2 sessions inside Boa
Founder and author, Unlock the Sales Game
Ari Galper is the creator of Unlock the Sales Game, a trust-based selling approach he built after two decades ago overhearing a "won" deal fall apart when he accidentally hit mute instead of speaker. Originally from California and living near Bondi for 20 years, he is the author of books including Unlock the Sales Game, Are You Chasing Ghosts, Trust Authority and Trust in a Split Second. He also wrote a book about his son Toby, who has Down syndrome, and credits Toby's transparency as the inspiration for his approach to trust.
A doctor asks where it hurts, diagnoses, writes a prescription and gets paid for the diagnosis. The chemist dispenses the medicine. Ari's point is that most business owners play both roles at once and hand over the solution for free before trust exists. On a first meeting, diagnose only. Do not discuss your solution.
From Ari Galper: the one-call sale and how to stop chasing leads →After a short "nice to meet you", cut all chitchat and say: "If it's okay with you, if you wouldn't mind, take a step back for a moment and walk me through your background, your situation, your business model, and your current challenges, and we'll go from there. Is that okay with you?" Ask permission twice. Then sit back, put your fingers over your mouth as a physical cue to stop talking, and listen.
From Ari Galper: the one-call sale and how to stop chasing leads →Once they have finished downloading, summarise back: "So what I'm hearing from you is your core issue is X, Y and Z. Is that right?" When they say "exactly", you have proven you listened instead of pitching. Ari says most owners spend only 10 to 25 per cent of the conversation on the problem and the rest on their solution. Flip that ratio.
From Ari Galper: the one-call sale and how to stop chasing leads →The second layer below the core issue is the impact of not solving it. Ask things like "Have you considered the impact of this on your team?", "Are you aware of what you could be losing in the market by not having this in place?" This is where trust is built, because you have gone deeper than anyone else they spoke to. It also builds the business case that justifies your fee.
From Ari Galper: the one-call sale and how to stop chasing leads →Ari's rule for a targeted book: every chapter describes a problem the reader knows they have but has not made a priority. No frameworks, no IP, no company story. The point is the reader thinking "he gets me, he understands my world", which is what he defines trust as. Solutions are commoditised and buyers do not care about them pre-sale.
From Ari Galper: the targeted book that books your calendar →Everyone else runs free lead magnet, form fill, we call you. Ari removed the hole between ordering and scheduling. The button says "yes, mail me the free book and I want to talk to one of your consultants", the form repeats it twice more, and clicking through shows a calendar. Books ship only after the consultation is confirmed.
From Ari Galper: the targeted book that books your calendar →Ari argues nobody prints a 100-page ebook or scrolls it on a phone. Physical post gets 100% deliverability versus download rates he calls unproductive for a low volume, high margin business. Recipients hold it, show it to partners and staff, keep it on a shelf, and some post about it on LinkedIn before they have even spoken to him.
From Ari Galper: the targeted book that books your calendar →Pricing the book adds a decision the reader has to jump over before ordering. Ari removes both the price and the shipping charge so the path is friction-free. He also caps the length at a 30-minute read, a Melbourne to Sydney plane ride, rather than a comprehensive tome.
From Ari Galper: the targeted book that books your calendar →Session notes are free. The recordings, the live advisories and the founders in the room are for members.