Ethics and Integrity in Sales
Con artists come in all shapes and sizes and they can come in a business suit with the title of ‘Coach’ too. As a coach, you should model the behaviour you want your clients to emulate. That means I need to be on my top sales game when talking to prospective clients.
I have a new client who is currently locked into paying for 4 months of coaching with another coach that she doesn’t want to work with. Helping her to get out of that contract was a nightmare.
Why do some coaches cling to the contract as their only means of keeping a client? As a business owner and coach with over 20 years of experience, I do not want to work with anyone who does not want to work with me.
Why would I? What sense does that make? Where will the word-of-mouth referrals and testimonials come from if your clients are being pressured and are locked into contracts they can’t get out of? Are people likely to recommend working with someone like that?
In those cases it means that it’s all about the money in the coach’s bank account and NOT about being of service to others, which is my definition of sales with integrity.
[bctt tweet=”It is those kinds of coaches who are replacing used-car salespeople as the scumbag of the sales world. “]
Those are harsh words. People who know me know that I always try to look for the good in people, and I’m usually able to find it. However, it’s these hard-sell tactics that give people panic attacks, as well as financial and emotional discomfort. This demeaning style does not represent the kind of sales that I do.
In my 30+ years of sales, I have NEVER EVER done a hard-sell to anyone, and I’ve sold millions of dollars, Euros and Pounds Sterling worth of ‘stuff’ (from computers, software and bar code systems to training, consulting, plants and books) in over 25 countries to hundreds of clients.
Sales is a noble profession. It’s about being of service to others. You just have to make it easy for others to buy from you–you never have to hard-sell anyone.
If the above experience was a solitary episode by one coach, I would not be writing this post. Some of my clients have experienced this multiple times with different coaches. It is unfortunately not an isolated experience.
Buyer beware – scams do happen in the nicest of surroundings too. Ask to speak to past clients who are similar to you. Ask to see their client success brag sheet – here’s mine as that is what really counts.
Never mind all the bonus workshops, masterminds, books, manuals, webinars and whatever else they throw into the pot to make your investment sound like a bargain. What do you really need and does the coach have what it takes?
Getting 1:1 coaching for at least an hour a week (no clock watching on my end, we finish when we’re done) is what my clients find to get them optimal results in a short time.
Remember – a coach is someone you should look up to and want to emulate. How they sell to you is how you will learn how to sell. Hard selling is WRONG, very wrong and so unnecessary. If it feels wrong to you, then they are not the coach for you.
To see if you and I can work together, let’s have a no-obligation and no hard sell coaching call. Contact me at 416-951-3842 Patti@SmallBizSalesCoach.ca
Have fun and make money is my motto and if you’re not having fun, then who cares about the money. Even the Wealthy Barber told me I had that in the right order!