Creating and supporting sustainable holistic businesses.

I have an acquaintance who sells his services as a pick up artist.

He teaches men how to go into a bar, club or other social situation and get dates with women. Ladies, I can hear you cringing from here but stay with me on this one. This is relevant, I swear.

I chatted a bit with my pal about the process of picking up women. Partly, because I wanted to steel myself against his sleazy tactics and partly because I needed fuel to dislike him. What struck me though, were the similarities between getting a date and making a sale. And none of the recommended pick up tactics are slimy.

Here are a handful of my pal’s suggestions:

BUILD TRUST.

My Pick Up Artist friend recommends that to get a date, a man should help the woman trust him right away. The biggest mistake men make is jumping in and asking for a date before a woman feels comfortable.

Using a pickup line like, “nice shoes, wanna shag?” is the sales equivalent of “Nice tweet, wanna spend three grand on my services?”

Building trust is the first step on your way to making a sale. Post your testimonials and your client list. Help prospects understand that you help people just like them. Offer a low-cost or no-cost option so they can sample your services without committing big bucks.

OPEN WITH A COMPLIMENT.

My PUA pal recommends that men begin interactions with compliments. Ladies, you know how you feel when you get a sincere compliment (sincere, not a cheesy pick up line).

For the same reason, compliment you client. People want to hear that you are excited to work on their project. People want to hear that you like to work with people like them. Of course, sincerity is the key. Have an answer if she asks you why you want to work with her on her project.

ATTENTION IS PRECIOUS.

Ladies, if a potential gentleman caller gets your attention, what do you want him to do with it? He should be interesting and charming, right? Same deal with sales.

If you write a catchy, attention-grabbing tweet or headline, make sure the content backs it up. If someone makes the effort to click your link, show them something useful, interesting or otherwise makes their day better. Don’t squander your audience’s attention.

If they feel that looking at your stuff is a waste of time, it will be much harder to get their attention a second time.

BE CONFIDENT.

When you enter a sales conversation oozing desperation, it’s just as unappealing as showing up for a date oozing neediness.

Just as your date doesn’t want the job of validating you, your client doesn’t want to prove your worthiness to you. Believe in your own worth and in the value you provide. Talk to your client about the results you can get for her. Show her that you understand her needs and you can help her get where she wants to go.

The conversation is about how you can help her, not what you need from her.

CLOSE THE SALE.

My PUA buddy recommends asking “When are you available?” instead of “Would you like to go out sometime?”

Instead of “I’m offering free consolations. Click for details” Try, “Click to schedule your free consultation.”

Try asking a prospect “When would you like to get started?” If he needs time to think about it, ask when he would like to schedule a follow-up meeting. Of course, you don’t want to be a nag. If he won’t commit to a follow up meeting, he wants to say no, but he’s too polite to say so.

The next time you enter into a sales conversation, make sure you do it with confidence.

Offer a sincere compliment to help your prospect feel good about the interaction. Once you have your prospect’s attention, make sure it’s worth the prospects time to listen to you. Building trust is key to creating a positive interaction. Finally, close the sale.

Now go out there, get the girl and make the sale.

Photo credit: Alex E. Proimos

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