make a sale or not, because you know that the absolute worst thing that can happen is that you won’t make money, and if that happens…so what? Ironically…and this is the killer point of this whole post…as soon as I took that attitude, my sales started coming in as fast as I could handle them. I started winning awards, all-expense-paid vacations and earning more money than I’d ever made before.

Do I recommend starting with nothing? Not necessarily. You can always do option 1. Have money in the bank. At least that way you have something to fall back on, and it allows you to maintain focus on what matters…the client. But if you can’t do that, you always have option 2, and it might be the best way to go. With money in the bank, you can still lose it and might eventually have to face being broke.

But if you start with nothing, you have the opportunity to learn that being broke and being poor are two completely different things, and if you learn that lesson then nobody can take that from you, and nothing…nothing can stop you.

Why Doing What You Love Isn’t Enough

By Christian

There’s something I call the “do what you love culture”, and Gary Vaynerchuk is at the helm. I’ve read pretty much all of Gary’s stuff, and I agree with him. Like many, I’m inspired by his energy, and I wish I was as dynamic and good-looking as him 🙂

If you’re not familiar with Gary V, he sells wine…lots of it, and his marketing base is his video wine blog. While other wine companies spend millions on advertising, he runs a blog…and he kills it. He’s changing the industry from the inside out, and the world is taking note of him in a big way.

The reason Gary attracts so much attention is because he has a clear vision, and that type of thing is contagious. His vision is larger than just his wine business. I think the guy actually wants to change the world, and I give him props for that. His basic idea is that it’s essential to do what you love. When you love your business, you do what it takes to get the job done. It’s simple really. The bottom line is that running a business takes a lot of work, and when you have passion, you stick with it, because it’s not really work, it’s a labor of love.

But there’s a key element missing from this sentiment that is rarely addressed..

The fact is that Gary…and everyone who runs a successful company…has a lot of support. Of course this fact isn’t hidden, and I’m certain Gary would be the first to admit he hasn’t accomplished everything he has on his own. The problem is that it’s rarely brought up. Gary has help. You need help as well. We all do.

So while you’re asking yourself “what do I love?”, ask yourself also “who else do I need on board with this also?” and “what do THEY love?” and “how can we make this all work together, so everyone’s mission is accomplished?”

I humbly submit that being successful in business is not about following your passion. Not at all. It’s about helping others follow theirs. Start there, and you’ll begin to realize that what you need is support, not passion. Passion without a solid foundation is a flash in the pan. Build your network. Build your team. Enable them to live their dreams, and in turn they will enable you to live yours.

How to Get More Money

By Christian

When I was selling vacuum cleaners door to door (yes, I did!) there always came a time when my demonstration was finished, and it was time to show the customer the price sheet. It was a stressful time. In sales we have a high tech name for this. It is “asking for the order”. If you want someone to buy something you need to usually ask them to buy it.

Duh, right?

Could it be simpler?

Well, most people don’t do it. In business, you’re probably actually very good at what you do. After all, you do it all day every day. You have skills that are valuable to others, and you’re probably comfortable giving a customer a brochure, responding to emails with questions or any number of other things that demonstrate your ability to give the customer or client value. But do you take the next step and actually ask people to buy?

Working with sales people, marketers and business owners in tons of different niches, I’m regularly confronted with this basic step being skipped. It’s essential to remember that people rarely take action on their own. Their needs to be a precipitating event. Something needs to happen to prompt their action. They need to be shown the next step. You’re the professional, no? Well if you’re the professional, you know when it’s time to make a buying decision. Of course, sometimes that decision is going to be “no thanks”. That’s part of being in business. But ASKING FOR THE ORDER is also part of being in business. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

If you don’t ask you don’t get. Really!

How to get more money

Sometimes business owners stress on what to charge. Especially when it comes to consulting, we often feel pressured to sell our time much too cheaply. Back to my vacuum sales example…the price I charged back then (this was many years ago at this point…I’m certain the price is higher now) was about $1600. Yes, $1600 for a vacuum cleaner. You may think that is a very high price, and you’d be right. Importantly, I believe in the product, and I will only ever use that type of vacuum cleaner to this day. I only ever sell products or services that I believe in 100%. That said, it’s very expensive.

So who in the world pays that much for a vacuum cleaner? The answer is no one does…with one exception. Those who are asked. Of those who are asked to purchase a vacuum cleaner for $1600, approximately 1 in 3 say yes. 1 in 3? Yes. 1 in 3. Is asking for the order really that effective? In my experience, yes it is.

It appears that if you ask, you just might get what you want…not every single time, but pretty darn often.

It’s expensive to be inexpensive

Why would you sell your time (or anything for that matter) too cheaply? What ends up happening? You end up resenting the work, don’t you? And clients still complain that you charge too much, don’t they? How much is the right amount to charge for your product? Charge the amount that makes you feel good about doing it. Pricing is an element of marketing much more than it ever reflects actual value. Actual value doesn’t exist. Pricing does exist, so charge what you’re worth!

Does this mean you have to charge $1000 an hour? Of course not, but I know many consultants who do. Even more. The point is not price. The point is that there are plenty of clients who will pay basically whatever you ask them to pay. You have to position yourself, and then simply ASK FOR THE ORDER. That’s how you get more money.