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Don't Talk, Just Listen: What Your Incredible Factor IS Saying to Your Ideal Clients
Sounds weird, I know the thought that I, a business coach, would tell you NOT to talk about what your business offers to your prospects, right. Well, that’s not entirely what I’m saying. What I am saying is that many of your service based businesses are suffering because you’re saying way too much and it appears disingenuous. I mean they (your IDEAL prospects) are looking at you like you’ve got three heads because you aren’t listening to what they need. Instead, you’re going on and on about what you do and how you do it and who you’ve done it for. ENOUGH. Stop. Do not pass go; do not collect $200. Instead sit down and let me tell you how to have an effective interaction with a prospective client.
1. Smile, shake their hand firmly. DO NOT hand them your business card. Instead, tell them your name and what you do in one sentence and turn the conversation back to them.
2. Ask them what the biggest challenge they are facing right now in their life or business? This distinction depends on if what you offer affects life OR business. Or, direct the question to the area in which you work. Clearly if you are a business coach and they have a business, you’d pose the question specifically to what you do so that the chance that you are the solution to their problem actually enters into the conversation. If you are an event planner, you might ask, “When you think about planning an event for personal or business needs, what is your biggest challenge in getting it all done?” Note: The problem they have may not be one you can solve but you may know someone that can help them. If you can’t solve it, don’t try to act like you can for the sake of gaining a new client – STAY in YOUR LANE!
3. Listen to their challenge and ask subsequent questions to determine what if anything they have been able to do to alleviate the challenge?
4. Ask them what do you want to experience instead? Listen, they are speaking from their head right now. Paying close attention will cue you on what it means to them on a deeper level before you ask the next question.
5. What would it mean if you were able to resolve this challenge, how would that change your life or business?
6. As you listen, offer verbal and physical cues that you are paying attention. Remember, people will forget what you said and did but they will never forget how you made them feel – Dr. Maya Angelou. You may need to pull them into a quiet corner at the event.
7. Reassure them if you are the solution to their problem. Let them know that you can assist them and you’d love to set up an opportunity to learn more about them in the near future. NOW HAND THEN YOUR BUSINESS CARD; get theirs and set up a date and time, preferably in the next 48 hours to talk at least to schedule your meeting or consultation.
When you follow the suggestions I lay out for you, your Incredible Factor is saying that you care; that you recognize the problems and pain points of people and you have created effective solutions to help them resolve their problems. Your Incredible Factor will be credited with such thoughts and feelings as considerate, compassionate, interested, concerned, and exceptional – especially if you pretended as if no one else was in the room as you talked. If you follow up and through after such a powerful interaction at that meeting or networking event, and you’ve got irresistible offers available for them to choose to work with you, you will welcome a new client. Remember a good business owner is a problem solver for their ideal clients. By listening and asking poignant directed questions, you can assure your prospect that you are the ONLY solution to their problem.
In the event that you do not do as I suggest, your Incredible Factor won’t be so Incredible. In fact, you will appear arrogant and unconcerned about others. Remember the famous Zig Ziglar quote, “help enough people get what they want and you will get what you want.”
Trust me, it’s worth it to just listen, that could be the difference between welcoming a new client or going back to the drawing board.
©2010 by Darnyelle A. Jervey. All Rights Reserved. Darnyelle A. Jervey, The Incredible Factor Business Mentor and Coach, is the founder of Incredible One Enterprises, LLC and the Leverage Your Incredible Factor System ® a proven step by step program for turning your passion into profit. For more information and a FREE audio CD "How to Use Your Incredible Factor to Attract MORE Ideal Clients" visit http://www.incredibleoneenterprises.com.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
4th Quarter Comeback - Darnyelle A. Jervey - Author, Speaker, Coach
4th Quarter Comeback: How to Position Your Incredible Factor to Play BIG
It's the first week of the final quarter of the year and many of you are panicking. You're panicking because you've been playing small all year and now that it's time to pay the piper, you're trying to figure out how to make this thing [your business] work. Let me clarify what I mean by playing small: playing small occurs when you are not enacting your divine purpose and serving others in a big way. I have a few other examples of playing small indicated below:
1.You set a goal to grow your business this year by 25% in new clients, yet you've not learned or implemented any new marketing strategies to attract new clients. 2.You knew that in order to go to the next level in your business you needed a coach, yet you've convinced yourself that you could encourage, motivate and offer accountability to yourself.
3.You know that you have a big message that the world needs and opportunities keep presenting themselves and you are still sitting still because they're not showing up the way you thought they would.
4.You keep making excuses instead of plans in any facet of your business development.
As you can see and feel, playing small is a place of comfort and if you want your Incredible Factor to play big, you must get uncomfortable. There are still almost 3 full months left in this year and there are still tons of strategies that you could implement to grow your business by 25% this year if you get up, get out and take action. Here are tips to help you make the most of your fourth quarter:
1.Review your goals. Take a close look at what you planned to do this year. Determine which goals, if any, need to be reconfigured and make a non-negotiable decision to recommit to working hard and taking calculated, consistent action over the next 85 days.
2.Breakdown the big goal into smaller pieces so that they feel doable. As an example, if you still need to gain 20 new clients this year and you've already gotten 5, that leaves 15 with 13 weeks left in this year, that equates roughly to 1 new client each week, and if you on average talk to 3 prospects to get one client, begin to schedule five prospect calls/meetings each week so that you can boost your results.
3.Go back through the list of people who've expressed interest in working with you. Pick up the phone and follow up, one more time. Prepare to remind them of the problem you solve and illustrate why working with you is exactly what THEY need to begin 2011 in the perfect position.
4.Plan, Plan, Plan - complete a weekly marketing plan on Monday, 1st thing when you enter your office each week. AND plan each work day in advance. Before you close the door and turn off the light, take 15 minutes to plan the following day so that you don't have to "hit the ground running" the next morning. Doing so will restore your confidence in achieving your goals and create a plan of implementation so that you can do what must be done to hit your 4th quarter comeback goals.
5.Shift your circle of influence. Other the next 85 days, commit to spending time with people who are where you want to be. No Incredible SNATCHERS, No weeds, only fertilizer. Your seed must be surrounded by light to grow so find some light - hire a coach; invest in a mentor. Turn off the television during the work day and give your business the same respect you once gave your job. When you commit to give yourself what you gave your boss, you will start to comeback!
6.Affirm your business goals. I recommend you write your revised 4th quarter comeback goals in positive, present tense on index cards and at the start of each day, review them before you begin your work for the day. 7.Take action - do what must be done each day so that you can wake up on January 1 ecstatic that you accomplished your 2010 goals and are ready to exceed them in the new year.
Your year long setback has set you up for a BIG comeback if you take action now!
www.iamreadytoplaybig.com
Want to reprint this article? You may by ensuring that you include the following at the conclusion of the article:
©2010 by Darnyelle A. Jervey. All Rights Reserved. Darnyelle A. Jervey, The Incredible Factor Business Mentor and Coach, is the founder of Incredible One Enterprises, LLC and the Leverage Your Incredible Factor System ® a proven step by step program for turning your passion into profit. For more information and a FREE audio CD "How to Use Your Incredible Factor to Attract MORE Ideal Clients" visit http://www.incredibleoneenterprises.com.
It's the first week of the final quarter of the year and many of you are panicking. You're panicking because you've been playing small all year and now that it's time to pay the piper, you're trying to figure out how to make this thing [your business] work. Let me clarify what I mean by playing small: playing small occurs when you are not enacting your divine purpose and serving others in a big way. I have a few other examples of playing small indicated below:
1.You set a goal to grow your business this year by 25% in new clients, yet you've not learned or implemented any new marketing strategies to attract new clients. 2.You knew that in order to go to the next level in your business you needed a coach, yet you've convinced yourself that you could encourage, motivate and offer accountability to yourself.
3.You know that you have a big message that the world needs and opportunities keep presenting themselves and you are still sitting still because they're not showing up the way you thought they would.
4.You keep making excuses instead of plans in any facet of your business development.
As you can see and feel, playing small is a place of comfort and if you want your Incredible Factor to play big, you must get uncomfortable. There are still almost 3 full months left in this year and there are still tons of strategies that you could implement to grow your business by 25% this year if you get up, get out and take action. Here are tips to help you make the most of your fourth quarter:
1.Review your goals. Take a close look at what you planned to do this year. Determine which goals, if any, need to be reconfigured and make a non-negotiable decision to recommit to working hard and taking calculated, consistent action over the next 85 days.
2.Breakdown the big goal into smaller pieces so that they feel doable. As an example, if you still need to gain 20 new clients this year and you've already gotten 5, that leaves 15 with 13 weeks left in this year, that equates roughly to 1 new client each week, and if you on average talk to 3 prospects to get one client, begin to schedule five prospect calls/meetings each week so that you can boost your results.
3.Go back through the list of people who've expressed interest in working with you. Pick up the phone and follow up, one more time. Prepare to remind them of the problem you solve and illustrate why working with you is exactly what THEY need to begin 2011 in the perfect position.
4.Plan, Plan, Plan - complete a weekly marketing plan on Monday, 1st thing when you enter your office each week. AND plan each work day in advance. Before you close the door and turn off the light, take 15 minutes to plan the following day so that you don't have to "hit the ground running" the next morning. Doing so will restore your confidence in achieving your goals and create a plan of implementation so that you can do what must be done to hit your 4th quarter comeback goals.
5.Shift your circle of influence. Other the next 85 days, commit to spending time with people who are where you want to be. No Incredible SNATCHERS, No weeds, only fertilizer. Your seed must be surrounded by light to grow so find some light - hire a coach; invest in a mentor. Turn off the television during the work day and give your business the same respect you once gave your job. When you commit to give yourself what you gave your boss, you will start to comeback!
6.Affirm your business goals. I recommend you write your revised 4th quarter comeback goals in positive, present tense on index cards and at the start of each day, review them before you begin your work for the day. 7.Take action - do what must be done each day so that you can wake up on January 1 ecstatic that you accomplished your 2010 goals and are ready to exceed them in the new year.
Your year long setback has set you up for a BIG comeback if you take action now!
www.iamreadytoplaybig.com
Want to reprint this article? You may by ensuring that you include the following at the conclusion of the article:
©2010 by Darnyelle A. Jervey. All Rights Reserved. Darnyelle A. Jervey, The Incredible Factor Business Mentor and Coach, is the founder of Incredible One Enterprises, LLC and the Leverage Your Incredible Factor System ® a proven step by step program for turning your passion into profit. For more information and a FREE audio CD "How to Use Your Incredible Factor to Attract MORE Ideal Clients" visit http://www.incredibleoneenterprises.com.
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