An Interview With Chad Silverstein
Make sure you are relaxed, yet contained in your boundaries. Selling remotely means that there is no office to come and go from, so it can be easy to be *too* available in service of a sale. You want clients who are ready to fully engage, not clients that require you to over function in order to participate. I recommend having clear steps for clients to take to gain access to your energy, but once they are in that step appropriately, give them all the support and knowledge that you have! Think of the sales process as part of the experience of the product or service, not in addition to. You aren’t in a rush to sell, you are excited to help!
The global pandemic has forever altered the landscape of sales, propelling us into the era of remote selling. Today, businesses and sales professionals face the challenge of connecting with clients and closing deals without the traditional in-person interactions. Mastering the art of remote selling has become not just an advantage but a necessity. From leveraging technology and digital tools to building trust and rapport over virtual platforms, the skills required for effective remote selling are evolving. I had the pleasure of interviewing Alex Mufson.
A true bootstrap entrepreneur, Alex is a feminist, a CEO and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in scaling businesses utilizing Human Design. Despite all of her advanced clinical training, Alex realized that you can do all of the therapy in the world but if you are stuck in a soul-sucking job you will still hate your life, so now it’s all about freeing people as fast as possible so we can all do good in this world. Alex is committed to business as a form of art and activism, offering disruptive ways that redirect the flow of profits from those who do harm with it to those who heal with it.
Thank you for joining us. To start, could you share your “origin story” with our readers? How did you begin your career? What challenges did you face in the early days? How did you overcome them?
At twenty-one I founded my first full-time business as an animal behaviorist. This was a passion filled project doing something I loved, yet I built the business heavily reliant on my energy. A few years in, I became very ill, even having mysterious brain hemorrhages. When my body couldn’t keep up with my business, I realized that I served the company, and the company did not serve me. After this devastating realization, everything had to change. I purged my whole life, including that company and eventually even a marriage. When I founded my next company I was deeply informed by Human Design, supporting me to understand where my energy was most potent. That company scaled zero to seven figures in under three years (but that’s a whole other story!) as I truly lived my design.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Lucky Man, by Michael J. Fox, was a life changing book for me. His experience of acceptance through a major diagnosis of Parkinson’s gave me a framework with which to confront my own health challenges, and everything else that came my way. His quotation “Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation; it means understanding that something is what it is and that there’s got to be a way through it” is so useful to me. It provides me with a framework of peace that though I can’t control everything that happens in my life, I can absolutely control what I do with it and the meaning I attach to it later.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
I don’t have a confirmed original source for this quote as it was spread to me verbally, but I lean heavily on the concept that “the way to escape competition is through authenticity.” I think so many people are out there competing and thinking only relative to others, when really, all of our gifts are found looking inward and being true to exactly who we are. It saves a lot of stress in business to stay focused on the work your company is doing, rather than chasing someone else’s.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I’m on a mission to redirect the flow of capital from those who do harm with it to those who heal with it. Sometimes, this looks like creating an equitable workplace for caring professionals to thrive. Other times, this looks like supporting an expert who has been stuck in the worker role for a toxic corporation free themselves through entrepreneurship. Often, this is about empowering others, through Human Design and my clinical and business background, to challenge their perceived limits. We are all stuck in capitalism, but I’m all about crawling into the belly of the beast to make change from the inside out.
Ok, let’s now turn to the central part of our interview. In your experience, how has the transition to remote selling altered the traditional sales cycle, and what strategies have proven most effective in closing deals virtually?
Now that remote work and sales is so normalized, the communities we can tap into are endless. I think this has radically changed how deals are done because now people are looking for exactly the right values fit, not just whoever operates locally. I think this is a huge win, because it is inspiring businesses to have a point of view to stand out from the crowd, so we are seeing business intersect with activism so much more. I think this means that prior to closing, clients are looking for a much more authentic connection with whoever is doing the selling, rather than a high pressure situation where they feel like they have to choose immediately.
In what ways do you believe technology will continue to shape the future of remote selling, and what tools should sales professionals be focusing on?
I think if you are selling, make sure it is something you truly believe in. Rather than focusing on tools, I suggest focusing on the value you can already bring to your potential customer, or the community they are already in. Rather than rushing to sell, try using technology to add something they already need. Whether that’s resources, a consultation, or a live webinar for their company, providing care and opportunity, often in the form of no cost education, means that when people follow up they already know they want to work together. There are endless people selling and everyone you talk to has access to Google, so you aren’t going to get dream clients if it’s just about who has the most paid ads. In fact, you are probably going to end up talking to a lot of unqualified leads if you don’t do something that allows people to self select before they get to you, so your time is more efficiently spent.
How can sales teams maintain and build rapport with clients in a fully remote environment, especially when face-to-face interactions are limited?
Clients want to know that you are a real human who actually believes in what you are selling. Honestly, don’t talk about the product or service! Get to know them, build actual trust (which is started with my last answer, about adding value for free). Have a point of view that doesn’t seem like you are just appealing to everyone. I truly believe right now the educated consumer wants not only to like the product, but to believe in the person and the company that is selling it.
Can you share a story of a challenge you faced in adapting to remote selling, and how you overcame it?
I think it’s tempting to draw out the sales process when there isn’t the inherent pressure of a brick and mortar. For instance, if someone comes into a building, they might feel like they should make the decision while in the building, before they go home. No one feels like that via phone or Zoom, because often your potential client is already relaxed at home. Creating a clear expectation of timeline and follow up that doesn’t also activate their nervous system negatively is key. I do this differently depending on the service, but no matter what I’m first creating an environment in which the potential client already feels seen. If I can already speak to their problem in a genuine way, while showing a lot of care and empathy, that’s proof of concept that I know what I’m talking about!
Can you share a success story of a remote sale that exemplified innovative tactics or approaches in the post-pandemic world?
Recently I sold a $7500 product and the client thanked me for my closing technique! She is a perfect example of how I sell. She first found me in a no cost offering I provide a community of people that are similar to my ideal customer. Right after that free event, she booked a no cost 15 minute call with me to follow up, followed by my lowest ticket paid offering. By the end of that, she was booking that larger ticket offering and expressing gratitude, and how my close was so supportive to her. That’s because not only was I direct and lacking in urgency, I had also spent that entire relationship building life cycle, from free to paid, building trust, so when she decided to jump into a large ticket offering she didn’t feel scared at all. We were both just excited to continue the relationship! I sold by being of service, every step of the way, I rarely mentioned the offerings.
Here is our main question. Could you list and briefly explain “5 Key Strategies for Mastering the Art of Remote Selling” based on your experiences and insights? If you can, please share a story or example for each.
1 . Locate a community that needs you. Rather than casting such a wide net that you hope someone gets caught, find where your people are already gathering naturally. For instance, maybe they all have a shared interest, a shared space or a shared goal. Once you find them, start being of value to that community through no cost events that excite people to attend. Make yourself a “household name” in that community, because they will spread the word amongst themselves when you aren’t around if you offer enough value! Do this before you ever try to sell anything. Offering value before product builds trust, and that is something you cannot buy.
2 . Make sure you are relaxed, yet contained in your boundaries. Selling remotely means that there is no office to come and go from, so it can be easy to be *too* available in service of a sale. You want clients who are ready to fully engage, not clients that require you to over function in order to participate. I recommend having clear steps for clients to take to gain access to your energy, but once they are in that step appropriately, give them all the support and knowledge that you have! Think of the sales process as part of the experience of the product or service, not in addition to. You aren’t in a rush to sell, you are excited to help!
3 . Your offers or products should work together. I recommend not ranking your offers between high ticket, low ticket, etc. Of course the price tags do make some higher ticket than others, but neutralize that in your sales process. Instead think of each option as of equal value depending on who the consumer is. If you have something that costs less than another, speak to how some people will get the most value out of that one, even though it is “smaller,” because it will provide X, which is exactly what some people need! By explaining things not by price, but by outcome and why one would want one versus the other, you remove the pressure from the potential buyer’s nervous system. You may miss those quick, impulsive fear-based sales, but likely the sales you do make will be repeat customers. Plus, even if they buy the smaller experience or product, once that exceeds their expectations they will likely be back for the others, because they will feel seen and cared for rather than just a sales mark. Bringing humanity into the process IS good for business.
4 . Controversial take, but I highly recommend a “normal” background to your zoom screen. It should be pleasant, presentable and not cluttered, but it should also represent some personality and look like it’s a real office or home. A virtual background is inauthentic and distracting — what are you hiding back there, anyways? A cold, sterile background is just off putting, and a messy, cluttered space looks unprofessional. Remember, that first moment you pop up on the zoom screen is leaving an impression, make sure it’s the one you want! Personally, I enjoy having a conversation piece behind me, whether a unique piece of art or a beautiful bookshelf. Often calls start and end with a conversation about your surroundings, and supporting people to feel like they know me can never go wrong!
5 . Let people share their story. So often, we jump right into sales, but really that’s not what people are ever looking for in a conversation. If they have questions, they will ask! Right off the bat either ask thoughtful questions and give them space to share, or if they really want you to speak first, go ahead and truly be a human sitting across from them, sharing what you care about.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I’m on a mission to redirect the flow of capital from those who do harm with it to those who heal with it! The movement is empowering all of us to take back our lives and demand that values are centered, rather than profits.
As we wrap up, how can our readers follow your work?
@alex.mufson on instagram and www.revhumandesign.com — download your free human design chart at the website!
Thank you for offering such valuable insights into the art of remote selling. We wish you continued success.
About the Interviewer: Chad Silverstein, a seasoned entrepreneur with over two decades of experience as the Founder and CEO of multiple companies. He launched Choice Recovery, Inc., a healthcare collection agency, while going to The Ohio State University, His team earned national recognition, twice being ranked as the #1 business to work for in Central Ohio. In 2018, Chad launched [re]start, a career development platform connecting thousands of individuals in collections with meaningful employment opportunities, He sold Choice Recovery on his 25th anniversary and in 2023, sold the majority interest in [re]start so he can focus his transition to Built to Lead as an Executive Leadership Coach. Learn more at www.chadsilverstein.com
Alex Mufson Of Rêv On Mastering the Art of Remote Selling in a Post-Pandemic World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.