Being Crystallized Means No More Awkward Sales Calls

“I…ummm…I…don’t really know how to answer that. If I would have known that I was going to be asked that question, I would have prepared more…done some homework.”

This was what a flustered attendee at a major conference said onstage when put on the spot about what she would say to a prospective client about the value they bring. (The speaker was drawing a distinction between sales and marketing.) My heart literally hurt watching the exchange from the back of the room.

I wanted to shout from the top of my lungs, “IT’S BECAUSE YOU AREN’T CRYSTALLIZED!!!” I was visibly squirming from the painful awkwardness that ensued. There should be no reason whatsoever that someone who makes a living based on their expertise should stutter and stammer over a simple sales discussion, even if they are put on the spot.

In my experience in the thought leadership industry over the last dozen or so years, the main reason why people struggle with building their businesses is not that they don’t know what they are doing; it’s that they don’t know how to articulate it. Quickly. Clearly. Persuasively. In fact, according to the 2022 State of the Speaking Industry report from SpeakerFlow, 28% of speakers DON’T HAVE SALES CONVERSATIONS AT ALL. What???!! Over a quarter of the industry don’t have sales calls?? Are they really just hoping the phone will ring? No thank you. I’d rather pick up the phone and be in control of my business.