Why "Enrolment" Is CRUCIAL for Startups

What is enrolment?

If someone tries to sell to you, the first thing you're going to try to do is to figure out why you don't want that thing. So for example, if someone tries to sell something to you, they might say "you're going to love this thing I have for you" - and your first instinct is to say "no I won't!"

"As human beings, we want to make up our own minds and make a decision for ourselves... especially when it comes to anything about money."

And yet, in this podcast episode with me, Remy points out that there is this odd myth that anyone can be "sold to".

For example, if I had a ball in my hand that I threw to you, your initial reaction would be to throw it back. It would be as if we were playing a game of catch - that's what selling is like. I'll find a way to say 'no' unless for some reason I already wanted it.

On the other hand, if instead of playing catch with the ball, we both looked at the ball between us, separated from us doing something with it, and allowed you to understand its value, you might decide you want to pick it up for yourself.

"Enrolled simply means loving the experience, wanting to be part of it, and [if possible] being a co-creator of it".

Selling ideas

Now, this has particular relevance when selling ideas. For example, a service like consulting, coaching, accounting, or even a getaway experience - anything that sells you a concept of what you might get intellectually or emotionally, as opposed to a physical item.

This is because you have a lot of space to design that experience together.

If we were to tell you you're going to get a service exactly as it is, and there was no room for change, then if you only wanted some parts of it, you're likely to say no.

But if I were to discuss with you a potential experience and ask you how you felt about that, until I knew enough about you to know exactly what you specifically needed, then a couple of things would start to happen.

Firstly, you would know I'm there for you. I've clearly shown an interest in you and have an opportunity to tell you exactly what I can and cannot do for you.

But secondly, and more importantly, I have an opportunity to tweak what I offer you. If I can coach you about 15 different things, and you need a specific 5, now I know what 5 they are and I can tell you a bit about them and enrol you in the process because I can build your trust in my services.

Essentially, this gives you a chance to have a conversation where you design together what kind of service you'll be providing.

It works for physical products too

If instead of telling someone how amazing a TV or a car or a suit is, what if you gave them some way to decide for themselves?

And throughout the process, you made sure they knew you were there to help, but you weren't pushy about them making a decision. In fact, you were totally not concerned about if you made a sale, only that they got a chance to make a decision for themselves. 

Suddenly, everything would become lighter. There's less pressure.

So even though at first it sounds easier to enrol someone if what you're selling is more of an idea than a physical (or online) product, this mindset actually gives you a lot of space to get creative.

As an entrepreneur, it's your job to innovate - and to put yourself in your customer's shoes to come up with those innovations. So coming at that kind of activity from an enrolment perspective can give you new ideas for how to do those things. 

For example, say I'm selling you glasses. I can give you a chance to try them on, and offer as a courtesy to take your picture wearing any of the ones you want to compare. I could give you those pictures and my card or the store's phone number, and offer to be there to answer any question you might have.

Say, by putting myself into my customer's shoes, I knew that would make for a better experience - and is much more considerate than trying to push towards a sale right then and there. When the person does decide to buy them, they'll be much more satisfied. They're actually more likely to buy. And they're more likely to report having a better experience (which, by the way, is the number one indicator of success in a business) which means they're more likely to become a fan and come back to your store next time.

And if your business is a bit bigger and you're putting a management system in place, then you can decide how you want your "salespeople" (which you might even want to consider giving a better title) to conduct themselves towards customers - just shifting the aim away from sales and more towards an experience which creates a fan (i.e. an enrolment experience)!

'If I can do this, I'm a success'

There's this concept, Remy reminds us, that a great salesperson is someone who is incredibly successful because they actually take the product and turn it into the profit that comes into the business.

So as an entrepreneur, where it's understood that you'll need to be the one who makes that money come into the business (especially at the beginning), you run into the danger of being very attached to your ability to sell. Which makes you do 'selling' even more, maybe even out of desperation. 

After all, it feels like you're taking much more control that way, compared to if you were to engage in enrolment where the other person gets to make the decisions and is allowed to walk away. You're potentially letting them walk away without them having spent any money yet.

That means you're attaching yourself to your ability to make someone buy something, as opposed to being calm and in control so that you can give them everything they need to be in love with your product - which means they will actually want to buy.

Don't fall into the trap of setting yourself up as "a success if you're able to make the sale", because then you hold yourself back from being able to enrol. You'll be in defence mode. So the irony will be that your ability to sell will most likely get worse too. This is the opposite of being in control. And over time, the effect on your business can multiply - either the effect of heaviness, or of lightness, ease, and great ability (and profits as a result).

Our Tips for Enrolling 

"What you really want is someone who really loves the experience of being with, working with [or buying from], sharing ideas - with you... whereas if you [don't like the experience] then you'll never come back."

1. Create trust

Trust underpins any enrolment. 

By showing you that I don't want to pressure you, and instead want you to make the best decision for you, I'm immediately showing you that I'm here for you, not for me.

And if on top of that, I'm a real expert about what you might need and apply that expertise in a really supportive and non-pushy way, then you'll be more confident in my capabilities - which quickly builds trust. 

That trust allows for the relationship you try to build as the enroller to really flourish and ensure those (potential) customers actually come back to you when they're ready to purchase. 

2. Aim to build a relationship

The actual "prize" at the end of the day is not the money coming in from the sale. It's that someone gets the experience they want to have and that you form a relationship as a result. And this relationship just so happens to result in income for your business.

So if you can find ways of creating a long-term relationship with someone then you'll have a lot more business coming in over time. It could be to remember their name, give them a customer email address, host events, or just have a system that gives regulars unique discounts, they have a reason to stick with you!

3. Consider the "real product"

We really like the concept of the "real product", which essentially means that whatever you're buying from me isn't what you really want to get - it's a means to what you really want.

What you really want is a feeling that you need or want fulfilled. If you're buying clothes from my fashion line, then what you really want is probably to feel whatever way the clothes make you feel (for example, to feel confident).

So, the "real product" you're buying is confidence.

Even groceries exist to fulfil the need of eating - the actual groceries themselves are a means towards surviving (or enjoying your meal if you're getting things you love to eat, which makes it more than just survival - it becomes an experience. See how it's all connected?)

When enrolling, if you're aware of what your ideal customer is really trying to "get" (usually to feel a certain emotion) then you can tailor how you enrol them in such a way that builds that trust that you're the one who can provide that emotional experience they want.

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About Seven

Hey friends! I’m Seven - I write about challenges and opportunities affecting leaders across business. I release a weekly newsletter and a podcast, helping folks understand the leadership journeys and challenges out there, so we can better understand our purpose, place, and potential. The goal: to learn about what it means to be a leader, to support leaders, to find leaders, and to discover the leader within.

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