Article 4 in a 4-Part Series
I’m often asked why the T.E.A. before T.E.A.M. sales approach works so well for passionate professionals over other sales methods.
The short answer is it lets us…
- Earn more with less stress
- Be our authentic selves
- Enjoy our businesses more
The T.E.A. (Time, Energy, and Attention) before T.E.A.M. approach stands out as more ethical than other methods for six reasons.
Particularly within the context of personalized & confidential business services that prioritize deep, transformative client relationships.
This T.E.A. approach aligns with high moral and ethical standards, ensuring practices are centered around genuine care, respect, and value for the individual needs and circumstances of each client before monies are exchanged.
Here’s Why T.E.A. First Is Considered More Ethical:
1. A Clear Client-Centered Focus
By investing time, energy, and attention (T.E.A.) into understanding and connecting with clients before formalizing a business relationship, professionals place the well-being and needs of the client at the forefront of their practice.
This contrasts with a traditional sales-first approach, where the primary goal may be the transaction rather than the suitability and benefit of the service to the client. (Read more about what I have to say about this outdated traditional goal here).
The T.E.A. approach ensures that genuine understanding and a commitment to serving the client’s best interests are the foundations of any client relationship.
2. Using Consent to Cover The Difficult Details And Objections
This method allows clients to make fully informed decisions about entering into a service relationship.
Through the detailed exploration of a client’s needs and goals (the Time aspect of T.E.A.), professionals can provide clear, tailored information about their services, including potential outcomes and limitations.
This transparency is a cornerstone of ethical practices, ensuring clients understand what they are agreeing to while also comprehending the value your services bring to their unique situation.
Objections are no longer something to avoid or get through: they are a valued part of the process to determine client alignment without pressure.
3. Respect for Autonomy and Accepting a “No”
By prioritizing T.E.A., professionals respect their client’s autonomy. They acknowledge the client’s right to make decisions about their lives and the services they choose to engage with.
This approach fosters an environment where clients feel heard, seen, and valued as partners in the process rather than being seen merely as customers or cases.
This respect for individual autonomy is fundamental to Ethical Sales.
4. Non-Exploitative Relationships
The heart-centered and emotionally authentic nature of the T.E.A. approach inherently guards against exploitative practices. By valuing the unique needs and boundaries of each client, professionals ensure that the relationship remains supportive, beneficial, and free from manipulation.
This is particularly important in industries with a significant power differential between the provider and the service recipient, such as in legal, therapeutic, or personal consulting fields.
5. Adaptability and Personal Growth
The emphasis on T.E.A. encourages both professionals and clients to engage in continuous learning and adaptation outside of sales conversations and fulfillment.
This approach meets the immediate needs of clients while also supporting their longer-term personal growth and empowerment.
Ethically, this fosters a dynamic where services contribute positively to the client’s life beyond the immediate scope of the business interaction: in social media, podcasts, articles, and more.
6. Building Trust Through Integrity
Finally, by investing in T.E.A. before forming a T.E.A.M., professionals demonstrate a commitment to honesty, integrity, and trust.
These values are essential for ethical practice, particularly in personalized service businesses where the depth and quality of the relationship significantly impact the client’s experience and outcomes.
From the Client’s point of view:
- The T.E.A. before T.E.A.M. approach is ethically aligned because it prioritizes the clients' well-being, autonomy, and best interests above all else.
- It allows clients to say “no” and feel good about it, eliminating ghosting and miscommunications.
- It embodies a holistic, respectful, and transparent way of engaging, where clients know they have been heard… before monies are exchanged.
- Ensures that the fulfillment services provided are effective and delivered with the highest ethical standards.
From the Practitioner’s point of view:
- When done correctly, T.E.A. establishes a “trust relationship” from the very first encounter. (See below for why the T.E.A. Approach lets you BEND TIME.)
- It lets you quickly discover if you’re speaking with an ideal client without manipulation, pressure, or confrontation.
- It allows you to say “No, thank you,” to a less-than-ideal client respectfully without confrontation or embarrassment for anyone.
- It creates a natural rhythm and flow in every sales conversation.
Time Bending and The T.E.A. Approach
Big Ah-Ha:
The T.E.A. Approach can let you bend time in your favor.
What most practitioners don’t realize is that you can enter a sales conversation with a complete stranger… and already know them in a very intimate way.
In Article 2 of this series, we talked about “Time” being the Foundation of Understanding.
Investing time in understanding your potential clients goes beyond basic market research.
It involves deep dives into their needs, pain points, aspirations, and challenges.
This level of understanding can only be achieved through meaningful conversations with active listening or asking questions with a genuine interest in the potential clients’ situation.
The biggest mistake we make as practitioners is to assume that the best way to learn about our potential clients is through long one-on-one discussions.
That’s actually not true!
Instead of spending hours nervously trying to learn about your client’s needs, pain points, aspirations, and challenges… in a one-on-one conversation you can use the Time-Bending Questionnaire Method Marla developed for her personal practice.
Marla uses this method to:
- Ethically determine if she is speaking with an ideal client before the conversation even begins.
- Easily open the conversation based on their unique questionnaire responses instead of following a script or standardized form.
- Sense if the potential client is not a good fit in advance and redirect the conversation, compressing time from an hour call to 10-15 minutes that leaves the person feeling valued and heard.
This is the breakthrough that led Marla from working for $95 an hour to earning $25,000 monthly from her ideal clients.
You can also use the Time-Bending Questionnaire Method! Your potential clients will reveal all the essential preliminary information you’ll need to determine if they are an ideal client for you… or not.
This lets you generously help everyone without sacrificing your own Time, Energy or Attention.
You’ll be surprised how quickly you can build a Trust Relationship with a potential client who otherwise would have felt like a stranger. This method will save you time while building your confidence.
Love this information? Read the other articles in this 4-part series:
Marla Mattenson in collaboration with ESI team
With a 25+ year career, Mattenson is a trailblazer in transforming sales paradigms from transactional to relational for professionals who prioritize the integrity & fulfillment of their services. She is a champion of consent-based sales.
www.instagram.com/marla.mattenson
