How Lawyers Turn Sales Objections into New Clients
Starting a service business can be exciting, but it can also be challenging—especially for solopreneurs trying to gain traction without a large budget or team. Many talented professionals struggle not because they lack skill, but because they lack a clear sales strategy and visibility in the marketplace.
In this article, Katie Nelson, serial entrepreneur and founder of Sales Uprising, shares practical insights on sales, relationship-building, and the mindset required to grow a successful service-based business.
Who Is Katie Nelson?
Katie Nelson is a seasoned entrepreneur and the CEO of Sales Uprising, a business coaching and sales strategy firm focused on helping solopreneurs and small business owners build sustainable growth.
With years of hands-on sales experience, Katie has developed practical strategies that help professionals improve their sales confidence, connect with potential clients, and build businesses rooted in authentic relationships.
Her approach focuses on combining structured sales systems with genuine human connection—something that is increasingly important in today’s digital-first business environment.
Why Sales Skills Are Critical for Service Businesses
Many professionals launch a service business because they are excellent at their craft. However, expertise alone does not guarantee clients. Successful entrepreneurs understand that sales is simply the process of helping people solve problems.
Katie refers to this shift in mindset as creating a “sales uprising”—a proactive commitment to taking control of the sales process and viewing every interaction as an opportunity to provide value.
For solopreneurs, developing sales skills is one of the most important investments they can make in their business.
Understanding Your Market
One of Katie’s core recommendations for new business owners is to start lean and focus on learning the market. Bootstrapping often forces entrepreneurs to stay close to their customers and refine their services quickly.
Successful service providers take time to:
• Research their ideal client
• Understand common problems their clients face
• Identify what solutions people are actively searching for
The better you understand your market, the easier it becomes to communicate your value and attract the right clients.
The Power of Human Connection in Sales
In a world dominated by automation and digital marketing, genuine human connection remains one of the most powerful drivers of business growth.
Katie emphasizes that strong sales are built on trust and relationships—not pressure or persuasion.
Solopreneurs who succeed in sales tend to:
• Ask thoughtful questions
• Listen carefully to client concerns
• Focus on solving real problems rather than pushing services
When clients feel understood, they are far more likely to engage and continue working with you long term.
Overcoming Sales Anxiety and Objections
Many new entrepreneurs feel uncomfortable selling. Katie’s own career began with cold calling, which helped her develop resilience and confidence when handling objections.
Her advice is simple: don’t fear objections—learn from them.
When a potential client hesitates, it usually means there is more information to uncover. Asking clarifying questions can reveal the real issue behind the objection and open the door to a better solution.
Instead of viewing objections as rejection, consider them an opportunity to learn more about what the client truly needs.
Building Consistent Sales Habits
Confidence in sales rarely comes from talent alone—it comes from repetition and habit.
Katie recommends creating consistent sales routines such as:
• Scheduling regular outreach or networking time
• Following up with potential clients
• Tracking conversations and opportunities
• Practicing listening and questioning skills
These habits gradually remove fear and replace it with confidence and experience.
Using Technology to Build Credibility and Visibility
Technology has dramatically changed how professionals market their services. Today, many potential clients search online before ever contacting a service provider.
This means solopreneurs must focus on building credibility online.
One effective strategy is creating helpful content that answers the questions people are already searching for. Blog posts, LinkedIn articles, and YouTube videos can position a professional as a trusted authority in their field.
However, technology should support—not replace—human interaction. Data and analytics are helpful, but real conversations with clients often reveal deeper insights about their needs.
Key Lessons for Solopreneurs and Service Providers
Entrepreneurs building a service business can apply several core principles from Katie Nelson’s approach:
Listen more than you speak. The best salespeople understand their clients before offering solutions.
Focus on relationships. Long-term client relationships are more valuable than short-term transactions.
Build consistent sales habits. Small daily actions compound into business growth.
Use technology strategically. Online visibility helps clients discover you, but trust is built through human connection.
Solve problems. Sales becomes easier when you focus on helping people rather than convincing them.
Conclusion
Building a successful service business requires more than technical expertise. It requires a thoughtful approach to sales, marketing, and relationship-building.
Katie Nelson’s philosophy reminds entrepreneurs that sales is not about persuasion—it’s about understanding people and helping them solve problems.
When solopreneurs combine strong listening skills, consistent sales habits, and an authentic online presence, they create the credibility and trust needed to grow a thriving service business.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a sales uprising?
A sales uprising is the mindset shift where solopreneurs take proactive ownership of their sales process and treat every interaction as an opportunity to provide value and solutions.
How can solopreneurs improve their sales skills?
Solopreneurs can improve their sales skills by practicing active listening, embracing objections as learning opportunities, developing consistent outreach habits, and focusing on building genuine relationships.
Why are relationships important in service-based sales?
Relationships build trust, and trust is essential when clients are choosing a professional service provider. Strong relationships often lead to repeat business and referrals.
How can technology help service businesses grow?
Technology allows service providers to increase visibility through online content, social media, and search engines. Sharing helpful insights online can position a professional as an expert and attract new clients.
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Andrew Colsky (00:12)
Welcome to the Be Picked podcast. I am your host, Andrew Colsky. We talk about how to build a professional service business, how to expand, and how to be the one that people pick when they are looking for a professional. Today we are talking with Katie Nelson. She is a serial entrepreneur and CEO and founder of Sales Uprising. So Katie, welcome to the show.
Katie Nelson (00:38)
Thank you so much, Andrew. I appreciate you having me.
Andrew Colsky (00:40)
We are lucky to have you and I know this is gonna be a great episode and I wanna start off with what the heck is sales uprising?
Katie Nelson (00:51)
It's a sales uprising, right? So sales uprising in and of itself is a business coaching and sales strategy firm specifically for solopreneurs that are looking to start their service based businesses.
So the reason why it's called sales uprising is because I want every business, every small business, every solopreneur to have one. I want them to have a sales uprising, sir.
Andrew Colsky (01:13)
Fantastic, fantastic. So obviously, not only can we talk about what you do for others, but clearly you had to do this for yourself first and foremost, right?
Katie Nelson (01:24)
I've had to do, yes sir, I've had to do this for myself three out of the four businesses that I've started. So,
Andrew Colsky (01:32)
Wow.
Katie Nelson (01:32)
you we don't always have funding. Like I have a best friend who wrote a book called The Intentional Entrepreneur. I think I've only been intentional the first time I did it. And it wasn't even
Andrew Colsky (01:42)
Yeah
Katie Nelson (01:42)
because
I knew what it meant. It was just because I said yes to the gig. Sure, I'll own a business with you. So all of my businesses have been bootstrapped. So yes, I have had to do this for myself multiple times.
Andrew Colsky (01:54)
Excellent. Well, that's our audience. So then we got the right people talking to the right people here. let's start. Gosh, I'll give you a choice. It's an A-B test. We can start from the beginning either of what types of advice and things you have for clients that come to you, or you can tell us about your own experience following those same rules.
Katie Nelson (02:20)
Okay, so we'll start with my experience because
it flows really, if you hear my experience, you will also hear what can work for you. And then we can
Andrew Colsky (02:31)
Fantastic.
Katie Nelson (02:32)
also dig into the advice, tips and tricks. How's that?
Andrew Colsky (02:36)
Sounds good. I'm not going let you get away without giving us some good tips and tricks.
Katie Nelson (02:40)
Good.
It's my favorite thing. So I come from a sales background. So I've been in sales since I was in my teens. My very first job was at a call center. So
Andrew Colsky (02:53)
my gosh.
Katie Nelson (02:54)
I know back when that was humans.
Andrew Colsky (02:57)
Right.
Katie Nelson (02:58)
So I was taught from a really young age how to sell. Like the rule of three, which is
don't hang up the phone until you get three objections, right? And not from a pushy way, but an, can you tell me more about that in hopes that there is another way we can come together and I can provide this solution for you, right?
So imagine I'm 15 years old, I'm calling stay at home moms to sell them book clubs for their children, and they say no.
So I'm supposed to say, can you tell me why? Well, I just don't have time right now. I totally understand running a household is a lot. When is a better time to call? So even just that, there are simple, simple things, simple parts of the process that I feel like we forget. And after having sold $150 million of product and services, yes, that's where my gray hair comes from,
Andrew Colsky (04:01)
Wow. Wow.
Katie Nelson (04:04)
even I forget.
So the basics are so rich, if you can remember them, create habits around them and continue to do them. And so that's how I got over my fear of objections. And then ultimately, I went on to have a commission only based job selling office supplies
in a state where I knew no one.
Andrew Colsky (04:29)
It's a great place to start.
Katie Nelson (04:31)
It's the job I'm the most proud of. It was when I was in my late 20s, my husband and I had just moved.
across the country and our mortgage and rent were going to be paid by the money that I made. So then, right, boy was I, boy did I believe in myself. So
Andrew Colsky (04:50)
Yeah.
Katie Nelson (04:50)
I guess, I don't think if I recognize what it was, I don't know that I'd do it that way again, but it worked out. and that just has to do with human connection, right? So if you can be, if you can communicate.
that you are authentically curious about the person in front of you and the challenges that they have in the vein of the solutions you provide. So we're talking about office managers and office administrators who have supply chain issues or people that they work with
that they never hear from. And so the Xerox paper runs out in the copier every month and they get yelled at. I mean, there's simple, simple challenges, but if you can get someone to open up to you and tell you what those are,
then you have the possibility of being able to provide them with the solutions that you provide. So those are the two things. It involves a lot of humans, people. Like I'm just going to tell you right away,
Andrew Colsky (05:42)
Right.
Katie Nelson (05:43)
if humans aren't your bag, for example, if you're in the digital services, if humans are not your bag, I would say don't become an entrepreneur.
Andrew Colsky (05:52)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Katie Nelson (05:53)
bots don't buy. People are unlikely, especially in the beginning, to just hit your buy here button.
So it involves a lot of humans and a lot of interest in humans. At least that's what my success has been built on.
Andrew Colsky (06:08)
So, you know, there's two parts here. There's the types of work where you're calling out to cold calls and things. Then there's the type of work where you're trying to get people to call you. So in the case of a lawyer, an accountant, a real estate agent, something like that, they're typically looking to have people call them for their services and then they have
to...
get picked, you why should I pick you over the lawyer next to you, for example? What types of things we have to be thinking about in that context?
Katie Nelson (06:48)
so we're talking about, for anybody who's listening, we're talking about serious relationship-based, consultative-based selling, which is my favorite kind.
Andrew Colsky (07:00)
Good
Katie Nelson (07:02)
And there's a couple reasons for that. this is the type of service-based business that you run, these are the higher-end deals. These are higher value deals than transactional, sure, here's 100 bucks every month, that type of thing.
So what we're looking for in that instance is the...
As a salesperson, which if you own a business is one of your number one jobs, as a salesperson, you want to consider yourself the house. And by the house, I mean the casino. The casino always wins. So how do
Andrew Colsky (07:38)
Right?
Katie Nelson (07:39)
you position yourself to always win?
Now, for those of you who are more cynical listening to this and you're like, great, so now I've got to rig the game and all this stuff. That is not what I'm talking about. What the casino has over anybody who's in it is leverage.
And so we're looking for the same thing. In and of itself, leverage isn't positive or negative. It's just a tool. How I gain leverage to be able to get picked is by first and foremost, the number one skill I use to be picked is listening, which seems
Andrew Colsky (08:12)
Right.
Katie Nelson (08:12)
antithetical to selling. When people hear the word selling, they think it's a pushing action or a putting forward action or a talking a lot action.
And I find that the most critical skill when you're looking to be picked is the listening skill, because then you're actually hearing what the person in front of you wants with the actual context of your potential client. So I'm
Andrew Colsky (08:38)
Yep, yep.
Katie Nelson (08:40)
a realtor. what I want to know is, how many realtors have you talked to
so far? what have they been missing? Where have they been missing the mark for you?
What just aren't they getting about what you or your family needs in your next home?
Right? If I'm a lawyer, it's going to be, it's the same question with just the contextual overlay of whatever it is you're selling. All of us
Andrew Colsky (09:05)
Right.
Katie Nelson (09:06)
have talked to lawyers. We've all, I mean, realtors, yes, everywhere. All my neighbors even know one, you know, I could find a realtor in our heartbeat. So
Andrew Colsky (09:16)
Right.
Katie Nelson (09:16)
what is it that I need in an effort to say
yes to you for me to pick you? That's what you need to know. And that comes through.
listening first and foremost and then asking, like qualifying, asking questions that are appropriate.
Andrew Colsky (09:32)
Right. And you know, it's, there's a really interesting dynamic in my opinion, that's happening today from that perspective. You're saying it's important to listen to what the person is looking for. And so I'm picturing, again, let's take a solopreneur lawyer starting a practice. Well, they've got to find those people before they can even listen to them and
One of the beautiful things that I think is happening out there, and I use it myself, is because of the internet and because of people going on and searching for things. They're asking the questions that they need answered. You know, how do I, can I discharge my student loans in bankruptcy? Whatever it is that they're concerned about. And because all that information is gathered, we can now search.
and see what are people searching for? What questions do they want answered? So if I'm a bankruptcy attorney and I look for that stuff, I know what a lot of potential clients are now looking for and I have the ability to go out and put those answers out there in a proactive way to establish some credibility. Now clearly I'm gonna wanna talk with them and follow up as we're talking about, but from that first stage of just getting them...
making them aware that you know what you're talking about, that you're credible, that you have this expertise. So I'm just curious for your feedback on what you see with just technology and how all this stuff is impacting everything you're talking about.
Katie Nelson (11:12)
So it has, as technology has always had, it has its pluses and minuses. If you're a solopreneur and you're getting started in your business, so you're in startup phase, you have yet to make your first quarter of a million dollars, right? Your quarter of a million dollars top line
in your services, it lets you know that you've got a buyer, lets you know you have a target market, lets you know you can do this, there's a need for it, all that good stuff.
The scariest part is the assumption or the assumptions that technology can make and therefore that we make based on the feedback that we get. If I don't dig in enough, I'm not getting the right information. And you see this in humans and human interaction all the time. I had a woman, she was a client of mine. She was amazing. She was this holistic, like raw food coach. She had overcome cancer twice with.
non-traditional methods and ultimately her target market were women that were looking to lose weight and she said to me one day, Katie, out of all these years, you're my ideal client, why aren't you my client?
She'd known me for years. But listen to the assumption. So she saw something that she assumed was to be true and made a terrible mistake in actually following through on that assumption. So
Andrew Colsky (12:38)
Ha
Katie Nelson (12:38)
even if I had been in the market for
those types of services, would it have been likely that I would have used her? Highly unlikely. Even though
Andrew Colsky (12:46)
Right, right.
Katie Nelson (12:47)
she's a friend of mine, she's a client, lover to death, lover to this day.
because of the assumption. it's easy in what we need to try and remember is that AI searches, all of that stuff is wonderful. It's not as deep as actual human connection. And
Andrew Colsky (13:04)
Alright.
Katie Nelson (13:05)
it allows you to create and craft to some extent your own echo chamber. It will go find the data that supports what you're saying. And then if you move forward in real life with those assumptions without
asking, so, hey, you guys,
I saw this, I saw this on the internet. Is it true? Is it true for you? If you don't take that step, you can automatically get off on the wrong foot.
Andrew Colsky (13:30)
Right, right, and that's very important to always remember. Yeah, especially when you're out looking for the answer you want, you're gonna find it.
Katie Nelson (13:40)
Yes!
Andrew Colsky (13:40)
And so it's important to ask the right question and not be making those assumptions like you're saying.
Katie Nelson (13:48)
Yes, and here's the thing, right? So when you're new in business, don't assume that the internet knows what you need. Because if you want to make sales as fast as possible, it's all about local and live, right? Don't get me wrong, your business has the potential to grow internationally. However big you want to grow, you want to grow, you want to scale, you want to get there. That's wonderful. We're talking about getting your first 250k. That first 250k is in your backyard somewhere.
So it is more beneficial
when you're first getting started to go take a straw poll at your local chamber of commerce or at any business meetup to get actual data from the people in front of you than it is to go on the internet.
Andrew Colsky (14:29)
Right, right, and that leads perfectly into what I was gonna be asking as my next question, which is, so someone comes to you and they're literally just starting out. I mean, they're just trying to figure out what are my very first steps here? And we all hear about networking and getting out there to meet people, giving talks, these types of things. What type of advice do you have for them as their first?
steps that they really need to do before they worry about anything else.
Katie Nelson (15:02)
Okay, so
these are the steps that we're taking after we have like the basics done, right? We've got our tax ID number, we know like what we do, we know our expertise, we've got that all set up, we've got our checklist of our actual launch, yeah, that's all done? Okay.
Andrew Colsky (15:14)
Yes, and when
I say first steps, mean to actually find the clients.
Katie Nelson (15:19)
brilliant. So your first steps to find your clients are one, get super strong in your own mind about who you are and what you do and who you serve. You're going to hear a lot about target market, ideal client, ideal client profile, client avatar, all of these things are generally the same thing. You're going to have an idea of the problems that you solve. And that's wonderful.
Now you need to go find out if those people have those problems. Not you're telling them you have those problems. You're asking, do you find this to be a challenge? What is your biggest challenge in so far as x? So because that is going to.
feed into and educate you about how to talk to your people. When you're first starting out, we have to start somewhere. So we're gonna start with where we're at, which may or may not be the place where they're at.
Andrew Colsky (16:19)
Right, right.
Katie Nelson (16:21)
just because you and because you're the expert
in your thing. You're such an expert that you've started your own business. It's killer. It's amazing. You're gonna do great things as long as you weren't constantly out there telling people what their problem is.
Andrew Colsky (16:34)
Well, that's, you know, one of the things that I think is a, it's not a mistake, but it's a blind spot. Let me put it that way for some people is, they start off with, okay, so I need to get out there and I need to network because I need people to know who I am and I need to, you know, talk with people, but they start off by only talking with people who are in the same business as they are. And, okay.
Great for certain networking purposes, maybe you'll get some referrals, things like that, but are those people the clients? They're not the
Katie Nelson (17:11)
Right?
Andrew Colsky (17:12)
ones that you're trying to find.
Katie Nelson (17:15)
Andrew, I feel like we could talk about that for an hour, but it's really true. So I appreciate that maybe you're educated, just know why you're doing a thing you guys like write it down or be intentional. As a business owner, you have less time than anybody
else. And I know that's, you know, counterintuitive. We all have the same 24 seven, but you have like nine jobs to do in the same hour that one employee has to do a whole job. Okay, just one.
Andrew Colsky (17:42)
Right. Right.
Katie Nelson (17:43)
Maybe even a half a one. So you are a busy, busy human, even if you don't realize it. And in the beginning of your business, the only job you have is to make money because that's all your business lives on. It will never eat anything else than cash. So you need to feed it that. So if it isn't other lawyers that are going to be purchasing your services, why are you at, Andrew's point, why are you hanging out with a bunch of lawyers? Is it so that you can buy osmosis in that room?
learn how to sell, I would put forward that is going to set you back. Because unless there's a lawyer in that room who does sell to lawyers, there's nobody in that room who can teach you how to sell. So
Andrew Colsky (18:23)
Right, right.
Katie Nelson (18:24)
it has its place, but its place isn't in the beginning of your business. In the beginning of your business, go hang out with other business owners. You know who generally is your target market.
You're a bookkeeper and you specialize in restaurants. You want to know where you need to hang out? Restaurant association events that are filled, you know, the room is filled with restaurant owners who need bookkeepers,
Andrew Colsky (18:50)
Great, great.
Katie Nelson (18:52)
who have problems with their current bookkeepers, right? When we were talking about targeting and
marketing, you want to hone in like it's the double bullseye on dartboard, not it's the triple 20. That's further away from your money. So,
Go out and as soon as you know, generally, and don't tell me, but Katie, I can help everyone. Great, me too. And I would be dead as a solopreneur or even as someone who's a micro business with 10 employees or whatever it is. Like that is not possible, nor is it productive or profitable, which is what you really care about. You want to hone, hone, hone, hone, hone. You can always grow bigger. But if you go with I can and
the words everybody or anybody, you will go broke faster than you will ever see the success you're looking for from your own business. So
Andrew Colsky (19:46)
Yeah.
Katie Nelson (19:47)
start small, grow from there, start exactly where you're at. You know who can help inform you about what you do best? The people who know you best. Go to previous coworkers that you are friends with. Don't ask your spouse, don't ask your family, but go ask the people who know you best and say, how would you describe what I do?
How would you describe my expertise? Who do you see needs this fixed for them? And start there.
Andrew Colsky (20:14)
Right.
Right. So, so what do you say to a person who says, okay, I get it. I understand. I need to go out to these types of events
or I need to go and speak to these types of groups, but they're new to it and they're, they, haven't developed the skills yet to feel comfortable.
Asking people these questions and speaking in front of the audience What are the first things they could do to start to kind of dip their toes in?
Katie Nelson (20:45)
I teach a class called the art of networking. And so we talk about this a lot. One of the first things you can do is grab a bestie. Remember when we were all in college and we had wing men and wing women? Do that now. All of us have mentors or people who came before us that we know or we trust. Take them with you. They have your best interest in mind. Listen to what everybody else in the room is saying.
I oddly come across a lot of people in a room who are not interested in engaging with the room, whether
Andrew Colsky (21:21)
Right.
Katie Nelson (21:21)
that's because they consider themselves wildly introverted or because they just don't know yet. For those of us that are senior, we are attracted to you and that energy. Like, so hey, why are you hanging out here? What are you looking for? How can we help you? So to some extent, look for the Mr. Rogers of the world, right? Like look for the helpers.
and go from there, you can create it if it is not your bent to, because it could be considered to be a long way around it, right? So now, Katie, I've got to go to a lot of events. You and Andrew told me to go to a lot of events, listen to a lot of things, and somehow I'm supposed to get comfortable with actually
having words come out of my face that are related to me doing business, right? Well,
Andrew Colsky (22:02)
Right, right.
Katie Nelson (22:04)
so if that seems like the long way around a thing, then gather a group of
like-minded but not competing business owners to you and go host a panel where it's not just you on stage. You're the one who has
Andrew Colsky (22:19)
Great idea.
Katie Nelson (22:19)
the expertise in what you have,
Andrew Colsky (22:22)
Right?
Katie Nelson (22:22)
but you also know that the person next to you has amazing expertise and the person on the other side of you has an amazing expertise and all of you, while your target market is the same, you all provide different things.
So start at it from an educational place where you can be wholly, where you can be whole and feel good about what you talk about. When we're educating people, we don't really have to worry or be concerned with whether or not we're doing the right thing. We know we're doing the right thing. We all have our 10,000 hours of expertise. We hit the tipping point, so we feel good about this. Go put yourself in a place where you feel your best to get out this information.
Andrew Colsky (23:04)
Right. I love that concept of putting together sort of a panel because you're each kind of sharing and borrowing off of each other's expertise and credibility. And you're right. You're not there on your own. You're not on the spot. The question can go to anybody on the audience.
I mean, on the dais. You
Katie Nelson (23:24)
Yeah.
Andrew Colsky (23:25)
know, I always, I often think of if I have the ability to draw, which I don't, but a cartoon.
of a bunch of people at a cocktail party and the little thought bubble over everybody's head would be, I wonder what they're thinking about me. The point is, everybody's thinking that about themselves. Nobody's thinking about you because they're worried about what you're thinking about them while you're worried about yourself. So nobody's, you know, we're so concerned that the whole room is focused on us when everybody's just focused on themselves.
Katie Nelson (24:02)
You want to know what it's very similar to? High school.
Andrew Colsky (24:04)
What's that?
Katie Nelson (24:07)
Right? Like if you think about that, the last time you felt this insecure about a thing was in high school. Did I show up
Andrew Colsky (24:14)
Wow.
Katie Nelson (24:14)
looking right? Do I have the coolest jeans on? You know, do I have the right product in my hair or whatever it is? And
Andrew Colsky (24:20)
Right.
Katie Nelson (24:22)
it is just as true now as it was then to Andrew's point. Nobody cares. They're thinking about them.
So it's your job in the room.
to find out how to get them to talk about them. And let's be clear, it is the easiest thing on earth to get other people to talk about themselves.
Andrew Colsky (24:40)
Right, right. And that's another area where I think it's super important to restate that again, because there's this thought that, my gosh, okay, if I'm gonna go to this cocktail party or this event or this whatever, I'm gonna have to come up with thinking about all the right things to say and how to get them to buy my services. And that's absolutely the opposite of what you wanna be doing.
And this is where Katie was talking about listening. Just go and ask people questions. It's so easy for them to naturally answer.
Katie Nelson (25:20)
There's nothing like creating a relationship based on where the other person, I made the other person feel amazing, right? So, and when we're talking about like your next steps in sales where you have to follow up with someone or take the relationship to the next level, you know, when you're at a cocktail party or at an event, it may not be appropriate or worth your time to only talk to one person. I would put forward that you don't want to meet the whole room. That's exhausting.
even for a tenured individual like me. So you're only looking for a handful of quality connections that you can take forward out of that room. But when you're having a conversation where you're thoroughly engaged with the other human being and talking about them, there's probably going to be something that you'd like to know, but time ran out. So that's the great time to get your phone out and say, you know what? It looks like we're about to run out of time or I.
I promised myself I'd meet at least five people at this event and I've so enjoyed you that I'm not on track for myself. So can we go ahead and get on the calendar? What do you have going next week? So
Andrew Colsky (26:27)
Right. Right.
Katie Nelson (26:29)
the thing, what you did not hear me say is grab their business card and okay, I'll call you or you know what? Here's my business card, give me a call. If you do that, that is the death of you. You've given away all your leverage.
Now you're going to assume that they're going to call you back. They won't. Now you feel horrible because they did something called ghosting or something like that. When in fact, they didn't ghost you. They lost your business card. just get
Andrew Colsky (26:52)
True, true, true.
Katie Nelson (26:53)
it on the calendar. We have the most amazing technology to be able to help us to kind of shortcut what we think of as the way to the way to be. But
Andrew Colsky (27:02)
Yeah.
Katie Nelson (27:03)
just talk to them.
Andrew Colsky (27:05)
Yeah.
Katie Nelson (27:06)
Here's the other thing that that does, Andrew. When you're first selling,
it does feel uncomfortable. Like you don't know where you stand. It feels kind of like quicksand. How do I communicate my expertise without bragging or seeming cocky
or conceited or any of those things? How am I gonna get this other person to have buy-in to me? You guys follow the kiss method. And if you don't know what that is, I'll let you look it up. But.
Andrew Colsky (27:33)
Hahaha.
Katie Nelson (27:37)
Create excitement. People buy, you have heard it, you'll hear it again, you will hear it for the rest of your days. People buy from people they know, they like, and they trust. I can't know you if you don't come up to me or if I don't come up to you. I can't like you if we've never had a conversation. And I can't trust you if I don't find commonalities between the way you move in the world and the way I move in the world.
Andrew Colsky (27:59)
Mm-hmm.
Katie Nelson (27:59)
So if you think about how you get to a place where someone's gonna know how you move in the world, it involves some time.
So to Andrew's point, if you are walking into an event going, am I going to get all these people to buy from me? You are doing it wrong. You want them all to trust you first. There is
Andrew Colsky (28:17)
Bingo.
Katie Nelson (28:17)
no easy button in business. There's no easy button in selling. Trust me, I've been looking for it for a long time. I'd be,
Andrew Colsky (28:26)
Mm-hmm.
Katie Nelson (28:27)
yeah.
Andrew Colsky (28:30)
Yeah, it's, you know, I'm trying to think how to phrase this. If you go to an event, and I was trying to think of an example of one, but whatever the event may be, obviously it has a purpose as to why people are there. And if you've identified
that that event is a place where your ideal customer may be, rather than, and this goes back to what I was talking about before, of such a common mistake.
Feeling that I need to go in and I need to show people how much I know and I need to tell them all about myself versus in my opinion, your goal is to do not that. Your goal is to go there, ask questions, learn about the types of problems those people are having. You can share a little bit out of curiosity, but you're not giving them the answer.
And you know, you are building your credibility by just sharing that confidence you have by asking the right follow-up questions because now they know you know what you're talking about. And that's what's going to get you that callback
or your ability to then follow up with that person afterwards. When you come in with a sales pitch right off the bat, the first thing that person wants to do is get away from you and go to someone else.
Katie Nelson (29:52)
Because does it feel good? No, I call it wanting to slice you with a business card. Right?
Andrew Colsky (29:58)
Hahaha.
Katie Nelson (29:59)
So like, here, here's my card. You know, like, and somebody comes at you like a ninja and you're like, why do I want your business card? I don't even know who you are. Why are you giving me tasks? I'm so confused. You
Andrew Colsky (30:10)
Great.
Katie Nelson (30:11)
know, it's the same. It's akin to, hi, my name is Katie Nelson and I'm the CEO of Sales Uprising and I'm a business, you know, like when you start your elevator pitch in the wrong room.
It is a barrier, not a welcome mat for people to get to know you. So don't use it like this, it's this shield or like that is something that's going to qualify these humans in or out of your services. It has no place until you have enough data that states that
elevator pitch is what's going to pull people towards you, right? So, and
Andrew Colsky (30:43)
Right.
Katie Nelson (30:43)
you don't know that yet. So let
Andrew Colsky (30:45)
Right.
Katie Nelson (30:46)
go of what you hear, let go of everything that you see at a chamber event.
Here's the other thing, you guys. The reason why those people are successful in Chamber that have been there forever is because they've been there forever. Right? I've been selling for over 30 years of my life. If I'm not good at it, boy, like, wow. Like, I've been doing something for a really long time to no avail. So of
Andrew Colsky (31:10)
Right.
Katie Nelson (31:10)
course, they're going to seem so polished and comfortable. And it's going to feel like there are clicks that you don't even know about because you just got there.
That is
Andrew Colsky (31:20)
Right.
Katie Nelson (31:21)
okay. All of that is a data point for you because what makes your machine go is everything about you. Even if you, let's go back to your single shingle lawyer. They just either got out of a firm or they got out of law school and they're ready to go make this big impact in their community, right? The best thing that that person can do is be themselves wholly.
Andrew Colsky (31:48)
Right.
Katie Nelson (31:49)
Do you guys know?
I'm sure you're going to be surprised. There's more than one business coach in the world. There is more than one sales strategist, Andrew.
Andrew Colsky (32:01)
No, you're bursting my bubble, Katie.
Katie Nelson (32:05)
I know that I am the only one that you think of, which is so
Andrew Colsky (32:09)
Of
Katie Nelson (32:09)
odd considering you run a platform with all of them, right? But
Andrew Colsky (32:13)
you
Katie Nelson (32:14)
the reason why people buy me, like I did not create sales. I don't make sales, there are no shortcuts in sales. I am that person. I'm your all love, no BS person. I'm gonna tell
Andrew Colsky (32:24)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Katie Nelson (32:26)
you like it is, which means it's gonna be more likely hard than easy. And the reason why people choose to say yes to me,
is because I'm wholly me.
Andrew Colsky (32:36)
Right.
Katie Nelson (32:36)
I'm not different when I get off a podcast. I'm not different when I'm in front of a room of my clients. I'm not different when I'm running strategy in private rooms that nobody sees. And that's what it's because
I'm me that people are drawn to me with the expertise that I have. That could
Andrew Colsky (32:55)
Right, so.
Katie Nelson (32:56)
look a lot like somebody else's expertise. Other people's stuff, right?
Andrew Colsky (32:58)
Right.
Right.
Katie Nelson (33:01)
Be you first and be you loudly. And I even mean that for our quiet people, right? So our introverted humans, when you stand there in a room and you're grounded in your present, it is one of the most powerful things that is attractive
Andrew Colsky (33:16)
Yeah.
Katie Nelson (33:17)
to the right client.
Andrew Colsky (33:19)
Right, right. Now I, you know, I'll tell a brief little story and then unbelievably we're out of time already and I'll give you the last word, but the story I wanted to share is something that I use because I find it to be really easy to understand. And if you think back to elementary school and it was time for recess and we're now going to pick teams for kickball, right?
Everybody knows there's certain kids are going to be picked last. There's certain kids are going to be picked first. And then the new kid comes to school. Nobody's, nobody's seen this kid play kickball before. What do you do? Well, that kid typically gets picked in the middle. Why? Because people build their reputations over time. And same thing in business. The people that are getting picked, that are getting all the clients,
are the ones that people can see they, this person understands my problem. This person is able to phrase it in a way that makes sense to me. They're personable. They're not trying to push something on me, but they get me. And so that kid who's in the middle of the pack now either moves to the top or moves to the bottom based upon what people learn about them. Same thing in business.
Katie Nelson (34:35)
Data points, that's what you're talking about. guys, data is like your number one friend in your business. Feelings are not facts in your business. That's what Andrew's talking about is data will help you pick the right team,
including your clients. Your clients are your team. And in the beginning of your business, you're gonna pick some that you're like, I have now educated myself that I don't wanna work with this type of client. And this is how you're.
niche morphs this is how you grow as a business owner because you get to make these decisions. But first you've got to get out there, be a little brave. You know, we talk about one of the questions that I get a lot is, Katie, how can I just, I just want to be as confident as you, not even in selling,
like just as confident as you. And I'm like, okay, well, how I'm confident is that I've been me for all of my decades. Like I know me, I don't have to question me.
I don't have to wonder about me. I just go be me. Right, so
Andrew Colsky (35:34)
Excellent.
Katie Nelson (35:35)
go be you. It will be the most beautiful thing that you can possibly imagine.
Andrew Colsky (35:43)
Excellent. with that, we're going to have to take that as the final word here because we are over time. But Katie Nelson, thank you so much. CEO and founder of Sales Uprising. This has been Bpicked. We hope that you can take some of this advice and use it to grow your business. That's what we're all about. So join us at Bpicked, B-E-P-I-C-K-E-D.com and you can listen to all of our episodes.
and we look forward to seeing you on a future one. Thank you, Katie.
Katie Nelson (36:16)
Thank you, Andrew.