In coaching, our primary reason for doing what we do is our desire to help others.  Yes, we do it to make money too, and who can say no to that?  But, ideally, we do it in order to help others. We do it because we love to help other people. It is much the same when we do sales. I used the word LOVE because in the process of offering somebody something that they need or want, we have to feel good about what we are doing.  If we don’t feel good about it, it’s going to come across in the selling process. People are going to gravitate towards coaches or salespeople who really enjoy interacting with others and really enjoy helping them. So, loving to help people is essential to create the win-win situation. 

I’ve always believed that Love is all about giving, not having expectations of what we are going to receive from others, in return. I believe that the ultimate reason we love is based on what we give to that person, and not what we received back. For me, when I tell someone  “I love you” it is not because I see how great saying “I love you” makes them feel but because of how great I feel when I say “I love you”. When I spend time with you, I give you my attention, I spoil you, with zero expectations for reciprocation. I know that I truly love you, and everything I receive from you is a bonus.

Similarly, in coaching and in sales as well, this approach and this mindset has proven to be the most useful and beneficial from all the techniques that I’ve learned. When I sell something to people, what I truly believe is beneficial and helpful to them, ’ is that I feel the most intrinsic satisfaction in the pure desire to help, regardless of my compensation.  Those experiences are the most rewarding in the moment, but also in the long run, because those clients with whom I am truly, genuinely willing to put my interest aside for and just focus on them and their needs or wants, turn out to be the most loyal customers. Customers with whom you create long lasting relationships.

With this mindset, I can always be sensitive to my clients’ time, making each moment count.  I can focus on quality of information, product or service, rather than taking up their time with quantity base offers. I plan strategically and I prepare for them when I know I’m going to meet them.  This focused attention will not go unnoticed.  My customers perceive they are of high value. In turn, they perceive me as high value as well because they understand that I am focusing on them and their well-being. They know that I am willing to work with them to solve their problems or answer their questions and they value the fact that I’m focusing on building a strong, personal relationship with them.  They see that I value them.  

In order to provide sound advice, quality information or high-quality service I have to do the work and study the product as product knowledge is the key element to building these relationships. I need to know my competition and work every day to excel at the skills required for my job so I can be the best at what I do.  By combining business knowledge and building strong, loving and trusting relationships, this will come across as a win-win situation. When I have so much to give to them, in a real, genuine way, with a great attitude towards them, towards myself and towards the situation in general, it helps make them feel comfortable during the coaching period, and they will feel good while doing the transaction, because they understand the value in the service I have provided.   Win-win situations leave everybody feeling good and satisfied that they contributed to the success of the encounter.

Author: Sanda Kruger

Sanda is an entrepreneur, real estate investor, health coach and professional dancer. Sanda is an entrepreneur with more than 20-year experience in business development and project management in the fields of life, health and fitness coaching. She is also a real estate investor and a banker, who learned outstanding adapted business strategies, sales and marketing techniques, communication, and goal setting skills, hands-on, through life and work experiences. She is a certified fitness professional and is the creator of two original fitness programs, called BellyCore® Fitness and AquaCor®.