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The Estherpreneur is a weekly chat about doing business and life God’s way. Join your host, Edna Harding as she offers biblical strategies and practical applications to improve your mind, business, spirit, relationships, and finances. Listen along as she talks with guests on how to thrive in all areas of life. Edna is a Wife, Mother, Growth Strategist, Author, Minister, Certified Maxwell Business Consultant and Executive Coach, an accredited Master Mindset Coach, and Speaker whose message of hope, truth, and wisdom reaches people all around the world. FavorandWealth.com Estherpreneur.com
Edna Harding [00:00:03]:
Welcome to Estherpreneur, a podcast for entrepreneurs and leaders doing business and life God's way. Each week we discuss biblical and practical tips to improve your mind, business, spirit, relationships, and finances. Listen along as I speak with special guests on how to thrive in all aspects of life. Hi, I'm Edna. Like many of you, I wear many hats. I'm a military wife, mother, author, certified John Maxwell business and executive coach, trainer, and founder of Favor and Wealth, where we help the good guys win. So tune in as we bring on the light. Well, hello everyone.
Edna Harding [00:00:47]:
Thank you for tuning in for another episode of the Ask Edna podcast. My name is Edna Harding, and in this podcast, this is a podcast where we talk about all things business and life God's way. And so excited that you guys are tuning in today. So these next few weeks, we are gonna do a series on just business strategies. Obviously, um, the last few weeks has been a lot about, um, obviously it's always going to be spiritual, but I feel like where we're going, we need some acceleration in our business. And so God wants to use me to help take you there. And so over these— I don't know exactly how long, how many weeks We're going to talk a lot of biblical business strategies, and I'm going to take examples I had from my past life and how I apply it to my business. And so today's episode, we're going to talk about what waitressing at Zippy's taught me about closing high-trust sales.
Edna Harding [00:01:48]:
Okay, what waitressing at Zippy's— and you, if you don't know what Zippy's is, I'll tell you in a little bit. But for those of you guys who are new here, I just want to welcome you. Thank you for taking the chance on listening to this podcast. And for all of my regulars, thank you, thank you, thank you for your support. Please share, like, comment— I don't even know if that's even possible— um, rate. That's the word. It's like, what am I looking for? Rate the podcast. I know God is, um, wanting to bless more people with ways and how to grow their business that comes from the Bible.
Edna Harding [00:02:25]:
And so definitely, definitely, definitely, if you're interested in like prophetic mixed with structure mixed with strategy mixed with clarity mixed with like family relationships, a little bit of everything, I just flow with the Holy Spirit. And that is like my ultimate goal, is this is not my show, this his show. And so I just want you to know, like, what you're getting yourself into. So today, again, um, we are going to talk about something different from previous episodes. Previous episodes have been primarily more focused on spiritual growth, and obviously there's some business growth component to it. However, today and the next— I don't know exactly how many episodes— we're going to be focusing on business strategies, business growth strategies. And for today's episode, I'm gonna talk about lessons I learned while waitressing at Zippy's restaurant. For those of you guys who don't know, Zippy's, Z-I-P-P-Y-S, is like a common restaurant.
Edna Harding [00:03:32]:
It's like a local's favorite in Hawaii. So I am from Hawaii, and what I love about what this episode is, it's not— it has nothing— the lot— the I'm going to take you back to a season in my life that had nothing to do with consulting, right? Nothing to do with funnels, nothing to do with LinkedIn, nothing to do with client onboarding. But I learned so much about sales while I was serving at Zippy's. So if you're not from Hawaii, let me explain. Zippy's is not fancy, okay? It's the name Zippy's. I honestly don't know why they call it Zippy's. I wonder if it's because it's fast. It's like a fancier fast food, even though it's not really fast food.
Edna Harding [00:04:16]:
Well, I guess they— I don't know, it's hard to explain. If you've been to Zippy's, you know, okay? It's local, it's very fast-paced, but there are a lot of real people in there, real hunger, lots of impatience, but there's also a lot of gratitude, right? And that's why it's trained me. It's, you know, I love— what I love about it, it was so real. And, and that's what, you know, I think one of the biggest lessons I've learned is sales isn't about sounding smart, okay? Because a lot of people think that sales has everything to do with what you say next, or, you know, how you, how you convince them to buy, or, um, handling objections and things of that sort, okay? That is not what sales is, okay? And I'm hoping that this episode is going to help you sell better so that you could increase your revenue for the kingdom of God. Amen. All right, so sales actually is about serving people while staying anchored in who you are. Okay, sales is about serving people while staying anchored in who you are. What I mean by that is the worst thing you could do in sales, and this is not part of my notes, this is just from knowing this and I've been around so many salespeople and trained so many salespeople, is you cannot sound like someone, your neighbor, you cannot sound sound like your boss.
Edna Harding [00:05:41]:
You cannot sound like people who you see on TV. You have to sound like you. Okay, and if once people feel like you're sounding like ChatGPT or sounding fake or inauthentic, that's when people are not even going to pay attention to you because they're automatically going to what? Mute you because you're not being your authentic self. And this is something that a lot of entrepreneurs struggle with, okay? They show up when they show up to other people or potential clients or potential vendors or prospects in their like choreographed, very professional self. Like, have you ever met people when you move there? Hi, how are you? Like, you know, that's not how they talk in real life, you know. Like a very exaggerated yes. I remember I had one conversation with a lady at a networking event, and it just sounded like, like, you know how when somebody's like, hi, how are you? And then I was like, I'm doing good, how are you? And it's like, I'm doing good, how are you? And they would just repeat it. It's just like, I just told you how I was.
Edna Harding [00:06:51]:
So you could tell they were not really into that conversation, right? So I know I'm going everywhere here, but first and foremost, be you, be yourself, okay? Because one of the things that— one of the things— well, actually, I'm not going to go there. Let's just go on to my— I'm going to stick to my notes here. The 5 lessons I'm going to share— yes, I'm going to share 5 lessons from Zippy's that helped me get prepared for the roles that I'm in right now and the roles that I've been in the past, because I learned how to build relationships I learned how to carry pressure. I learned how to create trust quickly. And most importantly, I've learned how to close deals without manipulation. And that all came from Zippy's. So we're going to connect all of that to scripture as well. Don't worry, I got you, my friends, because obviously we're not building businesses the world's way.
Edna Harding [00:07:49]:
We're building them God's way. So if you guys are ready, let's go ahead and hop into it. The first lessons I want you to know is the people who win at sales are not the loudest. They're actually the most aware. And when I worked at Zippy's, the first thing I learned was this exactly thing, because customers don't always tell you what they need. Sometimes they don't even know what they need, right? So they'll say one thing, but their face will say another, right? So they ask for the menu. But what they really want is reassurance that you're competent enough to guide them. They'll snap at you, but what they really are— what they're really— is like caring or is bugging them is the stress, the grief, the pressure, the hunger, exhaustion.
Edna Harding [00:08:39]:
They could just be having a really horrible day, right? I can't tell you how many times I've had instances where customers will just vent and there's a long line and people are like, okay, stop talking. And me, I don't want to be like rude, and I'm actually present for them. Okay, so like, you don't— thank you, Holy Spirit— you cannot— like, let's say you have an irate customer, and this is like in real— I'm talking about Zippy's now, waitressing. Okay, well, just so let me kind of back up. So at Zippy's, I worked all positions. I was a waitress, I was a counter clerk, I was in the bakery. At some point I cooked in the back. Um, but, um, what do you call those people that Is, uh, I forgot what you call it, but kind of like the lead that packs the food.
Edna Harding [00:09:24]:
Packer. Is that the packer? I think that's what it's called. It's been so long. I was 15 years old. I'm in my 40s now. That's a long time ago. Um, so anyway, yes, I started working when I was 15 back then. And here's the funny part of this, a side note.
Edna Harding [00:09:37]:
Did you know that the minimum wage in Hawaii at that time was like $7.50 an hour? That's all. That was really high. Okay. Anyway, there would be people that were just having a bad day and they would just talk all day with me. Not, you know, not all day, but, and there'll be a long line in the back, right behind this person, but they just feel comfortable. And, you know, I know some people around me would be like, okay, hurry up, stop talking. But I'm like, I'm being present for this client. And I think When I say client, but customer, when that really taught me a lot about being present for that person.
Edna Harding [00:10:19]:
And eventually that person would come back to me and wait in line for me because they don't want to go to the other teller, not the teller. I'm, gosh, I'm getting confused, guys. The cashier. I was a bank teller before, so sorry guys, I'm getting the position, positions mixed up. But because I built that relationship, because I took that time and let this person vent to me and I was like a listening ear, they just kept coming back to my side. Does that make sense? So, and it's because I realize that they're, they're, they're stressed or they're, they're, I, I sense their grief. I pay attention. So what Zippy taught me, Zippy's taught me was how to watch people.
Edna Harding [00:11:00]:
Not in a creepy way, right? But I'm paying attention because I want you to have a good experience. Okay. This is what most entrepreneurs miss. Okay. They ask surface level questions, but they don't listen for the real answer. But in Proverbs chapter 20, verse 5 says, the purpose in a man's heart is like a deep water, but a man of understanding would draw it out. So that's sales. It's not convincing, it's not performing, but it's drawing out what the real problem is, which means if you want more yeses, you need more insight.
Edna Harding [00:11:40]:
Let me say that one more time. If you want more yeses, you need more insight, and insight means You need to have awareness because a lot of business owners don't just have a lead problem, they actually have an observation problem. Okay? They're not paying attention to what's actually happening in the room. So like a case in point, I had a meeting with an existing client and I, you know, like we took, you know, we put the strategy away and we're just talking back and forth. And I should have, and I think maybe I should have been more vocal, but I noticed that, you know, he was a bit stressed and he was overwhelmed. And with, like, whenever we would meet and because he hadn't done anything and was behind. And I remember I would say something like, oh, do you want me to do it for you? Like, I can do it. It's like, oh, I don't want to waste your time in doing this.
Edna Harding [00:12:38]:
But I was saying those things because I pay attention that because of the, his bandwidth, there wasn't enough time to execute it. But I offered it, and they know this. I offered to do it outside of my normal description or my normal deliverables because I paid attention. I pay attention to what's actually happening in the room. And this is what I want you guys to take away from this particular lesson, is when you meet with a potential client or a prospect, read in between the lines and look like— I don't know how to explain it— like EQ. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Emotional intelligence. You have to discern like what the real problem is.
Edna Harding [00:13:21]:
So like, I remember example— let me give you another example. So me and my boss at this time— at that— at this time I was selling IT solutions. Um, we did IT solutions and staffing. And so we were meeting— I forgot the name of the company, but it's a really high-end high-profile IT company, like software development company. And, um, he was like the CIO of some sort. And we were in the meeting, we walk in, both my boss and I walks in, um, and the guy, I think his name is Fadi, I think he's like Fadi Kadhafi or something. I'm sorry, I'm trying to remember. I think his name was Fadi.
Edna Harding [00:14:03]:
I'm pretty sure it was Fadi. Anyway, it was so random. That was like a long, long time ago. Anyway, back to what I was saying. We walk in and this guy sits down and a big tall guy, muscular guy comes in with glasses. He's like, he said something like, okay, you have 5 minutes, go. Like something like that. And then my boss was so flustered and like, oh, but she was just like, I think she was so confused and everything.
Edna Harding [00:14:34]:
And I just remember I was just like, Okay, so you obviously met us. You wanted us to come here for a reason. I know you're busy, so why are we here? That was my response. And my boss kind of looked at me like, why did she say this? This young lady is going to get us losing, you know, lose this thing. And he started kind of like smirking. And then he told me, he told us what he was looking for. But that's what I mean is you have to be able to read your customer, right? And you have to like think smart, like you don't get flustered. You have to like, okay, behind this, behind this stress and this, this ulterior release that he's doing, what, what is his problem? And what I found out is that apparently they have kind of like, I think they called it a unicorn position, like, so he's looking for someone that has like, it's very niche, like a squirrel, not unicorn, a squirrel type of position where it's a very unique position and no one can find them, find this person for them.
Edna Harding [00:15:35]:
Um, and so forth. And that's what the issue was. He has gone through so many, um, recruiting firms and they can't find someone. And so we took on that challenge. Now, I don't remember if we did or not. I think we did. I just, it took a little, maybe like 2 months, I believe, but I don't know. Don't quote me on that, but I think we did find someone.
Edna Harding [00:15:53]:
But the point is I read in between the lines and I asked the right questions and that builds rapport. All right. All right. I wasn't supposed to take that long. Lesson 1. But let's go to Lesson 2. Okay. So at Zippy's, you couldn't survive by being reactive.
Edna Harding [00:16:11]:
Okay. Because by the time the customer asked for what they need, they're already annoyed that they had to ask. So let me just paint a picture. I know this is so plain. This is so elementary, but I want you to hear me. You learned how to anticipate. So for example, you fill the drinks before it's empty, you bring the napkins before they ask, right? You clear plates before the table feels crowded. And when I look back during that experience, that skill actually became a sales advantage later in my career.
Edna Harding [00:16:47]:
Um, because high-level clients don't want someone who waits for instructions, they want someone who sees around the corners and wants someone who can say, hey, here's what's about to break if we don't fix it now. Hey, here's the bottleneck that's coming next month. Hey, here's what your team won't tell you, but you need to know. This is what strategic partners do. And Jesus modeled this perfectly. In fact, in John 13, Jesus washed the disciples' feet, right? They didn't request it. He didn't ask permission. He anticipated the need and served with humility, right? So that's what kingdom leadership is, right? If— and I'm gonna say something really strong, and it might ruffle some feathers, but I don't care at this point.
Edna Harding [00:17:35]:
I'm behind this screen and the, the, your AirPods. So, um, if you only serve people at the level they request, you will always be replaceable. Did you hear me? If you only serve people at the level they request, you will always be replaceable. All right. But when you serve people at the level they didn't know they needed, hear me, you become unforgettable. I just gave you guys a wealth nugget. Okay, sorry, I'm fixing my chair here. Did you guys get what I just said? If you only serve people at the level they request, you're going to be replaceable.
Edna Harding [00:18:27]:
But when you serve people at the level they didn't know they needed, you become unforgettable, right? Like, people— I can tell you, my clients would say, past clients, they would say, man, I miss you, Edna. I miss you so much. Like, I miss our talks. I miss this. I miss that. Like, that, that is the outcome of serving them beyond what they request. That's not sales fluff. That's what I call it influence.
Edna Harding [00:19:00]:
So here's the question I'm going to ask you, and I want you to apply it to your business. What does your client need next? Before they even know they need it? Are you coming up with ideas? This is huge, my friends. If you can anticipate what's coming next, this is going to differentiate you from all the sales reps who are only focusing on now, or other entrepreneurs focusing on now. All right, let's look at lesson number 3. Is this helping? I think this is so cool. This is so good, right? Okay. Now let's do lesson number 3. Okay, customers can be rude.
Edna Harding [00:19:43]:
Anybody else dealt with customers that are rude? Thank God my— actually, I take it back. I had a recent client that was so rude. I mean, so rude. She called me evil. I remember that. I laugh right now because I'm like, what is— what is wrong? I was so caught off guard. I cried. I was like, wait, what happened? I'm so confused.
Edna Harding [00:20:04]:
Okay. Anyway, I'm not going to talk bad about that person, but yeah, of course I didn't say anything back. I was like, uh, I think you're mistaken. Anyway, customers can be rude. They can be impatient. They can be demanding. But one thing I learned at Zippy's is this, okay? If you take everything personally, you will burn out. You will, you will.
Edna Harding [00:20:35]:
I didn't take it personal because I understood that she was frustrated because she wasn't able to— she thought it was going to be a quick, like a quick hit, like, like, okay, now you're in my program, I'm going to give you a lead, right? Um, and that's it. And I said, no, I'm not going to give you a lead. First of all, my lead isn't ready yet. And second of all, you're not ready for this customer. Right? Because she didn't have systems in place. She didn't even have her first offer. Like, it was just, I'm like, I am not, this is my name on the line. And I, and regardless if you're a friend or someone I know, I would never recommend a client or anybody to anyone knowing that the other person can't serve them at the capacity with a high level standard.
Edna Harding [00:21:22]:
Not to say she wasn't talented. She was definitely talented, but it wasn't systemized, right? Like, it's all about onboarding, client experience, all that stuff, right? There's no, there's no, um, it was, I don't know, I don't want to talk really detailed because you're going to figure out who it is if you, if you are listening. But I just want to, I want you to know, like, it wasn't because I was trying to be mean. It was because I'm looking out for the flock. I'm looking out for her and my other person, right? My client. Does that make sense? So my point is, a lot of entrepreneurs and a lot of entrepreneurs are tired, not because business is hard, but because they're emotionally bleeding from every interaction. So if you take everything personally, the good, the bad, and the ugly, you're going to have a very difficult time. And because you wear— especially for me, I'm such an emotional person that I wear my emotions on my sleeves.
Edna Harding [00:22:21]:
So when someone says something, that are hurtful, even though I know it's not true, it still hurts because I'm like, well, why are you being so mean? You know, that's what I'm thinking, right? Um, but what I learned is empathy. Let's talk about empathy. This is what they taught— empathy taught me. Some people aren't attacking you, they're revealing what they're carrying. You know, in Romans 12:15, it says, rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. And coming to find out, it's about that person So I spoke to a mutual group that we're part of, and come to find out, this person has been working on this business for quite a long time, and they've been struggling with it. And so then I realized, okay, um, there— and I had no idea that they knew each other, right, at all, until like they put two and two together. And I was like, wait a minute, what? I was like, what? So anyway, long story short, I learned I didn't take it the hard way because I realized she's just having a very difficult time this season.
Edna Harding [00:23:27]:
And for someone to say, give the real picture and be like, not paint the, the sugar, the paint the cloud blue, but say, hey, this is reality check. We have a lot to do before that even happens. Let's focus on your intro offer first and then your high ticket offer. It wasn't saying— I wasn't saying that she couldn't have the high ticket offer. What I'm saying is, let's get your first customer first. Because she hasn't even had one customer yet, like, for her business, for that specific business. Does that make sense? So I, I believe in the principle, when you're faithful with little, you'll be faithful with much. And that's why I wasn't holding back, trying to be mean.
Edna Harding [00:24:05]:
In fact, I wanted to be able to give, but I just didn't feel it in my spirit, in my peace, about giving something like giving a car to someone who's not ready yet. Does that make sense? To drive. Okay, so because talent is different— talent, thank you, Holy Spirit— talent is separate from character. And I mean, just the reaction of this person towards me over someone that's literally trying to help her, that right there was like— I was just shocked. I was like, whoa. It was just like— I was like, there's some anger in there. I don't know what happened to you in the past, but there's a lot of anger there. But the whole point is, again, they heard her.
Edna Harding [00:24:48]:
She was talented, she was gifted. I truly believe that God anointed her for to do the work, but there was some character— there was some, some healing that needed to take place in that heart. Because in the scripture says, you will prosper just as your soul prospers. Anyway, my— I'm saying all this to say, because of me having empathy over her situation, finding out a little bit more by way of the Spirit— not on purpose, but it just happens so happened that we had, we had people that mutually know the same person, I realized that, okay, she's just having a hard time, which helped me kind of move on a lot quicker, like me not hold any resentment towards this person. Okay, so that's what I call spiritual strength. And in business, empathy is not soft. Okay, empathy is actually discernment. And that's what I always ask God every single day, and you probably should too.
Edna Harding [00:25:43]:
Is discernment, so that you can tell whether a client needs more clarity or a client who needs more confidence, right? Or distinguishing between a client who needs systems versus a client who needs safety. Do you hear me what I'm saying? Or maybe a client who needs strategy and a client who needs healing. Like, having discernment between what they're saying, what they're showing versus what they're actually feeling is huge in business. This is why the Holy Spirit is our biggest advantage, because he tells us things that we do not know. He gives us words of knowledge, he gives us prophetic insight onto that person, to that client. And so yeah, maybe you're here to talk about business, but maybe God wants to use you to speak to unforgiveness or bitterness or something that is blocking them right, versus just the money aspect, right, visiting the, like, basically, um, the business aspect, the transaction. Maybe it's more relationship-based, maybe it's more spiritual-based. Like, we don't know, but you have to be flexible.
Edna Harding [00:26:53]:
And that's what I love about being a spirit-led entrepreneur is, yes, business is kind of like— I look at it as like we're undercover agents in the marketplace and our businesses are cover, but really we are what? Kingdom ambassadors. Representing God's love, representing God's mercy and grace. Does that make sense? Okay, so remember that people need healing. People do. And I think, you know, especially in this season, but with— I mean, there's just so much people. I think there's a lot of people who are confused or hurt. They don't know what to believe because there's so much fake. I mean, even with AI, like, I can't tell you how many times I fell for those ads They have all these testimonials about certain products and I keep buying them.
Edna Harding [00:27:39]:
Um, but I say this to all, say is they're looking for real authentic solutions. And sometimes, you know, if you think— I think Holy Spirit— you, if you think you're only hired for your service, you could miss the fact that many clients are also hiring your spirit. So sometimes, like, for example, maybe I'm not the most talented person in the bunch, but I have the heart of the Father, and they're like, wow, I want to be near that, right? I want to be near someone who sees me as God sees me. Do you see what I'm saying? They could be hiring you for steadiness. They could— there could be hiring your ability to stay anchored when things are chaotic, right? So I want to, I want to, I want to encourage you, my friend, you can be the best expert in the room and still lose the deal. And the reason why I'm saying this is it's not your gifting, it's not your talent that's gonna make room for you. It's your spirit, it's your heart, it's your soul. Because if you fail people, if you fail, if you fail people, yeah, if you fail people, if you, if you fail to make people feel understood, they're going to walk away.
Edna Harding [00:29:04]:
And I have to say this, it's okay for people to walk away because not everyone is your cup of tea, if that makes sense. You don't have to work with everyone. You're called to a certain group of people, but you could be assigned to this person, but because you're so focused on sounding right, being right, being the best, being credible, and, and not really seeing the person and serving them well and telling them the truth in love and not understanding them and not making them feel like they're seen and they're just a number, you're gonna lose them. Does that make sense? So think, when you speak to clients, speak from the heart posture of the father towards them. Does that make sense? All right, lesson number 4. Okay, at Zippy's, if the order was wrong, the customer didn't care about your intentions. They cared about the result. Okay, so you can't say, oh, I'm sorry, I'm— I like, for example, if you put like chili and chicken, this chili and chicken and mac and cheese.
Edna Harding [00:30:14]:
Mac and cheese, sorry, macaroni salad, and they didn't want macaroni salad. Maybe they wanted tossed salad, and you put macaroni salad— I'm sorry, whatever I just said— tossed salad instead of mac— oh, sorry, mac salad. I forgot what I said. Whatever I said originally that it's supposed to be, and you didn't put that. Very nice. Well, thank you that your heart's intention is to put that, but it's actually not. No, they want the real thing. They want the result.
Edna Harding [00:30:39]:
Okay. So I learned really quickly, be clear, be accurate, be honest, and enter on, yeah, blah, blah. And in entrepreneurship, that matters more than ever, right? And I remember I was honest. I had a client conversation recently. I'm just speaking about this person because I just had a meeting yesterday, especially in my mind. Um, when he was telling me what he was looking for, and I was like, hey, listen, I know you want it to be cost effective, but if I outsource it to my team to do it, not me doing it, I don't know about the quality of it. I have to, I have to do a lot of heavy lifting and that's not going to be as— if I don't do heavy lifting and I, you know, shortchange it, you're not going to get the results you want. But I'd rather be clear and I'd rather be honest and accurate about the expectations about the deliverable versus pretending promising them, how I always say, under-promise and over-deliver versus over-deliver, over-promise and under-deliver, right? And that's what people do is a lot of people, sales reps, entrepreneurs, CEOs, whatever, you know, they exaggerate, they manipulate, they try to sound bigger than they are.
Edna Harding [00:31:51]:
They, they wine and dine you. They entertain you. They give you fancy gifts, right? And mind you, I've been there, done that. This is what they teach you in sales, right? It's to butter them up, buttercup, right? In Proverbs 12:22, it says, lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are his delight. So I want you guys to listen closely, my friends. Truth builds businesses that last, because when you tell the truth, you don't have to manage lies. And then when you tell the truth, you don't have to perform. You don't have to fear exposure.
Edna Harding [00:32:25]:
In today's world, exposure is not rare. It's regular. People are exposed always. Like, they're so fake, they're not real, and so far, which is why, by the way, my friends, I cover— like, I can't tell you how many times, like, I've learned so much because I've been burned so many times in corporate, whether if it's people trying to talk bad about— I cover my— they call it cover your— that word, but you know what I mean, cover your behind, right? Always leave paper trail. That's something I learned in my corporate days, right? I have— I save all my emails, I save all my responses. This is why for me specifically, all my contracts, all my deliverables, every time we have a meeting, I have a summary over it and it's very detailed because I don't want— and it's timestamped— I don't want people to question my integrity of what I said. So even that same customer that was calling me all these things, I had like data galore and emails and chats and video recordings of what was actually said versus what she said I said, right? And I'm covering myself because that's what happens, right? If you're always telling the truth, if you're not hiding anything, like you don't have to like fear exposure because they have nothing to expose because you have been what? Walking in integrity. Do you hear what I'm saying, my friends? Like, I want to encourage you, don't be afraid to walk away from clients.
Edna Harding [00:33:57]:
If it's not the right fit for you, then say, I'm sorry, this isn't the right fit for me, and trust that God will provide you another client. That takes strength, because a desperate entrepreneur will always say yes to everything. But someone who's called, someone who knows who they are, someone who sees themselves as the solution that God created for these type of people. They only say yes to what God has aligned with their calling. All right, and the last lesson— I'm sorry guys if this is taking forever— um, is Zippy's wasn't glamorous, okay? But I learned how to work with excellence in a place that didn't reward me for it. I brought so much excellence. I mean, I— when I was cleaning that bathroom, I cleaned that bathroom, you know what I'm saying? When I was emptying the trash, I emptied the trash. I put things in order, even the ketchup, refilling everything.
Edna Harding [00:35:00]:
Like, I worked as if I was working for the Lord and not for man. Because excellence isn't something you do when people are watching. It's actually something you do because of who you serve. And when you remember that, and I, in fact, I said this with my client yesterday, again, I'm talking about the same client. You know, I was like, I, I'm gonna, I'm just gonna do a little test and see what happens. And if the result is not good, then I'm just gonna tell you. I was like, I, I know in front of you I'm really nice and kind, but I have very high standards for my team. And if they don't deliver, I, you know, I'm, I'm very, I have, because my name is on the line, right? But when, when, when you do that, like it sets that standard, right? It sets a standard.
Edna Harding [00:35:45]:
Everyone knows everyone, like I'm really nice, I'm sweet, I'm kind. But when I feel like I'm taking advantage, when we're not delivering, I tell people what my pet peeves are. I tell them exactly what the expectations are and I give them warnings, right? But if it's happening multiple times, I have to be like, hey, listen, this is not working out. Remember, when you're building a business, you're not just building income, right? You're building a witness. You're building trust, you're building reputation, you're building stewardship. And what happens is when your standard doesn't change depending on your mood, that's when excellence is really like brought to par, right? Like, let me say this the way I really mean it. So let's, for example, if your clients can feel your inconsistency, your business will always feel unstable. Okay, but if your clients can feel your honor, they will stay loyal even when the market shifts, right? So I have my diehard clients and I have people who are not my diehard clients, and that's okay.
Edna Harding [00:36:46]:
I want to find my tribe who appreciates me and sees my consistency, the good, bad, and ugly, regardless if things are great and things are down, right? Like, are you consistent? Okay, and, and And that's what excellence does, is you're not after, you know, just quick money or attention, right? You're after trust. You're after something that's impactful and lasting and eternal. Okay, these are the difference between the clients who buy once versus the clients who refers forever and stays forever because they love working with you. Now here's the part I want to leave you with, and I pray that this really speaks to you. Zippy's taught me something most entrepreneurs never learn. You guys ready for this? Okay, the sale is not the reward. The sale is not the reward, my friend. The relationship is the reward.
Edna Harding [00:37:53]:
Because if God can trust you with people, he can trust you with provision. But if you treat people like transactions, don't be surprised when your business stays stuck in the almost stage. So ask yourself, are you building something God can breathe on and point and refer people to you because he could trust you? Or are you only building something that works when you force it, not because God's favor is upon it, right? There is a difference. All right, so let me give you guys some 5 action steps for this week. Number 1, I want you to observe before you advise. In every conversation, listen for what's not being said. Number 2, anticipate one need per client. Okay, send something valuable before they ask.
Edna Harding [00:38:51]:
Number 3, lead with empathy, not ego. Say, help me understand what's been hardest about this, right? Number 4, practice honest sales. If it's not aligned, say no. Okay, and number 5, serve with excellence when it's convenient. That's where your character gets trained. All right, so if this episode challenged you, good, because this is what creates mature, Spirit-led sons and daughters of God. Remember, truth creates that, comfort doesn't. So thank you guys for listening to the Esther Perera Podcast.
Edna Harding [00:39:33]:
If you want to go deeper into selling with integrity, building relationships that multiply, and doing business God's way, make sure you connect with me on LinkedIn. Um, I have— I post regularly at least 4 or 5 times a week on there. Um, that is probably the only platform that I'm active on outside of my podcast. I also have an app, um, Edna Harding. Um, just go to ednaharding.com. You could download my app. I have a free community for this podcast if you want to ask me questions or, or send suggestions or even prayer requests. Send suggestions on, um, what you want me to talk about next time.
Edna Harding [00:40:10]:
All right. Thank you guys for tuning in again, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Blessings. Have a good one. Bye-bye. Thanks for joining us this week on Estrepreneur. Make sure to visit our website, favorandwealth.com, for more information on our services. While you're at it, if you found value in this show, we'd appreciate a rating on iTunes or if you simply tell a friend about the show, that would help me out too.
Edna Harding [00:40:40]:
Also check out my book, The Ugly Side of Sales, available on Amazon, where I share 7 of my secrets on how to win and grow business the right way. Until next time, keep shining.