Two New (Old) Rules for Selling

It’s a brave new world out there.

No matter what’s going on now and what happens next… a lot has changed very quickly and there’s no going back.

One of the big questions I’m getting from my clients is about selling in the current environment – and every business needs to get clients and make sales.

A lot of folks are treating “sell” like a 4-letter word right now, and I get it. 

But the reality is, the world needs you to keep selling.

People need your leadership, your passion, your enthusiasm.

So if you’re feeling a little squeamish about selling right now, I’ve got a couple tips to help you do it well and to really serve your people in the process. 

Here’s what I mean…

Similar articles

View all articles

When “Not Perfect” is Perfect Enough for Your First Launch

Great leaders aren’t born from titles, they’re built in the trenches. This is certainly true…

How a Wrong Black Friday Offer Could Cost You Big

When it comes to your Black Friday marketing strategy, it’s easy to think, "Let’s just…

How to Win in a Crowded Market

After every launch, my team and I do a thorough debrief. We don’t just debrief…

47 Replies to “Two New (Old) Rules for Selling”

  2. rick (DMC)

    Reply ↓

    Great video Jeff,
    Love all your content
    Thanks !
    Is always so inspirational to me.
    Still at the beginning of building my own. online presence. And receiving your email keeps me inspired.
    Best,
    Rick
    (digital marketing cowboy)

    • Elisa

      Reply ↓

      Hi Jeff, I wanted to ask if a replay of your week long “Live Masterclass” on launching a business and “Coaching Training,” that you mentioned in your most recent video, was still available? I really enjoy your trainings and am always looking for new ways to educate myself and move my business to the next level. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge in such a down to earth, relatable way, with all of us.

      Warmly,
      Elisa L.

  3. Colin King

    Reply ↓

    Awesome, Go Jeff, yep there’s no going back a Brave new world awaits us on the other side of this historic event.

  4. Hennie

    Reply ↓

    Agreed, any business rely on sales (selling a product or selling a service). Stop selling will lead to close doors.

  5. Adrian

    Reply ↓

    Great video. Yes we are in different times and there is no going back
    It is about understanding what our customers value now because that has changed too

  6. David

    Reply ↓

    Hi Jeff, and everybody

    I completely understand what’s being said in the video, esp. regarding “valu, value, value, value,… and then the sale”, or “value bomb”.

    While every launch / business is somehow different, I am wondering about the old challenge: Where to draw the line between free and paid…? How can I ensure that I deliver enough value to be “moving the freeline” (Eben Pagan), and to still want people to buy? It can’t be about simply focussing on the “what”, in oder to sell then the “how”.

    So, to all of you out there who are doing it successfully: Is there a general rule of thumb you can suggest where to draw the line?

    Regards
    David

    • Ibrahim

      Reply ↓

      You can only cross this imaginary line if your audience understood and are clear about the transformation they will have. They must take ownership of this transformation.
      Your avatar can lead you, do some testing and ask them before full deployment.

  7. Paola

    Reply ↓

    Thank you Jeff, inspiring as usual. So the next question would be: what values do WE need to review to be able to deliver value bombs?

  10. Halley

    Reply ↓

    Thanks Jeff! Glad to know I follow people like you who are encouraging us to stay in the game during these times!

  12. Trevor Maurice

    Reply ↓

    Thanks, Jeff! Always great insight AND inspiration to help keep us ‘afloat’ in these dark times. I’m DEFINITELY launching soon because people are at home and need our help. I’ll be sure to add lots of value too 🙂

  14. Gary Nuckols

    Reply ↓

    Thank You Jeff, I really appreciate the analogy on stepping back & taking in our current issues in the world. Giving value,value definitely food for thought as we all strive to move forward in this difficult time. LOL

  15. Mike Garska

    Reply ↓

    Hi Jeff. Thank you. Always love your perspectives. Here’s a thing about sales. There is not a person alive who isn’t a sales person. Sales is not a bad thing.

    I teach best practice communications skills. Consider this. When people communicate we go through a five step process. 1, We sense, one of our senses kicks in, usually hearing and seeing when we’re talking to someone. 2, An emotion is triggered, we feel something somewhere in our body. 3, We start thinking about it. 4, Out of our thoughts and feelings we gain an intention, and 5, We act. We choose how we are going to respond. Jack Canfield says if you want a different outcome, change your response. Anyway. I call this 5 step process the Human Interaction Process. The HIP. I coach to use it as a navigation tool for tough talks.

    Okay, the sales point. At the intention process of an interaction, we are all selling, so we’re actually all sales people. When we have a intention we want to influence someone to do something or think something. We are selling them on an idea we have in order to get them to do something. So here’s a great sales tip from Brian Tracey. ‘ When we shine the light on the other person, rather than ourselves or our product, we sell more.

    Good selling all, with your business and in your interactions with others.

  17. Diane

    Reply ↓

    Excellent Jeff!! It is a different world right now. I like how you said we need to “lean into it” when connecting with our followers. I also agree on giving lots of value. But I do want to monetize. Along with my free lessons and demonstrations I promote my calligraphy course. I think with more consistency in providing these valuable videos the sales will follow. Am I right?

  19. Danny Orleans

    Reply ↓

    Value Bomb! There is a phrase that got everyone’s attention! Great message about overdelivering video the pre-launch phase. You have convinced me to re-launch my course for year two to a market of entertainers whose income has been devastated due to the virus.

  20. Eilat Aviram

    Reply ↓

    Thank you so much for addressing this topic. As a psychologist, author and speaker I’ve definitely felt concerned about selling at a time so many people are losing their income and so much else.
    I’ve chosen to do a daily 21-day Facebook livestream on my page If I Loved Myself as a way to offer free support to those feeling scared and disempowered and wondering how to manage all this.
    The response has been warm and appreciative and now I see that my natural urge to help is a big value offer that I can base a deeper offer on without feeling bad – because it really is a value bomb.
    Thank you!

  21. Mark

    Reply ↓

    What’s your opinion on launching NOW. Will it just fall flat?

    I think everybody’s probably too preoccupied (maybe not). Guess it depends on the product.

  24. Greer

    Reply ↓

    Atomic Value Jeff. I can’t wait to see what you and your team are going to deliver!

    Thank you!

  25. Lesley

    Reply ↓

    Thanks very much Jeff. Your message was right on the button for me as I have spent the last week wondetring when I could realistically/morally be ‘back’ on my social media platfomrs in terms of my services. I have a book open in front of me now planning what my value bomb will include.

  26. Gabriel

    Reply ↓

    I see a lot of people feeling that they are being exploited by online marketers during a time when they are most vulnerable. People are suffering right now and it seems as though capitalist’s are using this crisis to leverage them.

    That being said I also see a lot of humanitarian acts being done but mostly by people that are in the lower income brackets of business. I see many entrepreneurs offering their courses for free with an option to donate. These are the heroes rising up to the occasion to shine their light during a dark time.

    Why is it that people that have more than most want to continue to take from others that have less? How does that really serve the planet? This is the dysfunctional broken system that is currently collapsing before our very eyes. Where you stand and how you show up in this unprecedented moment will be a reflection of your hearts integrity, not just I. The eyes of humanity but in the eyes of the Divine as well.

  27. Yasmine

    Reply ↓

    Love the concept of “value Bomb”. I agree. Be in service and provide value.

  28. Bobi Williams

    Reply ↓

    Thanks for your message and insight. Good to know your take on the subject.

  30. Pam Baumeister

    Reply ↓

    I’m delivering value right now in anticipation of my seed launch. Hoping to get more people to my webinar, but ok with learning and growing at the right pace. Thank you for your awesome insights!

  32. Mike Ocampo

    Reply ↓

    I’ve always found the information Jeff shares very valuable and positive. Looking forward to the next free course drop. This is the year to make a difference in the world around us by putting in more work and be prepared to help those that are following you and your brand.

  33. Anjan Banerji

    Reply ↓

    This is so inspirin Jeff! Hits all the check boxes. One cannot be a true marketer without right intent. That combined with over deliverability will help retain clients and create a track record for referrals.
    I enjoyed the short power-packed video which is so you!
    I look forward to your future videos and “gyan”.
    Thank you

  34. I, b Inyang

    Reply ↓

    Greatly appreciate you and your smooth, knowledge loaded training session. I’ll be your student for life.
    Remain Eternally Blessed 🙏🏿

    I. b
    Kinetik Sportswear

  35. Jessica Marie

    Reply ↓

    Thank you, Jeff. This actually made me feel much better. I am at the beginning of re-building my business and I got scared because of all that’s going on in the world right now. I now see that I can still make this into a success.

    Thank you,
    Jessica

  37. Reima Petramaa

    Reply ↓

    Thanks for thought provoking content. Paid attention to the fact that you have to provide value before your offer and sale. This indicates it has become harder to get one. At least, all the value before the offer makes the sale easier.

  40. Bart Remes

    Reply ↓

    Thanks for this video Mr. Walker.

    Every Sunday I’m looking forward to watch your latest video. I love the Lenin quote you use (I don’t like the man but love the quote).

    I am an economist entrepreneur building an online business. And I am fan of your work. My avatar are entrepreneurs and business owners looking to transform their business to the new fast changing world.

    A lot of times people are not comfortable with going out and doing sales. Doing sales is perceived as ‘sleazy’, and as you said, especially in current times people are not comfortable doing sales

    Sales is not ‘sleazy’. Here is what I tell my customers why that is so: things, stuff, goods & services don’t have value. There is no such thing as intrinsic value. Things only have value because people value things (this insight was discovered around 1870 by 3 economists independently from each other – it turned the then economic theory upside down).

    Value is in the mind. Value is subjective.

    There are countless reasons why people allocate value to something. I like it because I like it. I like it because I need it. I need it now. Obviously the higher the value is perceived, the higher the price.

    No two people value the same thing the same way. Value is never equal.

    In every sales – a buyer and a seller – discover an opportunity of double inequality of value and happily act upon it. Here is how double inequality of value works: the reason for exchange is that each party values more highly the good it gets than the good it gives up. In other words, the buyer and the seller make the exchange precisely because for each of them there is an inequality of values. Both buyer and seller expect to benefit. Both buyer and seller increase their value! And that is why sales is not ‘sleazy’ and benefits the world (*)

    The reason why I love PLF so much is that it is such a fantastic way to show to your potential customer the value of your offering. Then it is up to the customer to consider the value of the offering and decide whether or not it is higher than the value of the money he / she will have to give in return to obtain your offering.

    (*) Naturally buying and selling needs to be done on honest and voluntary basis. Sales a la Godfather ‘I am going to make him an offer he cannot refuse’ is not beneficial to the world because only one part benefits.

    Thanks Mr. Walker for creating PLF.

  42. Annie

    Reply ↓

    Such a time as this.
    Thank you for the kind way in which you present your passion about leading and teaching.

Your Email address will not be published.

By submitting this form you agree to our terms and conditions and our Privacy Policy.