164: The Secret to Relationship-Driven Sales with Dr Nadia Brown

Seven Figure Consultant with Jessica Fearnley

In this week’s episode of the Seven Figure Consultant Podcast, I spoke to Dr Nadia Brown, a renowned expert in organisational leadership and founder of The Doyenne Agency.

Dr Nadia shared some valuable insights on relationship-driven sales and how to approach sales with authenticity, confidence and a deep understanding of client needs. We also discussed the importance of embracing our unique sales style as women and the significance of thorough research before engaging with clients.

Clear communication and follow-ups were also key points during our discussion, as well as practical advice on how to navigate challenging client situations and being courageous in our sales efforts.

In this episode:

[00:02:48] The importance of relationship-driven sales and how it differs from traditional sales techniques.

[00:03:40] Overcoming objections vs answering questions.

[00:05:46] The impact of assuming a hostile audience.

[00:06:53] Speaking to all the needs of different stakeholders, multiple conversations, and doing homework ahead of time.

[00:07:52] Building relationships and shifting power dynamics in corporate sales.

[00:14:13] How doing research before a sales conversation helps you to stand out and make a good impression.

[00:15:11] Focusing on the client's needs and challenges.

[00:18:52] Advice on dealing with clients who are unresponsive, tight-lipped, or playing hardball during a sales conversation.

[00:22:16] Clearly communicating the process to clients and setting expectations for follow-up.

[00:25:01] Asking clients about their preferred method of communication and following up accordingly.

Key Takeaways:

• As entrepreneurs, mastering the art of sales is crucial. However, women are often taught sales techniques that don't align with their natural style, leading to discomfort and inefficiency. Dr. Nadia's advice: Embrace your own unique style and experiment with different approaches.
• Set a clear process and timeline for follow-ups during initial conversations. This approach helps to establish a sense of equality in the conversation, even if the client holds more power. It's essential not to create a narrative of annoyance or assume that follow-ups are bothersome - People are generally pleased to hear from someone they want to work with!
• Be courageous in your sales efforts. Take up space, ask questions, and be bold in your approach. By embracing authenticity and focusing on relationship-driven sales, women can become more successful and confident leaders.

Quotes:

“One of the things that I really realised in this journey around sales is that women typically sell differently. And so I invite women to really lean into what is your style? And I remember when I finally realised that, ‘wait a second, I'm actually pretty good at sales’. Because I'm just having conversations with people and I'm just getting to know them. I'm asking really great questions… And so I think that when we again really look for that way that we best do sales and and are willing to continue to try and experiment, then it's not that difficult at all.” - Dr Nadia Brown

“We often assume a hostile audience. And so if we're going into it being like, ‘I'm going to have to persuade them, I'm going to have to work hard to get this sale’, it just assumes that they're going to be sitting there being like, ‘oh, okay, then what have you got to say for yourself?’ And then you feel defensive, don't you?” - Jessica Fearnley

“I think sometimes people forget that you're working with humans and they have feelings. They have concerns, they have fears, they have doubts. How can you help to really provide value, be a value provider and a solution provider and not just a sales person, but also focusing on the human or humans that are present and in front of you.” - Dr Nadia Brown

Useful Links

Dr Nadia’s LinkedIn

Dr Nadia’s Instagram

The Doyenne Agency - Global Sales and Sales Training

The Six Elements of a Seven Figure Business – Free Download

Get in touch with Jessica to discuss your consulting business

Jessica’s LinkedIn

Guest Bio

Dr. Nadia holds a doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership and is passionate about helping women become more authentic, confident leaders who take charge of their careers.

She is a sales strategist, consultant, trainer, and founder of The Doyenne Agency. A sales agency that works with business owners, companies, and corporations to multiply revenue and awaken the consistent closer within your sales team using the Consistent Sales Method™. Nadia helps women learn to play the career game in business to advance their careers and professions.

When it comes to sales, women come to her timid and shaky about going after the money – they leave her strategic, strong, emboldened, and most importantly, paid.

Nadia brings over fifteen years of leadership experience, powerful conversations, achieving goals, and respect for people to develop a comprehensive sales process to increase closing rates and satisfied client retention. As a result, Nadia’s clients have seen tremendous results, such as raising their rates, decreasing their refund requests, and doubling or tripling their annual revenues, including helping clients increase their yearly revenue by 800%.