5 steps to sell without selling
The only way to develop “No-Sell” Sell swagger is to start doing it.
🏴☠️ Arrrr, welcome to a 💎 free edition 💎 of Category Pirates. Here, we share frameworks, thoughts, and examples from our mini-books to help you learn how to apply category design thinking to your business and life.
Dear Friend, Subscriber, and Category Pirate,
Too many people approach selling like a teenager approaches their first crush.
They try too hard, say too much, look too desperate. (And fail to get a “yes.”)
Instead of chasing your customers, you want to make them come to you.
Prove your worth by showing people the value you create instead of telling them about it.
The strategy: You sell to people by not selling to them.
You do this by creating so much value for someone that they fight to work with you. They chase you — you don't chase them. Not only does this help position your company/offering as high-end and elite, but it also shows how you’re different from anyone else.
This is called the "No-Sell" Sell.
The "No-Sell" Sell is a tactic to generate demand, attract business instead of chasing it, and prove that you, your product, or your service is incomparable.
Public speaking is a great way to show versus tell.
Public speaking is an amazing way to attract clients and customers. Most assume this requires you to give a TEDx talk or keynote speech at some fancy ding-dong event. Those are great; we’ve done plenty of that. But there are so many more opportunities to do it in the digital age.
Podcasting
YouTube
Webinars and online workshops
Online conferences and summits
Online forums and Q&A sessions
Video livestreaming (LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, etc.)
E-learning platforms (Udemy, Masterclass, Skillshare)
It can be nerve-wracking if you’re not used to putting yourself out there. (We Pirates have done countless speaking engagements, on-camera interviews, and podcasts — and we still get nervous sometimes.) Not many people share their thoughts publicly because of these voices in their heads:
What if I’m rejected?
I have nothing to say.
I don’t know where to start.
It sounds like too much work.
How will I know that I’ll get a return on my investment?
We want you to stand up, straighten your back, and change the conversation to the following.
I will be rejected, and it's okay.
The more I speak, the more I find my voice and what to say.
I can start with a problem that I’m in love with and want to market.
It's a lot of work, but I’d rather have too much work than too little work.
I don’t know what my ROI will be, but I know that not speaking is zero ROI.
Public speaking isn’t about giving a great speech — it’s about becoming a great speaker. Don’t worry about making mistakes. That’s how you build to legendary speaker status!
Here’s how to get ready for the stage:
Step 1: Pick a problem and POV you love and know well.
When planning for your first public speaking event, choose a topic you enjoy discussing that educates people on your unique point of view. Use your best material, even if you’ve used it before. Chances are, no one’s heard it yet!
Then, focus on technique.
Practice your timing and volume, be mindful of your hand gestures, use the correct stance, and focus on eye contact.
Step 2: Start small and with low stakes.
When you’re starting out, no audience size is too small.
Use any low-stakes speaking opportunity to get out there and build your speaking muscle. If just one person turns up, make it into a conversation with them. If no one shows up, give your speech. Treat it like a practice session with yourself.
You can even record and upload a video of your speech to social media, like how Pirate Eddie does whenever he speaks on live TV.
Step 3: Embrace questions and answers.
You never know what kinds of questions you’ll get, which can make the question-answer process nerve-wracking.
But as a missionary category designer, you’re there to help people! If you need more time to answer a question, ask the person to “say more” — it gives you extra material to work with. And if you truly don’t know the answer, get their contact info and tell them you’ll get back to them.
(Just remember to follow up.)
Step 4: Convert your speaking into writing gold.
Repetition can seem boring. But the more reps you do, the more gold you’ll strike as a public speaker and writer. Record and transcribe your talks for future speeches, social media, books, or newsletters. Speeches give you a ton of material and new ideas.
Languaging magic can happen when you least expect it.
Step 5: Balance analog and digital public speaking.
There’s nothing like the energy of being on a physical stage, but digital stages are way more scalable. Seminars, webinars, podcasts, online conferences, and video live streaming are all great ways to reach your Superconsumers.
And speaking success begets speaking success.
The more you speak, the better you’ll get at showing your customers the value you create for them.
The better you get at it, the more speaking opportunities will come your way.
Over time, those speaking opportunities will generate amazing writing, more contacts, and more paying clients.
All without a single “pretty please buy” pitch.
Ready to create an irresistible energy that pulls customers toward you?
Learn more in this mini-book:
Arrrrrrr,
Category Pirates
You might also like these mini-books:
How to increase your prices by unlocking the value of your value
How to design a marketing event people can’t stop talking about
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