You're Not Selling. You're Giving Free Consulting.
Here is a painful scenario I bet you know well.
You get on a call with a prospect. The chemistry is great. They have a problem, and you know exactly how to fix it. You get excited. You spend 45 minutes diving deep into their business, mapping out a strategy, and giving them three specific things they can do to fix their issue.
You hang up feeling like a hero. You think, "I showed them so much value, they have to hire me!"
Two days later, you get the email: "Thanks so much for the time! We’re going to try those tips you gave us internally for now."
You didn't make a sale. You just did an hour of free consulting.
The "Friend Zone" of Sales
As a solopreneur, you are an expert in your field. You love solving problems. The mistake you’re making is confusing selling with solving.
When you solve the prospect's problem on the initial call, you remove the tension. They entered the call with a pain (a problem). You gave them a painkiller (the solution). Now that the pain is gone, their motivation to pay you $5,000 is gone, too.
You effectively "friend-zoned" yourself. You became a helpful resource, not a hired partner.
Diagnosis vs. Prescription
To fix this, you need to think like a doctor.
When you walk into a doctor's office with a broken arm, the doctor doesn't start setting the bone in the waiting room. They ask questions. They take X-rays. They diagnose the problem.
Diagnosis is the process of understanding the pain. Prescription is the solution (the cast, the surgery, the medicine).
In sales:
Diagnosis happens on the sales call. (Free)
Prescription happens after they sign the contract. (Paid)
Your job on a sales call is to diagnose the problem so clearly that the prospect trusts you have the cure. Your job is not to administer the cure.
The "KYSS" Fix: Stick to the Script
The reason you slip into "free consulting" mode is likely because you are "winging it." You get carried away in the conversation.
You need a guardrail.
This is why Component 2 of the KYSS (Keep Your Sales Simple) system is the Playbook. A good Discovery Script forces you to stay in "Diagnosis Mode." It gives you the specific questions to ask to uncover the pain without accidentally fixing it.
The rule is simple: The purpose of a sales call is to determine if you can help, not to start helping.
Save your genius for the paying clients.
Build Your Full System
Stop giving away your expertise for free. You need a script that keeps you in control.
I've compiled my exact "Diagnosis" scripts and the entire "no-BS" framework into a 15-minute digital course and manual: KYSS: Keep Your Sales Simple.
[Click here to get the KYSS Course & Manual today.]
Need More Than a Manual? Get Your Team.
Do you keep falling into the "free consulting" trap? We can help you spot it.
In the Selling Pens Community, we review real sales calls. We can listen to your recordings and point out the exact moment you stopped selling and started consulting—and tell you what to say instead.
Join as a Community Member for peer feedback and live strategy calls.
Join as a Pro Member for me to personally review your calls and fix your process.
[Click here to see the community options and join your new team.]
