It’s time to cozy up and celebrate togetherness with friends and family – not to mention giving and receiving thoughtful gifts! This also means it is the season to fill your calendars with those long-awaited holiday parties! Sometimes, there are too many to count! And while you might not be able to make every single get-together, sometimes, it’s nice to just be invited. Inviting friends, family, clients, and prospects to a party is fun and easy. But why do folks find it so difficult to invite people to do business with them? Let’s think about it: they are both invitations, right? So why does one feel so intimidating? Your comfort zone may feel invaded, but those invites are more similar than you think.
It’s easy to invite people to parties because they’re fun and exciting, but working with you is, too! People recognize there is something of value at holiday parties (mingling, drinks, food), but there are benefits in doing business with you, too. The value you offer in your business is expertise and/or products and services that could benefit people. So whether it’s through a holiday party or signing a business contract, you and your prospect/client end up mutually benefitting. Guess what? That is a sales transaction. So, the invitation is really a sales conversation, too.
Lesson learned
One of our clients had a target prospect in the same plaza as their office. When our consultant was on site, he asked if they were the source of a lot of business for the client, but the response was, “They always work with someone else.” We needed more information, so our consultant asked, “When was the last time someone asked them to meet and send you orders?” The answer was never. The client went on to explain that they always invited that target to their classes, events and holiday parties.
Our client was more comfortable asking them to go to the party than asking about their business. Well, this was a perfect coaching moment. We coached them just to get an appointment and find out why the target does not send them business (or attend their parties, as we discovered, too). Our client had a meeting with one of the targets in that office, and the answer was pretty simple: “You never asked for business.” Our client was shocked. They thought that they were extending the offer by inviting them to the parties, but they weren’t inviting them to the ultimate party —the gift of working together!
If you’ve read Dr. Cindy’s book, Every Job is a Sales Job, you know that part of the tried-and-true Orange Leaf Consulting 5-step methodology is to “Ask for the Business.” By not asking for the business, you’re leaving business on the table.
Comfort zone conundrum
Just like being overbooked and having to turn down a holiday party invitation, prospects might turn down your offer to work together, and that’s a gift. By stepping out of your comfort zone and actually asking, you then have an opportunity to learn why it’s not a good time. If they say they’ll never work with you, you won’t be wasting any time following up, and you can focus your efforts elsewhere.
Here are three ways to step out of your comfort zone and learn from the experience:
- Initiate the Conversation, Even If You’re Unsure of the Outcome: By asking, you not only give yourself a chance at a “yes,” but you also gain clarity on whether to pursue this opportunity further or shift your focus elsewhere.
- Learn to Accept “No” as a Positive Step Forward: Hearing “no” can feel like a setback, but when you view it as useful information rather than rejection, it becomes a tool for growth. By digging deeper, you can learn why it’s not a good time or if there’s a deeper issue that needs to be addressed. A “no” helps you redirect your efforts.
- Practice Follow-Up with Purpose and Gratitude: One of the hardest parts of stepping out of your comfort zone is following up after an initial ask, especially if the response wasn’t what you hoped for. But by following up, it shows persistence and professionalism and helps build relationships.
Embrace the dis-comfort zone
As you continue your 2025 planning (which you are almost finished with, right?), think about how you’re creating a party and inviting people in so they invite others. Before you know it, you’ve built a network and can start growing and developing those working relationships. Take a page out of Santa’s book and check your list of invites twice. Are you actually inviting people to the partnership or the party? Make your invitation personal. And, remember that holiday parties are sales opportunities, believe in the value you’re offering, and actually make the invitation.
We want to thank you for allowing us to be part of your journey. We wish you a safe and happy holiday season and a prosperous new year. After all, Grow Big or Go Home!®