If you’re anything like me, you’re not a natural sales person.

In fact, truth be told once upon a time my very first “real job” I was actually a commercial real estate agent and I was so bad, I almost quit in my second week of my career.

There I was, sitting at my desk with nothing but a list of names and numbers in front of me and was told by my boss to start cold calling.

Crazy.

It was week 2 into my first real job and here I was not even sure I’d make it through the day. I was petrified that this was my life now.

So how did I get here?

Here was me, after finishing whatever course I did before getting the job practically shaking with fear like a deer caught in the headlights unable to cold call to win a client.

I was so bad at this, before I’d even pick up the phone I’d try and picture in my head every way possible that that conversation could go just so I was at least somewhat prepared for whatever rejection I was about to face.

I was saying to myself, I shouldn’t have to cold call. I’ve studied for this and these people should come to us? Right?

No matter how much I said this to myself nothing changed… And at no point in my studies was there a module on selling!

How about that? A real estate degree that doesn’t teach you a thing about how to sell.

How naive.

Now before you laugh at my wasted studies , think about the hugely expensive architecture degree or training you forked out tens of thousands of dollars for…

Can you recall the ‘Getting Clients 101’ course?’

What?!? You were sold a dud too?

Both my marketing and your architecture degrees are really only meant to help you get a job, NOT build a business.

That day at that desk was the day I had the chance to meet the 'Real World'.

‘Ben meet Real World' … 'Real World meet Ben’. Have fun and play nice.

As an architect running your own business I am willing to bet you had a similar thought…

"Given all the years I studied and all the money invested how come no one ever taught me how to win clients?"

The truth is running an architecture firm has two parts:

Selling architectural services

Delivering architectural services

Without part #1 there is NO part #2.

But here is where it gets even worse because you provide a professional service:

To win clients you can't come across like a salesperson.

Acting 'salesy' actually scares people away.

Does life get any harder than that?

You have to win clients… without selling!!!

Well if you struggled like me with this conundrum then you are not alone. I survived that first day in that office but for YEARS I struggled every month. My first sales manager admitted later that he almost fired me and my second one actually did. Mainly because I was taking photos of more properties than I was selling.

Which, when your job is to sell, isn’t exactly a good thing.

But I kept asking myself a question… "How can I win clients without selling?"

The answer to this question came YEARS later. In fact, it didn’t actually come to me till I was in my 30’s and in the process of starting to work for myself.

When that answer did eventually come it changed everything.

Winning clients without selling sounds ridiculous, I know, but it is exactly what I try and teach every client I speak with who struggles here and a lot of them have since gone on to increase their income by not “selling” a damn thing.

I also believe if you STOP SELLING your services that you will also win more clients at a higher price (probably within 30-60 days).

It seems crazy I know, counterintuitive to everything you have been taught. But the truth is you cannot be successful ‘SELLING’ architectural services. You can only win clients when you STOP selling.

People dont want to be SOLD but they love to buy.

As soon as you learn this secret you'll be relieved that it is so simple and removes all the stress of having to pitch your services around town.

Would you like to know what I found out?

If so, then look out for my next email. I am going to reveal to you the epiphany I had, but more importantly I am going to show you how to apply it to get similar results in your life!

So look out for next video called "How to win clients without selling".

See you then.