As Sara Murray transitioned from a sales career to entrepreneurship, she found her focus shifting from the bottom line to the impact she was creating. She learned to bridge the gap between herself and potential clients by deliberately connecting with people as humans first and customers second.
In doing so, Sara has developed a prospecting approach that works for any type of relationship building, even outside of sales. This week, she joined Maryalice Goldsmith on The Speaker Lab Podcast to lay it all out, along with her insights into what successful self-employment looks like. Here are three main takeaways from their conversation:
Authenticity and relationship building are key to successful sales
Sara believes in building genuine relationships before making any sales pitch. This means being authentically interested in the people you are speaking to and finding ways to connect with them on a personal level. By showing genuine interest and building an authentic relationship, the sales transaction becomes far easier. She emphasizes the importance of treating customers as equals and putting yourself in their shoes to truly understand their needs and desires. In doing so, it becomes much easier to offer them solutions and services that align with their needs and values.
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External accountability and support systems are absolutely critical
Without the structure of a corporate job, Sara had to focus on external accountability and invest in coaching and other support systems to help her stay on track. She found that the lessons and structure of The Speaker Lab VIP Program have been a helpful support system, providing valuable grounding and accountability. Along with accountability relationships she developed with friends and deliberate steps she took, such as joining a virtual coworking group and setting defined goals each day, Sara found a better way to stay on track and remain productive in her business.
Flexibility is crucial for success in entrepreneurship
As Sara transitioned from a sales career to entrepreneurship, she realized that flexibility and being able to pivot are essential for success in the realm of self-employment. She learned to be flexible in her approach to achieving her goals and emphasizes the importance of knowing when to pivot and being flexible when other things require attention. This enables her to be adaptive and allows her to address pressing matters without being locked into a ritualistic process.
Want to dive in more? Check out the full podcast episode with Sara Murray here.
