How to Stop Hating the Sales Part of Your Business

Welcome, welcome. I'm so happy to see you. Welcome to back to school season it is September it is, this always feels like a fresh start to my teacher brain. This is like, I need to go buy all the markers, I need to buy a bunch of post it notes, and maybe some bulletin board stuff that I definitely don't need, and like, change my office around and do some things. Because it's September, and it's back to school season. 

My kids are back to school, everything is started fresh, and new podcast episodes are coming to you. Hurray. So today, we are going to talk about how to stop hating the sales part of your business. Here's the thing that I hear all the time from people I hear people say to me, You know what, I love my business, I love what I do, I hate the sales part, it's so uncomfortable. It is, you know, it's like the first thing I would get somebody else to do. If I could, I would love to have somebody else do the selling so I could just do the stuff. I hear that a ton. And for most like solopreneurs, which is what I am what so many of you are like having somebody else do all your sales isn't really, really like passable, it's just not realistic. And also, it's not required.

 Because here's the thing, you don't have to hate the sales part of your business, we have sort of been trained socially, to see sales as icky and slimy, and all the things and it's just not it's not required. So what I want to talk about today are the these four things that I have, that I think really change how you perceive the sales part of your business, you have to be open to changing it, and not hating it and open to the idea that you could not hate it. So start there. But if you try these things, there is you know, a strong potential that maybe this is no longer the least favorite part her business, which would be so nice, right? It makes everything easier in your business when you don't hate the part that creates the money. Because the sales is really what drives growth. So when you hate the sales part, you're hating the part that drives growth and that sort of counter productive to what you're trying to do. 

You're trying to grow your business, and trying to it's like running on the treadmill while eating a gallon of ice cream. It's fine. You can do it that way. It's very complicated. I would have ice cream all over me. And it's just like, seems counterintuitive, right? Like those things don't necessarily go together. So hating sales and growing a business are difficult to maintain. So there are four things that I want to share today. The other thing before I jump in is if you are not in my Facebook group, come play with us. It is the same name of this podcast. It's called uncomplicated business for teachers helpers and givers. 

Yes, you belong. And if you want to come play on Tik Tok come play I'm over there or LinkedIn or wherever, let's connect. So feel free to visit any of those places. And, and And sorry, I always leave something out. If this podcast is useful if you've been listening, if you're watching on YouTube, wherever, please subscribe these when you subscribe, or when you leave a review. This is how other people find it. And it's such a like a treat for me like to see that and to know what's being useful for people because that's really all I care about in the end. But it's also you know, because technology drives the thing, how the algorithms help other people find it. 

So anything that you want to do to be helpful, there would be amazing. Thank you. So stopping the sales hating the sales part ready. The first thing is to see the salesperson already inside of you. You're like, God, Sarah watts. But truly, here's the thing. I have been a teacher my whole life by taught in public schools for many years, I've taught in college classrooms I've taught in elementary classrooms I've taught in private school, I taught swimming, I taught all the things. And what I realized very early in my business, and what helped me tremendously was understanding that teaching is sales. And to be able to see that, as a teacher I am legitimately a black belt in sales was like oh, well, if I can sell algebra to eighth graders, I could sell anything.

 Because here's the thing. If I see the salesperson in me as a teacher, like I had to convince people who didn't want a thing like math, because kids come into a room pretty damn sure they don't want the math especially algebra, they come in, and my job is to help bring them along to a point that not only can they do the algebra, but they like it. Like that when I taught eighth grade for so many years, I used to tell people, my job was to send kids into high school, convinced they enjoyed math. Cuz if I could do that, they were set up, that wouldn't be like that was the highest order job. And so here's the thing, like, that's a sales job. 

That's like a, like a, like a hardcore sales job. That's, that's like cold calling on steroids, because those kids don't want to love it. And so when I could see that I was already selling things really effectively by my dad, it was like, Oh, so now you're telling me in my business, what I only have to do is sell this thing that's really useful that I have this coaching tool, this, you know, product in my other business, to people that want it, I only have to talk to the people who want it and sell it to them. Oh, well, I already sold sold things to people who didn't want it and did fine. And now I only have to talk to the people who want to hear from me, like, that's amazing. So think about where you are already selling.

 Like I can basically do this for every person, like my husband is in the corporate world. He sells data to people, he sells them understanding data to people, he sells, basically, the data that he doesn't actually sell it, but what he does is explain it to people in a way that helps them to understand its relevance, its importance, its value, and why they should follow it. That sales. I have a dear friend who is in HR, what she sells is basically like people following rules. Right? She sells people reasons, to a use the resources of the company she worked for, but we follow the rules and be good people to each other. 

I have a client who sells communication. She supports you know, leaders and companies to be better communicators, she has to have them understand why communication is important. I have a couple clients actually that sell communication. Right? They are communicators, their job is to help people understand and feel understood more effectively. So think about what you sell already, in what you're selling to people who don't even want it like teachers so that people don't don't want it those kids didn't be like, Okay, I can't wait to go to algebra that is not the vast majority of them. Trust me, 

I've taught 1000s of them. And the three that were like, I love this class on the first day, or three of them, right? I can name them for you too, which is hysterical. But if you can see that you're already selling and and I would my I would add, if you are a parent, you're a salesperson, I sell crap to my kids all day long. I sell kindness. I sell, you know, doing chores, I sell, gosh, all kinds of things, eating vegetables, I sell all kinds of things. They don't want to do a but also things that they enjoy and want to do more of. Right, I sell practice. 

My daughter plays a French horn and I sell like the joys of practice, which she's really bought into, which I'm like, totally into. So you know, as a parent, you're selling stuff to your kids. And sometimes it does feel like you're being a little salesy probably feels like you're trying to convince them of things. But other times it's like, Hey, guys, here's how it works. Here's what you're gonna get, here's what I'm gonna do. What do you think? And they're like, oh, okay, we can get with that. Man. That's sales. That's it. That's all of it. So that's number one. Where are you already selling? Because it or there is a portion of your life where it is happening already in your job in a previous job with your kids, with your family, with your friends, whatever, you're selling something. Number two,
know your why. So for so many of you, for me often is the same. 

My why is to help more people, period. I want everybody's business to boot. I want people to get exactly what they need from people who are amazing at what they do. So I want my clients to be able to serve all the people because my clients do amazing things, and more people need them. I want people to have the resources I want people to be so served and not be as frustrated or confused or conflicted or complicated. I want it to be easy for people. That's my why. 

My why is to help my real I've said this for years, but like all I'm here to do is be useful period. And if I get to do that, then that everything is great. And what I know is that I am willing to step into sales to even things that feel uncomfortable to me, because there are parts of sales that are uncomfortable for everybody. But I am willing to step into sales and do those things. Because it helps me be useful. Because it serves people. I am willing to do it for the result. So of you, we'll come back to like, why do you do this? What about what you do matters? How do you connect it to the people you're trying to serve? Are you willing to do the sales part for them? Of course, because you're here. 

Now here's the thing, like you're already willing to do it for them the hardest way possible. Because if you hate your sales process, if you hate sales in general, and you're doing it anyways, your why is pretty friggin substantial. But come back to it and be like, Okay, wait, can I do this and decide I don't want to have to hate it. Because honestly, to a degree, it's a decision. Okay, so that's number two. Number one, see the salesperson already in you. Number two, stay connected to your why keep coming back to it, keep coming back to it, keep coming back to it. Number three, find parts of selling you really love it. Here's the thing, you may not love all the parts, right? But there are parts of it you really enjoy. 

For example, when I was really learning to love sales, because I really do when I was really like redefining my relationship with it. What I realized is I love, love, love, love the new people park. I love the new people part. I am the noisiest person on earth. And I love that I get to meet new people and they tell me all the things about their lives. Like that's the best thing ever. I love that part. And so for me to know that sales is really just an opportunity to like, hear all people's stories and get all nosy and ask them all the questions like, Oh, that's amazing. I love that part. I like, you know, being able to say Okay, so tell me how you got from here to there. Tell me why you do it. Tell me what you love about it. Tell me who you love to help. I love all that. And when I realized that I really enjoyed that part. 

When I let myself really enjoy that part. It was like, Oh, hold on a minute. I love part of this. And and, you know, early on when I realized I really enjoyed the connecting part. What I hated most was the part where I would be like, Okay, here's how it works to work with me, the offer part, the invitation. And so I practiced, like there are parts of it there are uncomfortable, because we're not used to saying, Hey, I'm valuable enough to ask you for money. Or, Hey, I am valuable enough to ask you for money. And I think you value me equally. 

That's not a terrible thing, right? So like sometimes on the podcast, so like I shrugged my shoulders, and I just sort of make a face and then I remember that you can't see that. So sometimes the pauses are like me just shrugging my shoulders making a face and we're like, oh, that's a podcast. Oops. So think about the parts you love. And think apart the parts that are sticky. And then think like, Okay, I am practicing this sticky part. Okay, I'm learning to love this sticky part. What has happened to me over time, is I really started to enjoy the part where people are like, Okay, tell me how to work with you. And I say, Okay, well tell me. Here's what it usually starts like, here's what we do. Tell me what you want. 

Tell me what you want it to look like I get to like, help people figure out exactly what's fits. That's kind of fun, too. And I have found the joy in that. Did it take longer? Absolutely. Did it take longer for me to feel good about saying my pricing and every time my pricing changes? Does it take us some time again? Absolutely. But does that mean you hate the process? No. There is part of the sales process. There are parts of it that you enjoy, that you don't even notice because you're busy thinking you hate the whole thing. Decide that you're gonna pick it apart. Like do you love the meeting new people? Do you love hearing their stories? Do you love talking about what you do? Do you love giving examples? Do you love the part where you sort of get into the nitty gritty details? Like what what do you love? And then what are the other parts that you're like, ah, but when we get to that part, I just want to cry. Okay?

 Can you decide that's the part you're going to practice? Because that sounds terrible idea, right? Like, let's just practice. We're not gonna be great at it all the time. There were times I had one last week where I had a conversation with somebody. And afterwards, I was like, oh, Sarah, you really sort of skipped the part. They're, like, even do that I'm good at this. And I do that, where I thought, like, oh, shoot, I would have done that differently. Okay. But like, that doesn't mean I failed, it just means that I need to, like be a little more intentional. Okay? Same, you're the same. Okay. And number four, here's the one that you knew was coming that you don't like, number four is to shift your internal dialogue. Because we believe what we tell ourselves. 

 If what you're doing is walking around telling yourself you hate sales, and you're bad at it, you hate sales, and you're bad at it. Right? Like, that's, I like if the two soapboxes I could get on, if I could banish a couple of phrases from our vocabularies, it would be I hate sales. I'm bad at it. And I'm not good at math. Because none of that's true. That's all just story we tell ourselves, it's just the words we use to reinforce what we think about ourselves. Here's the thing, nobody's bad at math. Nobody's bad at sales, like I was a math teacher for and have been for 20 years, I was not planning on that. 

That was not my trajectory. And I learned to be good at math. I learned to be good at sales, you can do the same thing. But it starts with what we tell ourselves. So like, let's consider a shift from hate sales, sales to slimy, I'm not good at this, I'm never going to be good at this. I can't be a salesperson, gosh, so many things like, I don't want to be a salesperson, all of those, write them all down. That's fine. Any version, whatever your version is. And, excuse me, let's shift to I'm learning to sell effectively so I can help more people. I'm practicing sales. I am willing to practice sales. I am open to learning sales. I am getting better at sales. 

Oh my gosh, so many options. So here, like we don't have to think we hate it. It's possible. Like one of the things you can choose to think is it's possible to enjoy sales, doesn't mean you do right now that's fine. You can work your way towards it. But it is possible to enjoy it, it turns out, it's one of my favorite parts of my business, who would have thunk. I mean, probably the same person that that knew I would be a math teacher someday is standing up, you know, at the edge of the universe laughing because they're like, you know, she didn't think she'd be a salesperson or a math teacher, we got her good. And I didn't know I was gonna, like be any of these things, be good at them or enjoy them.

 But here we are. So change is possible. It's possible for me, it's possible for you. Let's try it. You know what, even if you just do one of these things, it is the start of a process of less hate of this. And the more you can turn down the like, frustration and angst and worry. And whatever around sales, the easier sales becomes. And when sales become easier your business grows. It's that simple. Like if it's hard, it's takes time. 

Right? We do things the hardest way possible. Of course it's slower. Of course, we don't like it as much as course it's not as fun. So maybe let's maybe let's make it easier and let it be fun. So if you have questions, reach out and ask you can find me all the places you know, I have email, I have a website, it's Torpey coaching.com I have Facebook, I have LinkedIn, I have Tiktok comm ask the questions. If you have feedback, share it. If you love this episode, and you want to share it, I would love that too. And if you are ready for coaching and you're like dammit, I need help with the sales thing. I don't want to hate it and I want to figure out what my process that I love looks like comm let's talk about it. group coaching. The next round kicks off at the end of the month. 

There are one on one spots open. Like please, let's talk about it. This is not as hard as you're gonna make it in actually sales calls when they're pretty fun. So it doesn't have to hurt I promise it won't hurt you or me because I actually really enjoy them and that's contagious. So let us talk if you're ready, and until then. Have a great week.