#136 Soulful Selling with Ellie Swift
Does the idea of selling feel icky to you? Do you feel hesitant to sell, or think of yourself as not being ‘salesy’? If so, you’re certainly not alone, and many of my clients have expressed feeling this way to me. Today, I’m joined by special guest, marketing and mindset coach Ellie Swift, who is here to change your mind by sharing her approach to selling with soul.
Ellie has left an indelible mark on the world of entrepreneurship and business, being known for her authenticity and ability to seamlessly merge marketing and mindset, a combination we'll be delving into today.
With a solid background in corporate marketing spanning a decade, Ellie made a transition into the entrepreneurial realm almost 7 years ago. Starting with one-on-one coaching, she quickly became fully booked, with a growing waitlist of people wanting to work with her. Recognising the need to scale, she ventured into creating masterminds and refined her approach based on client feedback.
Today, Ellie successfully runs various masterminds and teaches others how to implement her proven model. She emphasises the Swift marketing method, focusing on strategy, marketing and mindset for coaches, creatives, and consultants. Her track record includes helping numerous clients scale their businesses to six, multi-six, and even seven figures. It's a journey rooted in service and support, and Ellie's authenticity shines through in every aspect.
In our conversation, Ellie shares her revolutionary concept of "soulful selling." She debunks the myth that selling is sleazy and in fact, argues that viewing selling in this light is actually the selfish perspective. Reframing selling as a conversation rooted in service, Ellie provokes us to imagine that we hold the solution to our ideal clients’ problem, and by not sharing it, we’re actually doing them a disservice.
By focusing on service with a genuine design to help people, we have the opportunity to make potential clients feel seen, prioritised and valued. This perspective shift can lead to more meaningful interactions and ultimately better outcomes for you and your clients.
Sales isn't a dirty word. By embracing soulful selling, you create a pathway to serving your clients better and opening up opportunities for growth.
We also talk about Ellie’s upcoming workshop “Sold Out Masterminds” on October 26th, where she will share her strategies for consistently selling out her masterminds. So, be sure to click the link below to find out more and register your spot!
Enjoy!
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Tracey: [00:00:00] Hello everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the rise up in business podcast. I'm so happy to be sharing this episode with you today. I am joined by very special guest Ellie Swift today. Ellie is a marketing and mindset coach, and she's somebody who I have the greatest respect for when it comes to entrepreneurship and running a business and when it comes to being such a beautifully authentic human. Ellie is somebody that I've been following since very early in this business journey. And I first came across Ellie via her podcast shine online with Ellie Swift. I love that Ellie's able to merge [00:01:00] marketing and mindset so beautifully and authentically.
And I love watching her business journey. She goes from leap to leap. She's successful. She's authentic. She's grounded. She's all the things that so many of us aspire to be. So I'm really happy to be able to share this episode with you today, particularly because we're talking about something that many business owners find really icky and off putting and that is selling, selling in business, and Ellie has this beautiful way of shocking us out of our thinking around selling and the traditional stereotypes. And she adds a real authenticity to it such that she refers to it as soulful selling and I love that so much. Can't wait to share this with you. I'll come back at the end.
I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed recording this with Ellie. Ellie. Hello. Thank you so much for joining me on the podcast.
Ellie: Thank you for having me. I'm so happy to be here.
Tracey: Oh, this has been a long [00:02:00] time coming. You and I have been talking about this for some time and I'm so happy to have you on today to share you with my listeners. And I just want to take a moment to share full transparency. I have been listening to your podcast since very early in my business journey for this business.
So I've been listening to you before you and I ever even met.
Ellie: I love that. That means that when I first emailed you to ask for your work, you would have had that context. You only just told me this. So I love that that's a thing.
Tracey: That's a thing. It's so much a thing. And the reason, and I want to share this with listeners, the reason that I was so drawn to you and your content earlier on is because I've got to be honest, your authenticity. Absolute standout authenticity and everything you shared and everything you stand for in business.
Can you just share a little bit with listeners about your business, what you do and your journey?
Ellie: Absolutely. Thank you for that. I really, really appreciate [00:03:00] those words. so I am Ellie. I'm a business coach and mastermind mentor. So I've been in business for somewhere between five to seven years at this point, depending on where you take it from exactly, depending on what day of the week it is that I'm speaking.
I'll tell you a different date just purely cause I don't remember. and I started out in business off the back of a 10 year marketing career, corporate marketing career. and I was working one to one. So I transitioned into a one to one business model, did that for the first one and a half to two years of my business, by which point I was very fully booked in my business. I'm talking fully booked with a wait list that was growing by the day, gratefully. And I knew I wanted to scale. I knew I needed to find another way to do things. Didn't exactly know what that looked like. Decided that I wanted to create a mastermind because for me, I love high touch.
I love working with people really deeply in their business because I [00:04:00] truly believe that that's where you get the best results from and with your clients. And so I started a mastermind, which in itself grew very quickly. And then with that and continuing to refine and have conversations with my clients around what they most wanted, I went on to create two more ascending masterminds. So I had a mastermind model that had essentially been built out of having these conversations with my clients.
Now, I've scaled that back slightly these days where I only run the two, but it was really amazing because what I ended up creating, somewhat by accident, but actually if I give myself more credit than that, it was through just being really strategic and working out exactly what my clients wanted. I went on to create this mastermind model of doing business and it's been so incredible and, and something that I love so much.
So I've since gone on to also teach something called the mastermind model. Um, my clients in my masterminds have all different sorts of models from [00:05:00] agencies through to masterminds through to one to one and all sorts. But I specifically also specialise in teaching this particular model. So I teach my clients that as well as, uh, the Swift marketing method, which is the belief that if you're a coach, creative or consultant, and you're building your business, the three things you really need to focus on most are your strategy, your marketing, and your mindset. And I've worked with thousands of clients at this point in different ways supported them to scale to six, multi six, and seven figures, and we're just getting started.
Tracey: Oh my gosh. Your journey is inspiring so much and I love that you focus on the marketing and the mindset and again, the value that you share in your podcast, shine online with Ellie Swift is incredible and it's so beautifully authentic and aligned with my clients, my business journey and so many people that I know that work with you because you send your beautiful clients over to me, and I have the privilege of supporting them. That there's just so much [00:06:00] value in there. And one of the key takeaways for me, which I think is just testament to how you've built your business and your masterminds is the concept of soulful selling and you actually have a podcast episode on this, which is what inspired me to reach out to you to say, Hey, Ellie, I think we should really have this conversation about soulful selling because so many of my clients who are all small business owners say to me, oh, I want to go to that next level selling feels icky.. It just feels awful. I'm not salesy. And I know that you've got some gold to share on this. So can we dive into this subject?
Ellie: Absolutely. So ultimately that viewpoint, and for anyone that's listening that's heard Tracey speak to that and is like, oh, that's totally me. I just want to shock you out of that thinking for a moment. And the way I want to shock you out of that is by telling you that that thinking is actually selfish because that thinking is you focused on [00:07:00] yourself and how you're being perceived and how you're showing up with your client when you're having a conversation with them.
When actually, all that selling really is, is having a conversation with somebody, listening, assessing what it is that is their biggest problem and how you can help them solve it and then going ahead and sharing with them exactly how you can do that. So let's just say Tracey, you and I are at a networking event, having a conversation and you said to me, I'm really looking at scaling my business at the moment. I've got these particular offers and I'm looking at taking things to the next level and I just really don't know what to do next and I just lose sleep over it and it's my biggest challenge in my business right now. Now, I've got two options in that moment.
The first thing I can do is go, that's actually the thing I support my clients with and I go in to share exactly how I could support you, the most helpful, useful, supportive thing I could possibly do. Or I could go, [00:08:00] yeah, seeing you in that. Sorry to hear it and not go ahead and share that in that situation, which one is the option that's actually going to support you most?
And so this concept of being salesy is BS because basically what we're saying is, we're centering ourselves and we're saying, Oh, I can't do that. I'm going to come off in this certain way. But the reason we view it in that way is because we're viewing sales as something bad, which usually comes from our conditioning and our programming that we have around selling.
So I remember watching Matilda when I was a kid and saying like the sleazy car salesman, Danny DeVito, and that classic, you know, stereotypical interpretation of, of the salesperson who was dodgy and sneaky and all of those things that is like comparing apples and oranges, because for anyone that's listening to this, they are a business owner who has committed to building a business truly built [00:09:00] around service, truly built around supporting people to solve their problems.
And so by not selling that you are absolutely doing the biggest disservice to your potential clients. And it is selfish of you. And so we need to stop comparing ourselves to these archaic, outdated models of selling that perhaps we've seen when we were growing up. And maybe we still see in our DMS or we get cold pitched to them, whatever else, because that is a completely different ball game to the type of soulful client centered, client focused selling that you are of course going to be doing and prioritising in your business. And so we really, really need to change.
Tracey: I love that. I love the selfish
Ellie: Yeah.
Tracey: And it does shock you out of it.
Ellie: Mm
Tracey: It's really selfish because then you straight away think, Oh, I'm not, I'm not, no, I'm not selfish.
I'm not a selfish person, and you're saying it's selfish.
Ellie: Because most of the time, that's the thing we as women, you know, so much of our [00:10:00] conditioning is that we think what we're saying is that we're actually being nice or we're actually being considerate or actually being kind, but we're doing the complete and utter opposite. By not selling, we're doing the complete and utter opposite.
We're focusing on ourself. We're focusing on our own behaviour. We're focusing on our own limitations that is not allowing us to progress our business, our service based heart centered business that is doing good in the world, and therefore we're not actually sharing and communicating the thing that we know is going to make the biggest difference.
And so when we flip that mindset, everything changes in sales because we actually view the conversations that we're having as being completely of service to our clients, rather than hiding behind this, oh, I'm being salesy. You know, if you think about the energy of selling again, using the example of, let's just say I, I share something with you in DMs.
So I said to you, You know, we haven't had a conversation like this, but if I reached out to you in DMs, you being somebody who is my friend, somebody we [00:11:00] do business together at this point. And I said to you, Tracey, I've got a mastermind coming up. It's usually sold out. I've got some spaces available. When I think about the type of women I want in my masterminds, I think of women like you.
We've never discussed this before. I have no idea if you want to work together or where you're at in your business journey. But I just wanted to put that in front of you and basically say, like, do you want to have a conversation about this? How would you feel?
Tracey: I would feel privileged.
Ellie: Mm hmm. Yes, why?
Tracey: Because you've thought of me. You've actually taken the time to think of me. That makes me feel privileged, that you've thought of me. I actually feel prioritised, I feel, well, I feel a bit special, and I have a unique opportunity.
Ellie: Bingo. And so this is the other thing, is that when we're having these one to one conversations, when we're reaching out and selling and we're really owning what it is that we have to offer, so often people will say that. And not just, you know, in this season of my business, I know that I've been doing it for a [00:12:00] while.
And so people might be listening and going, or maybe that's true for you, but it's not for me because I'm just starting out, but I can tell you that I have had comments like that at every stage in my business journey, because what you're doing is you're making somebody feel seen, making somebody feel prioritised, and you're witnessing them in, Hey, I'm thinking about you.
I know you've got this challenge. I want to help you. I can see the opportunity here for you. Like that really, really supports people. And if we want to get into human design, which many of my clients love, the majority of us are designed to respond. And so to pop that in front of people and to sell in that way, what we're doing is we're giving people the opportunity to respond.
So again, just a few small examples there of how actually selling is something that is so beneficial to your ideal client when done in the right way.
Tracey: This is amazing. And you've actually taken, and this is what I loved about the episode that you did on your podcast, which is why I wanted to talk about this. You've [00:13:00] actually enhanced or given real meaning to what it means to sell in the context of purpose and service, as opposed to the Denny DeVito car salesman, which is what almost all of us think when we think of sales and very early in my journey, I was very much, Oh gosh, lawyers have such a bad reputation as it is, ambulance chases, only care for the money, charging in six minute increments. And I really, I was really polarised by that. And I had to work through that and think, well, actually, no, I know I'm not that. And I know I've got value to add and I know that I can help people, which is why I started this business, focus on that and let go of the rest.
And then of course it all falls into place and so many people face that exact same challenge and it just feels so icky to say sales. I don't do sales. I don't do sales in my business. I do my marketing and I show up on socials and I want to sign up for all the courses and programs and I work with a coach, but I don't want to do sales. But you've changed the meaning of it. You've given it a new interpretation and you've attached a new [00:14:00] meaning to it.
Ellie: Well, it's so interesting because just then when you were speaking, you know, I think about in my own business and what I want, you know, from a lawyer and obviously, you know, for anyone that's listening, I work with Tracey, recommend her to my clients will continue to, you know, in any situation I want to know my options.
I want to know what it is that or how I can get supported by you. I want to know what value looks like. I want to know, you know, you could do this. You could do that. You could do this. This is the price that it's going to cost because that's helpful to me. And you know, if we think about your ideal clients, like I'm a busy gal, uh, your ideal clients are busy, especially at the point where they need a lawyer if they're not doing it as something that is planning, they might be in a situation that requires support, um, and it's quite stressful or they're very busy in that season or whatever it might be like, you need to know your options.
You want quick, like this is what it looks like. This is what it is. This is how I can help you. This is the value I can add for you. [00:15:00] And so again, if we think about it more as helping and supporting people, we're going to completely change our approach and completely change the way that we view and show up for somebody else, but also completely changed the way we run our business because selling comes into everything.
You know, this mindset is the mindset that's allowed me to go. Okay, I can recognise that I have so many different offers to create for my clients because there's gaps here. It's the thing that allows me to go, this is the messaging that I really need to share with my people. And we know that sales is easier when we're messaging really well at the top of our funnel.
So when we're really, really clear on the type of person that we speak to, the type of messages that they need, it's so much easier for us to sell. And so by having that mindset of service at every stage, it's going to mean that we make more money because we create better offers. You know, the more we serve, the more impact we're having, the more money we get to make.
And so, [00:16:00] again, viewing sales differently means that we're really opening up our selling mindset, our money mindset, and our opportunity across all parts of our business.
Tracey: This makes so much sense and resonates on so many levels. And what I really want to say to this is you lead by example. This is tried and tested. None of this is speculation. You know this. You know it works. You do it. You do it with your offerings and you teach it to the women that you support in your masterminds, which is why you've had some change lately in your mastermind structure and you've got something really exciting coming up.
Can you share a little bit about that with us?
Ellie: Yeah, I'd love to. So, like I mentioned before, I've run masterminds over the last few years, which is incredible and very much been the way that I've been able to scale my business. And so because of that, I went ahead and created a program called the Mastermind Model, which is, if you are somebody who is considering a mastermind for Q4 or in 2024, Or you've got one already, but you're looking [00:17:00] to scale it, this is very much the program that is going to help you do that. In fact, it helps you to create, sell, and deliver your mastermind. But outside of that, I'm running an incredible upcoming free workshop on the 26th of October. So I know this episode's gonna air before then. And that is called Sold Out Masterminds.
So I'm gonna be taking you through the process of how I've sold out every mastermind I've ran for the last four years, so come and learn a little bit more of those in depth sales strategies. If you've enjoyed this episode, then I would say that it's going to be a masterclass that will really serve and support you.
So I know we'll pop it in the show notes, but it's ellieswift.com/soldoutmasterminds.
Tracey: You're amazing, Ellie. Thank you so much for your time coming on today. I really appreciate it. This has been invaluable and I'm so privileged and honored that you've come on to share this with my listeners.
Ellie: Ah, such pleasure. Thanks for having me, Tracey. I've loved being here.
Tracey: Thank you so much for listening. I hope you loved that as much as I did. And I hope that you've now [00:18:00] got a new take on what it means to sell in your business and why it's not salesy, but it's selfish if you hold yourself back because we're doing a service for people by sharing information with them and letting them understand how we can best support them. I love how Ellie has this knack for being able to flip it around and it resonates so deeply with me, and I just know from those who listen to my podcast and the beautiful feedback that I get that this will resonate with you as well.
Please go and check out Ellie on her website. The details are in the show notes and the Sold Out Mastermind that Ellie's running very soon is so valuable for anybody thinking about masterminds in their business. I know that it's valuable. Ellie's a beautiful client of mine, as you know now, and I have insight into how she operates her business. And it's just so beautifully aligned and grounded and I know the value that she brings. As always, thank you so much for listening. I appreciate your time and I'll catch you next week.
[00:19:00]
LINKS:
Ellie's Sold Out Masterminds masterclass
Connect with Ellie:
Website: https://www.ellieswift.com/
Instagram: @elliehswift
Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/shineonsocialellieswift/
Connect with Tracey:
Book a Strategy Session with me here
Get your copy of my Annual Legal Checklist here
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