Sales is tough.

Finding leads, qualifying them and then turning them into sales can be a arduous task at the best of times. It takes guts, determination and a whole lot of work, with very little prospect of a result at the end of it all.

The biggest challenge in all of sales is creating a great experience for prospective clients. Not only does making a great experience increase your likelihood of building a great client, but creating a great experience can attract clients through word of mouth, fuelling growth.

So the question remains: How do you create a great end-to-end sales experience?

Creating a great sales experience is difficult, and there are so many factors that are beyond your control. Most sales factors are far beyond your control, so it is important to learn to let go of trying to control every part of the process.

Surfing is a great metaphor here. In surfing, you have no control over the waves themselves. The waves just keep on coming, and we have no control over when and how they come in, but we can definitely find a way to maintain balance in an uncertain environment.

The best way to create a great end-to-end experience is control your own reactions to the circumstances, rather than trying to control the circumstances themselves. The perfect client doesn’t exist, but the idea that you can be ready come what may will put you way ahead of the curb.

For sales, the hard part should never be converting clients to sales. If your clients are throwing out objections like “too expensive”, “not looking at the moment”, or even the dreaded “I’ll let you know in future”, all they’re really saying is, “I don’t believe this product is good enough”.

If that is the case, start by asking yourself: “did I say what was good about my product, or is my product really not good enough?”.

This can be a very tough conversation to have. It can be really difficult to acknowledge that your product might not be up to scratch, or your pitch may not be up to scratch, but it’s a conversation that has to be had.

Most of the work for sales is done long before the sale. If a prospect can’t see the true benefits of the product, it can be really difficult to find what is actually required to tip them over the edge into a paying client.

Often, the best things that we do for clients go unnoticed in the moment. It’s only in hindsight that clients look upon the experience we provide, so don’t expect any recognition off the bat. If a client doesn’t acknowledge the experience, don’t think of it as them saying they didn’t have a pleasant one.

A lot of sales is beyond your control, but choosing how you react, understanding why your product exists and not expecting the recognition in return is the best way to create a great experience.