#1378- Sales 101: Control The Frame

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• 0:00Speaker 00

  What is going on squad? Welcome to another episode of the change lives make money podcast for business owners that want to grow and sell on social media. What you are about to listen to is behind the scenes of one of the modules from my new course cash flow content. If you want to get access to me cash flow on Instagram, let's dive right in. Welcome to cash flow content. In today's training, we're going to be talking about how the person with the strongest frame wins. Now, understand this, okay? Your prospects are not showing up to your sales calls with a credit card in hand, ready to make a purchase, even if they said they wanted to buy. What they're actually on that call for is three things. Thing number one is to figure out who you are. Thing number two, figure out if they want to take action. And thing number three, figure out what you and your product is all about. That's it. Your prospect is showing up to collect more data. There's like

• 0:45Speaker 00

  very few, we call them unicorn prospects that show up to our calls with a credit card in hand, being like, yeah, you don't need to sell me. I'm ready to buy. That's like few and far between. And if we base our entire sales philosophy off of prospects that we're like hoping are just going to show up to the call, ready to buy like, please, please, please buy my stuff. You know, we're going to be struggling to make sales. Now, here's the thing, the prospect is coming to collect data. You are coming to sell your program. So there's two conflicting ideologies on the call, two conflicting purposes for the call, two different intentions coming in to the same conversation. Now, this is a writer downer. All right. I want you to write this down. It's important. The person who has the strongest frame wins. Write that down. Here's another writer downer.

• 1:27Speaker 00

  If you don't set the frame, you lost the frame. So what the hell is a frame? Fuck we talking about? What kind of gibberish is Brian Marks stating to me right now? What kind of gibberish is this? A frame is an agreed upon container in which two individuals have a relationship. That is what a frame is. A frame is an agreed upon container in which two individuals have a relationship. That is a frame. So let me give you some examples of frames. Okay. Example, number one, if I go to the doctor, I go to the doctor because I'm sick or I don't feel good. So the frame in this situation is that I'm the patient and he's the doctor. I'm the student. He's the teacher. I go there for his expert advice. So if the doctor tells me to take some Tylenol, I do it. Well, yeah, you're the doctor

• 2:09Speaker 00

  here. You're the fucking boss. You know, I came here because I have some issues that I need solving and you clearly have the solution to the problem. And just to, just to really flip this on its head, I just want to talk about how like how frames work. Imagine how fucking weird it would be. And you can see it now. Imagine how weird it'd be if I went into the doctor and then I started trying to prescribe him medicine. I was like, give me that fucking notepad. Give me that. Give me, give me that right now. You look like you need some Tylenol. Have you been sleeping? By the way, your nutrition looks like it's completely off because you're, you look like you've got about 15 to 30 pounds on your midsection there, brother. So let's get you on a nutrition plan. I'm going to prescribe you to go that you see a nutritionist because I think your BMI is pretty high and you're pretty fat. What the fuck? It's weird, right? So like, when you think about frames, you would think

• 2:51Speaker 00

  about patient doctor. If I go into the doctor, I know that I'm the patient, which means that I know if the doctor gives me a prescription, I'm going to take the prescription. Now, here's another frame. All right. Now here's a flip side example. If I'm in school, the substitute teacher, and I'm talking back to the substitute teacher, and I'm making the class laugh. Now typically speaking, the teacher is in control of the frame, right? The teacher is like the boss. So I go into class, the teacher's the boss. The frame is that the teacher's the boss and I'm, you know, I'm not the boss, I'm a student. But if I had a substitute teacher and I'm the student throwing jokes, making everyone laugh, I actually have the stronger frame and I win. I'm sure you guys can think about scenarios where this has actually happened. The substitute teacher comes in and then there's some sort of like rambunctious fucking funny kid. I was that kid, by the way, I'm just saying. And

• 3:36Speaker 00

  all of a sudden, this kid starts poking jokes and laughing. And the kid's like making fun of the teacher. And now the kid actually has control of the frame. And the teacher's just like, ah, you know, like she's just like, whatever, you know, the person who has the strongest frame wins. So frame doesn't necessarily mean just because you're the coach and that they're the client that they have the stronger frame. All right. This is a writer downer. The person who has the strongest frame is the person that sets the frame. And here's the one that matters to you. Okay. You approach a sales call wanting to sell your product or service. The prospect approaches your sales call just wanting free information. Now, whose frame is stronger? Whoever sets it, whoever sets the container for why we're on the call in the first place. Now, here's the part that everybody

• 4:21Speaker 00

  gets wrong. This is a writer downer. Okay. If you don't set the frame, you lost the frame. If you don't set the frame, you lost the frame. I don't know how many of you guys have ever played the game before. I just made you lose the game if you've heard the game before. If you don't set the frame, you lost the frame. All right. That's a writer downer. You need to set the frame. If you skip the pre-frame part of the call because you don't think it's necessary relevant, you don't think it's needed, automatically you lose the frame. If you don't set expectations at the start of the call, then the prospect will run the call. And if the prospect runs the call, why the fuck would they pay you money? They're to collect information. They wouldn't pay you money if they're running the call. If it's their call, it's not their call, it's your call. And you need to treat it like your call. You were the boss, you were the head honcho, you were the teacher, you are the fucking, the person at the top of the mountain. It's you. You have a solution. They have a problem.

• 5:05Speaker 00

  Our product is going to take them from where they are right now to where they want to be. You need to run the call. It is so important. You need to run your calls. Here's another mistake I see people make on, on calls, right? They get on the call and they want to be friendly, right? They want to be, they want to chop it up with their prospects. They want to have good conversations with their prospects. So they're joking, they're laughing, they're talking back and forth, asking about the weather, what their dog's name is, getting their Chihuahua's name, Mr. Fluffy Pants, right? They're getting all this information about how the prospect's doing. And in the meantime, they are setting the frame. Because again, if you don't set the frame, you lost the frame. They're setting the frame that we are friends. That's the frame. Me and you are friends. Tell me about your life. Tell me about your dog. Tell me about your kids. How many kids do you have? Oh, that's cool. Where are you from? Friends, friends, friends, friends, friend. Now, I want to set the

• 5:48Speaker 00

  frame that I'm the coach, you are the client, and I'm here to do my job. Now, nothing you say on your calls matters unless you are framed in the position of authority, period. Now, this is also extremely important. Okay, this is a writer downer. When you set the frame, they have to accept the frame. When you set the frame, they have to accept the frame. If they don't accept the frame, they don't have the frame. Now, I'm going to give you an extreme example. All right. The extreme example is the lockdowns. Okay? Lockdowns, government sets the frame. Like, everybody stay in their house. You gotta be safe, gotta be safe, gotta do that. We all agreed on that frame. And we're like, oh yeah, everybody stay inside, everybody do this, everybody stay inside, no matter what, everybody stay inside. So like, they set the frame, we agreed to the

• 6:33Speaker 00

  frame, and we went with the frame. But as soon as we started no longer agreeing with the frame, and we're like, no, it's actually weird that we're not able to go to the gym and exercise and work out and move our bodies. And that's actually weird. We don't accept the frame anymore. As soon as we no longer accept the frame, there's no longer a frame that they lose the frame. So on a frame is an agreed upon container in which two people exist in a relationship. So two entities exist. So they set the frame, we agreed to the frame, we stayed in our house, we did that for a year, year and a half, and then we were all like, no, we're no longer doing this. We're not staying in our house anymore. They lost the frame. Right? The only way a frame works is if somebody accepts the frame. So if you set the frame, what we're going to do in today, so here's exactly how you set the frame. You know, you're like, all right, Nick, so what we're going to do in today's calls, we're going to walk through your number one struggle, your number one goal, and I'm going

• 7:17Speaker 00

  to help you come up with a game plan to achieve your goals. If at the end of the call, I feel like I can help you all, I'll invite you to work with me. And if not, I'll point you in a different direction. Does that sound good? If they said, and this never happens, by the way, but if they said, no, I don't want to do that, then we don't have a frame, you know? So a frame is set when you set the frame and they agree to the frame. If you say, what we're going to do in today's calls, we're going to talk about your number one struggle, number one goal, and I'll help you come up with a game plan to achieve your goals. Are you up for that? As soon as they say yes, now they've agreed to the frame. They've agreed that we are in the position of authority. They've agreed that we are going to ask some questions. They agreed that like this is our call and they're there to follow along, period.

• 7:51Speaker 01

  What's going on, fam? It's your boy Brian Marks. If you didn't know, we just launched the $10 million Instagram funnel blueprint, became a three time national best seller within the first week of us launching. You can get the book, the $10 million Instagram funnel blueprint. That is my literal start to finish complete guide on how to make money with your social media account on amazon.com. So search out the $10 million Instagram funnel blueprint by Brian Mark and get your copy. Guarantee you best purchase you've ever made.

• 8:19Speaker 00

  Now, here's like the fucking magic sauce. Okay. If the prospect views themselves in control of the call, which by the way, will happen by default if you don't set a frame, then they will never purchase anything from you. Okay. If the prospect views themselves as in control of the call, which happens by default, when you don't set a frame, then they will not be purchasing anything from you. My doctor doesn't buy shit off me. Why the fuck would he? I buy stuff off my doctor. Cause that's the frame. He's the boss. I'm the client. I buy things off him. It'll be weird if I went to my doctor and he bought things off me. He's in the position of authority. Because the frame that the prospect is coming into our calls with is, yeah, you know, I'm just here for some

• 9:04Speaker 00

  information. If you could just provide me some information, I won't be purchasing today, by the way. So you can, you can take that sales script of yours and shove it up your ass because I'm just here for some information. If the prospect comes in and in the first 30 to 60 to 90 seconds of the call, we don't set the frame of what, how we're going to run the call, then by default, the frame has been set because the prospect already comes in with a certain intention. So we need to set the frame, they need to agree to the frame, and now they're in our frame. And all we have to do is do our job on the call. Now, I want to give you a concept that's going to govern the entire sales part of this container. So write it down and I want you to imagine authority on a scale. Okay, I'm going to teach you a concept I call the buying pocket.

• 9:48Speaker 00

  It's a concept I call the buying pocket. So let's talk about frame, right? We've got, frame comes on a scale. Okay, so there's like, I'm too much authority, like I'm total authority, and then there's too little authority. Okay. So if you've got too much authority, you're a dickhead. Okay, and they don't like you. And you're like coming in, you're like, yeah, just so you know, I'm the fucking boss on this call. And basically, anything I say goes. And if you disagree with me, then you can fuck yourself. And we're going to just do what I say on this call. Cool. Too much authority, you're a dickhead, they don't like you, doesn't work. Too little authority, and the prospect runs the call. If you're like, um, yeah, John, what's going on, brother? Yeah, how's your day going? Yeah, great, great. Yeah, it's good. I'm glad that you're having a good day. That's good. Me too. I'm from West Texas. My wife's name's Sarah. Yeah, so listen, I've really enjoyed our conversation so far.

• 10:32Speaker 00

  So yeah, it's kind of, I'd love to get to know you a little bit. And maybe we can see if we can work together in the fitness program. And we'll kind of see if like, you know, we're a good fit for each other. And you know, maybe we can do some work together. So too much authority, and they're like, no, pass this guy, like it's not for me. He's too aggressive. Too little authority, and the prospect runs the entire call. They're the one asking you, and here's the thing, you'll know if you're having too little authority when they're asking you questions. If your prospect's asking you questions on sales calls, they run the call. They have the Kahuna's, they have lady balls, they got the frame, right? I would say 95% of people are too little, like they don't have enough frame. So for 95% of people, they need to add more frame. It's very rare that I meet somebody that has too much authority and they have to dampen it down.

• 11:16Speaker 00

  It's like very, very, very rare. 95% of people don't have enough frame and they need more frame. Now, in between too much and not enough, there's a pocket, alright? And I call that pocket, the buying window, the buying pocket. There's a buying pocket where you're just enough of an authority that they'll buy, and they feel like they can trust you. I call that the buying pocket. This is where you want to stay the whole call, the buying pocket. You're not too nice, which means if you're too nice, you let them get away with stupid stuff. When the prospect says like, yeah, you know, like, the reason I've been able to hit my fitness goals is because I eat out five times a week. And you're like, okay, that's cool. You're eating out five times a week. What do you mean you're eating out five times a week? How long has that been going on for? Okay, so you're telling me that you want to lose 25 pounds, but you're eating out five times a week? Alright, is that something that you want to continue? If you want to continue to eat five times a week? No. Okay, well, you say that you don't want to eat out

• 12:01Speaker 00

  five times a week, but you've been doing that for the last three years. So like, are you actually at a place right now where you're ready to like draw a line in the sand? And like give up the fast food that you've been eating? Or are you willing to continue doing what you've been doing and potentially gain another 30 pounds? That is called the buying pocket. If, I'm going to give you examples of both now. So that's in the buying pocket. If I was too much authority, because frame happens the entire call. We set the frame at the start of the call, but then we need to keep the frame the entire call. Too much authority, would be like, whoa, five times a week, bro, that's like, that's way too much. Are you fucking joking me? You're telling me that you want to lose weight and you're eating out five times a week? There's no fucking way you actually want to lose weight. You wouldn't be eating out five times a week if you wanted to lose weight. You'd be cutting out the fast food and you'd be fucking going to the gym. So that's too much, right? Here's too little. Oh, five times a week? Alright, but like, what's your nutrition look like when you're not eating out?

• 12:45Speaker 00

  Like for the rest of the meals of the day? Oh, cool. So like, throughout the day, like you're trying to get your healthy foods in? And then when you're eating out, it's like, you're eating out five times a week, but it's only one of the meals a day, you got healthy foods the rest of the meals? Oh, that's like, you know, you're doing a pretty good job. Pass, you know? Nobody's gonna fucking buy from you. Okay? So there's a middle ground, and it's called the buying pocket. You gotta stay in the buying pocket. Not too much authority, not too little authority. You gotta stay in the middle of the buying pocket, and you need to like, be an authority and hold the line, but also not be too aggressive where they're like, this guy's just too much. So the frame starts in the first 30 seconds of the call, okay? The entire goal of the call is to stay in the frame, okay? Here's what knocks you out. Asking the wrong question, getting too friendly, apologizing, validating something you shouldn't. So here's the worst way to start your sales calls.

• 13:28Speaker 00

  John, what's going on? Yeah, yeah, nice to meet you, bro. Thanks for taking the time to... Can you hear me okay? Uh, yeah, can you see me okay? Yeah, yeah, sorry, sorry about that. Zoom can kind of like mute my audio. Shut up. No, don't say that. Hey, John, what's going on? Yeah, thanks so much for hopping on the call today, brother. It's great to, it's great to see you. Oh dude, yeah, I, yeah, I love the, uh, yeah, I love, love the background you got right there. Yeah, it's great. Yeah, it's cool. Hey, John, what's going on? Thanks so much for taking the time to spend with me today, brother. I really appreciate it. Yeah, it's great. Yeah, it's great to connect. I'm really excited that we're, we're on the call today. Yeah, it's great. Can you, can you hear me okay? Is your audio coming through? Bro, you started the first 30 seconds of the call, like apologizing, being too friendly, like validating, you know, asking if they can hear you and see you okay? Lots of frame. Now you gotta fight back to get the frame. You're like in the nice guy.

• 14:13Speaker 00

  You're, you're the nice guy. So you gotta stay in the buying pocket, okay? And when you get knocked out of the buying pocket, the prospect's defenses go up, and it makes it harder for you to earn the sale. The goal is to stay in the buying pocket the entire time. Stay in the frame of the authority, not too much, not too little, in the buying pocket. Staying in the pocket means that you're willing to have uncomfortable conversations with them, and you're not letting them out of that uncomfortable conversation, but you're doing it in a way that is compassionate and caring. So that's staying in the buying pocket. It's like, I'm willing to go there and have the uncomfortable conversations about the fact that you've been struggling to, you know, grow your business for the last six years, and you've tried everything under the planet except hire a mentor. And the fact that you're asking people to pay you money on social media for your mentorship, but you're not willing to pay for mentorship, by definition is probably attracting broke tire kickers,

• 14:58Speaker 00

  because you're not even willing to invest in yourself. I'm willing to have those conversations with you. I'm not going to be too aggressive, and I'm not going to be too nice. I'm going to be right in the middle. That is the buying pocket. That is the frame. So in the first 30 seconds of the call, you need to claim the authority spot, okay? Because if you don't claim the authority spot in the first 30 seconds of the call, automatically you lose the frame. Now, you can hold that authority spot for the entire call if you take it now, or you can spend the next 45 minutes trying to claw it back, which really never works. Like, if you lose the frame in the first 30 to 60 seconds of the call, it's really difficult to get it back. So just get the frame in the first 30 to 60 seconds of the call, so you don't have to fight back for it. So here's exactly how you put yourself in the driver's seat in the first 30 seconds. So never say this, can you hear me okay?

• 15:40Speaker 00

  Never say it. Never say, let me just fix my audio. Never say it. Never say, sorry I'm late. Also, never be late, okay? Because if you're late, it just shows the prospect that you don't give a shit about them. And like, I literally hate being late. And so if I am late, I come into the call and I accept full responsibility, for whatever reason, and I'm like, hey man, I just gotta let you know that like, this actually isn't how I do things, and I accept full responsibility for being late. I do not like wasting people's time, and I'm going to make sure that this call is incredibly valuable for you, so I appreciate you for waiting for me. Let's dive right in. I hate being late, but if I am late, I accept full responsibility. And uh, this is like the absolute worst thing to start your calls, is uh, hey John, uh, thanks for hopping on with me. I understand that you're a busy man.

• 16:22Speaker 00

  I just don't want it to take up too much of your time. No, okay? That's a hard no. Don't say that. Like, like you literally, when you say that, you literally tell the prospect that he's more important than you. I'm sorry, uh, yeah, yeah, I'm not going to take up too much of your time today, John. I just want to, you know, go over a few things. No. The person that's not in the position of authority is the one that's making those statements. Like Gary Vaynerchuk doesn't walk into a room and say, sorry guys, if I took up too much of your time. You know, that's what I'd be saying to Gary Vaynerchuk. I'd be like, yo Gary, can I get a signature, bro? I'd be kissing ass, you know, because in that exchange, Gary's the authority. Don't talk to your prospects like they're Gary Vaynerchuk. You are the boss. You are the Gary in this situation. So you want to be enthusiastic, but not so enthusiastic that you're sleazy, right? So the level of the energy to start the call should be an eight to a 10.

• 17:07Speaker 00

  I would say like more from an eight to a nine. I wouldn't go to a 10. Not this, hey John, uh, what's going on? How you doing? And not this, hey John, what's going on, brother? How you doing today? Or like this, John, my man, what's going on? How you doing today? Yeah, it's perfect. This is Brian Mark. Yeah, excited to hop on the call with you today, brother. That, like confident, certain, brevity, not too much, not too little. Alright, two questions. This is the only thing that you're going to ask before you actually get into the pre-frame itself. Two questions. Yo, what's going on, John? How you doing today? How's your week been? Whereabouts in the world are you calling from? That's it. How's your week been? Whereabouts in the world are you calling from? Banter for literally 10 to 30 seconds maximum. Then read their energy and calibrate that you, like what you learned in module seven. Come in at an eight and then meet them where they're at.

• 17:52Speaker 00

  So if they come in with like a super high energy level, then you can match that. You're already at a higher energy level, because remember what we talked about earlier? It's easier to go down than go up. So I'd rather you come in at an eight, so that you, you don't have to go up. So come in at an eight, read their energy. If they're at a four, then bring yourself back to a six, meet them where they're at, and then continue on with the next part of the script. So what I want you to do is I want you to record just the first 30 seconds of your next three calls, just the first minute, and then listen back to it and answer one question. At the 60 second mark, who's running this call? 60 seconds into the call, you should have set the frame already. If you're not setting the frame within 60 seconds of the call, the prospect is running the call, the prospect controls the frame. So take control of the frame immediately when the call starts,

• 18:35Speaker 00

  and then continue staying in the frame throughout the call. You want to stay in the buying pocket, which means on the call, you want to maintain the position of authority. But you don't want to go to the extreme where you end up being a quote unquote dick, and you don't want to be on the other end of the spectrum where you're too nice, and you're validating them in their pain, and you're telling them that it's okay to stay where they're at right now. You want to be right in the middle the entire call, which is what we call the buying pocket. Peace, love, and protein. Have the best day ever, and I'll see you in the next training. Thank you so much for tuning into today's episode. Hopefully you got some value. If you did, and you want to learn more about how me and my team can help you scale your online fitness business to $10,000 a month, DM me 10K on Instagram, at the real Brian Mark, for more information. And I'll reach out to you to see if I can help you grow an online coaching business.