076: Stop Over-Explaining and Start Closing

Renee Hribar:** All right, let me paint a picture for you. All right? You just ran a VIP day for a client. It was amazing. You mapped out everything, strategy, ideas. You thought you listed out next steps. Mwah, chef's kiss, like love it. And then you get on the check-in call, and suddenly, like, you know, you had the VIP day, and then you're like, "All right, let everything sit. Let me work on a couple things. Let's check in tomorrow." And so suddenly, on this check-in call, you're over-explaining yourself again, and you're thinking, "Wait, don't they see all the other things I can do and that they need?" Uh, no. No, they do not. They do not see that. If you've ever felt that weird moment when a client thinks the VIP day was the whole thing, and you're sitting there trying to figure out how to talk about what comes next without sounding awkward, this episode is for you. Welcome back to the Selling Your Expertise podcast. I'm Renee Hribar, sales coach for women who are brilliant at what they do but are done relying on referrals, random inquiries, and Field of Dreams marketing. Build it, and they will come. Hmm. If you figure that out, let me know. I help you turn conversations into consistent clients. Isn't that what we all want? We don't wanna be pushy or weird or awkward or, worse, glued to social media 24/7. Whoop, no. Whether you found me by searching sales on your podcast player, heard one of my talks like the one I did for TEDx, or read my book and followed the prompts, thank you. Head over to askmecoach.com for all the freshest ways to hang out beyond this podcast. Now, if you've ever done a one-off service and then felt stuck trying to continue the relationship, yeah, we're fixing that today All right, let's unpack what's really going on here. So I started coaching a woman recently, and in our first coaching session, she starts telling me about a VIP day she had just done with one of her clients. She's like, "The session went great, tons of value delivered." Then comes the check-in call. Dun, dun, dun. And the client says something like, "Well, isn't that what we already did?" Like, she was going through the strategy, the plan, the next steps. Have you ever done this where you're, in that moment, you're like, "Wait, I don't know. Did we?" And so she tells me that she starts to just, like, verbally vomit. Like, she just starts over-explaining everything. And, like, I mean, I'm laughing because, you know, you're among friends, right? Like this, I get it. I do get it. And she did what most, I think, all of us would have done, and she just tried to justify the difference between what she was trying to show the client about what they needed next versus what they already did. More words, more word vomiting, more over-explaining, spiraling, right? So, like, this is us on our first session. And so let me be super clear. This is not about her lack of ability to communicate. She's a well-versed woman. I mean, she loves slide decks. I love a slide deck that has been made for me, but making slides, my nemesis, even with all the AI help that I can get. And so she had slides. She loves to give presentations, and again, like, she was reporting the news, right? Reporting what had already happened. She'd even sent an agenda and a report beforehand, but all of this boils down to a leak in the sales process. And I mean process. Process for me is, it's just the structure. It happens first, second, third. It's like a recipe, right? Do this, then do this, then do that So the real issue here is when you sell a VIP day or any one-off anything, A, you're killing me, but you're giving someone a snapshot, right? You're giving someone, a piece of what it would feel like to work with you on the reg. And what they actually need oftentimes, especially when you start to look under the hood and start to actually work in their business, is they need a lot of other things, right? You see a lot of other opportunities that woulddefinitely help them get to their goals faster. And if you don't clearly separate, you know, the guidance, the implementation, the ongoing support, the client assumes, and you can't fault them for this, "Well, that was it. That was great. Okay." So this is exactly what I talk about when I say one-offs will slowly, if not more than that, kill your business because there's no natural continuation. There has to be a next step. There... A bridge to somewhere, right? What was it, Palin? The bridge to nowhere. How old am I that I remember that? Okay. So let me show you how this plays out, right? Her client, who like many of your clients, I bet, brilliant, but scattered, right? Ideas everywhere. So my client on our first session was explaining how during the VIP day, she was having to, like, constantly rein her back in, recenter her, refocus her. Like, "This is the project we're focusing on today." And in fact, because of that- She really believed that this person understood that this is one of probably, um, you know, four or five that we need to do in the next 30, 60, 90 days. So on the check-in call, you know, she thought she understood, but this is again where, you know, there's more to help with this client, but she doesn't know how to say it, right? And so this client of mine on our first session is reporting how on this VIP day, which she completely felt went great, checked in with the woman, made the check-in call, and the woman's like, "I don't know what you mean. I thought that was it." And so it gets super messy super quick. And the over-explaining was at an Olympic level based on the story that she gave me. So let's reframe this, right? Like, er, sh, done. Here's what I told her to do next time since I do not own a time machine. If you do own a time machine, I would love to rent it from you. Not all the time, just sometimes. From time to time. Why does that make me think about Hot Tub Time Machine? First and foremost, if you've been hanging out with me for any length of time, you know that I'm going to encourage you to sell strategy first and separately, then sell the VIP day or a pack of VIP days so that you can deliver to the client over 30, 60, 90 days, six months, 12 months. I've got a client who is a funnel builder, but does a lot of other things as well, right? That's what's on her front shingle. But at the end of the day, she was doing these VIP days, and she of, of course, was seeing tons of opportunities. And so now she goes from a strategy session to a VIP day to 12 months. 12 months of four VIP days, four strategy sessions, and communication in between via email with her team, which makes a lot of businesses very happy. We're gonna get into this in a second. the reality is this, when you sell strategy first and separately, it alleviates clients' decision fatigue, and naturally, by design, makes payment plans make sense, right? And so, like, decision fatigue is I remember when I first came in the online space, I bought a VIP day from and they were working on my website, which was a disaster back then, by the way. You'll never see it. It's horrifying. speaking of Time Machine, I'll never turn that one on. And I was stressed out because she was, like, yelling at me is how I felt through Voxer. Like, "What about this? What about that?" I'm like, "Ah, too many decisions in one day." And so It, decision fatigue is real, and I don't want you to have to feel stressed or your clients to feel stressed. think about it like this, though. If you are delivering, let's say, five VIP days over six months, then you could give them a six-pay option. That VIP day is just one step then, not the whole enchilada. Oh my gosh, now I'm hungry. Okay, so the next time she could say, "Okay, we mapped out your launch in the strategy session," that she sold separately, "and pulled in the pieces of your funnel that you'll need to have ready for your launch next month. The next step," this is where it's different, "is implementation and support. Some people take the plan and run with it on their own." This is, um, this is me feeding her a script. "Some pass it on to their team." You might have heard this before. "And some want continued support, whether it's me implementing it for you or guiding your team as they put the pieces into place. Do you wanna hear what it would look like for me to do that for you? Or do you have a team member that you've already assigned to parts of the plan?" I mean, and this is just an example. I'm just, you know, being sassy here. But the point is, is that if that feels familiar, I want you to know that you can do this. So here's a three-part follow-up call structure after selling the strategy first separately. So I know that you include it. I know. I can hear you already, and I'm recording this right now. I feel it. I get it. You feel like just the strategy isn't worth it. It's not enough. That is where you are coming out of the order taker mind. You're leaving that behind. Goodbye. Good night. Forever, in the shredder, gone. Because you are not taking your strategy, your strategic mind as serious as you need to be. This is me gently shaking you by the shoulders. Uh. All right, so now let's look at how to run that second call like a pro. They've paid for the strategy session. You've run the strategy session. Now you're gonna come back and talk about what comes next. A lot of people wing this. They wing it. I'm not talking about scripts here, I'm talking about structure. Structure. because you can lose it here quickly without the structure. So number one, the first 10 minutes of this check-in call after a strategy session, I want you to say something like, "Hey, I'm so glad we're talking again. I wanted to check in with you. How have things been going with the plan that we put into place during our strategy session?" And they're like, "Oh, it's been great," or, "I have questions," or, "I've been thinking about it." You're like, "Awesome." And just remember, like whenever you're on a call with anybody... And I'm bringing this up because this client actually did this I'm remembering, I'm remindering what she was saying. She's like this one guy, not this particular time, was literally, like eating while driving and trying to be on the call with her. And she's like, "Can you at least pull over? I don't feel like this is a good environment." He pulls over. His wife's in the car, finds out the kids are in the back as well. They're all eating takeout on their way to somewhere, and she's thinking, "How is this guy gonna understand what I'm talking about?" Anyway, if you ever get on a call with someone under any circumstances, and they're driving or eating or unloading groceries or half listening while they're texting their sister or whatever, you're just not gonna compete with the dishwasher, okay? Like, it's just not... Don't even try. Say, "Listen, why don't you take care of that, and we can reschedule this call?" Most of the time they'll be like, "Oh, no, no, no, no, I'm sorry," because I'll be honest, as an ADHDer, I've done this unknowingly too, so you just gotta rein us in sometimes. All right, back to the first 10 minutes, is you're just checking in. How did it go based on the plan that we made during the strategy session? You're gonna feel like the plan was obvious. They are most likely gonna be like, "That blew my mind. I've been thinking about that, and you brought up some good points." That's the kind of responses you're gonna start to get when you're willing to sell strategy separately. But you're also gonna make more money because now they understand the strategy is a plan for the next 30, 60, 90 days, six months, 12 months, and you can help them get there, whether that's you doing the work for them, if that's your business model, or consulting them or their team to make sure it's done All right, next. Then you're gonna talk to them and say, "Okay, listen." This is where you start to ask questions, right? Like, "Listen," What has happened since our last session? Like, have you spoken to your team about this? Have you put this into a project board? What parts of this feels unclear? Have you adjusted your timeline based on the plan that we set? So you're helping them see the gaps. So you're guiding them through asking them questions about the plan that you created together. Again, it could be a plan for a launch, could be a plan for a new website, could be a plan for a new funnel, a book, whatever it is that you know they're gonna need support with over the next 30, 60, 90 days or six months or a year eventually. And then finally, you're gonna say now, and only now, will you present the recommendation, and that recommendation will be based on what they said. Now, if you want to have an offer prepared for this call,I would encourage you to do that, but if you're not confident having an offer prepared for this call and you need to hear more about what they say in response to your inquiries, then you need to book another call. Or you can simply ask more questions between the strategy session and this check-in call. So this is the part right here where everybody starts to get a little, like, "Well, I don't know what to offer them," and, "What if they say this?" Okay, well then, if you're worried about those particular questions, then ask those questions before you make a proposal. And if you want to have the proposal ready and this call is just about confirming what you had anticipated, then ask those questions via email or however you're communicating with this person between the strategy session and this call. It could be a day, it could be three days, could be a week, could be three weeks. I don't know. Point is, is you don't have to wait for the call. to ask questions. All right, 'cause here's the reality. Nobody wants to be sold to, right? Like, everybody wants to feel understood, and everybody feels like they are a unique snowflake. I think you and I can agree none of us are. I know this. I teach this. But even me, when I'm the customer, guess what I feel like? I feel like a unique snowflake. I'm like, "No, no, no, no, you don't understand. My problem is different." And never have I met anyone who agreed with me. My problem's not different. Your problem's not different. Their problem's not different. We've seen it and it's okay. And so ultimately, most of your clients are, right now, they're already overwhelmed. They're already super cautious, and they are way slower to decide than ever. So if you're jumping right into, like, sell mode, I, as a sales coach, am telling you, do not do that. Guide the conversation. Let them lean in. Soyou've met them, they've come to you, you've offered them a paid strategy session or mapping session or review session or audit or deep dive into exactly, you know, what's going on, and then you create a plan for them to move toward where they wanna go. A plan. Not to do it, but just a map. "Here's what we're gonna do. If I were you and I had this and I wanted to go there, here's exactly what I would do." It's kinda like a packing list, right? And they still have to buy the stuff, pack it, and know what to do with it when they have it in the car or wherever they're going. If we're packing, planning for a road trip, for example, right? Like, I want you to, to know and feel in your bones that you do know how to do this. You are amazing. All I am adjusting here is your process, your sales process, how you're doing it, so that you and that person who you've sold to, the person who has that expensive problem that you innately know how to solve based on your breadth and depth of your vast experience, that person understands that you are not a one-off, and this work is not a one-off, so you're not starting from scratch every single month. That is at the core of the entire podcast, the book, everything I do in my private client sessions and in my group coaching. Everything I talk about is this is the beginning of a relationship. This is part of a process. So when you're on this call and you're talking to them, remember, asking the questions to get the full picture so that you can give them your best advice. Asking the questions to get the full picture so that you can give them your best advice. I'm repeating myself 'cause I want you to feel this. That's what you're doing. Your trusted advisor role is the most important role you're going to have, no matter what your title is or whatever you're calling yourself. I always saythe title du jour, right? So I've just shared with you how to go from what my client on our first session was dumping on me was, "I had a VIP day," and then she's like, "I wait, I thought that was it. Meanwhile, I solved other things that were the problem." How to run those calls, How to be confident selling strategy separately. Hopefully I've made you laugh a little bit. Hopefully put you on the right step for a great week, and here's your action steps, 'cause you know I can't leave without saying that. Audit your last offer. Did you clearly define what happens after? Whatever you offered last, did you see a through line to what that offer solved could lead to? Okay. Second, stop over-explaining. Clarity closes and explanation confuses. And you've heard this before, and I'll say it again: confused people don't buy anything. 'Cause the reality is this: you probably already know your next client. You've connected with them somehow. Maybe you sat next to them at a conference. Maybe you ran the breakout session that they were in, sitting in. Maybe they're on your email list. Maybe they like to post or connected with you on LinkedIn. I bet you know that person. You're connected somehow, and what you need now is a way to confidently start the conversation, which you'll definitely find in this podcast throughout my episodes, and more importantly, have that continuation. Because when I work with my clients, they'll have two or three leads that they get to this point on per month, and then they'll start a new one or two projects per month. But you do that every single month, and now they've got a solid quarter of a million dollar business flat without dancing on TikTok, without chasing leads, without doing huge marketing and visibility campaigns. They're not launching. They're just sustainably connecting with people, and they understand where that connection goes and how it flows to continued support. Most of my clients, after working with me, report to me that they have clients now for years. And I've been doing this for a long time, and so I want the same for you. I want you to not have to feel this startle, this pain in your chest like, "Oh my goodness. Oh, that ended. That was a good project, but it ended, and now what? Now what?" I don't want that for you. So if this episode hit home for you, like, I want you to go back and listen to the episode on one-offs and the one on follow-up, 'cause that'll start to connect all the dots for you. And if you want help implementing this in your business, go to askmecoach.com. That's A-S-K M-E-C-O-A-C-H.com for all the best ways to connect with me beyond this podcast this week. Have a great week. I'll see you next time.