This post is part of our Weekly Tips series.
He says, “So tell me what you’re looking for. Give me the big picture.”
Do you know why I hate this so much?
There are at least four reasons:
No doubt Sales Guy needed more information from us to facilitate an effective meeting. No doubt Sales Guy also wanted to hear his actual buyers speak, not their rep. Totally legit. Here’s how he could have started down that path:
“Jane briefed me at a high level, which was very helpful, thank you. I’ve also looked at your website and I’m starting to get a good feel for your business. What you’re looking for, as I understand it, is ABC, with a particular emphasis on DEF, and both PDQ and XYZ as important factors. Am I in the ballpark?”
See the difference? With my suggested words, he shows he’s done some homework and that he’s been paying attention. He takes the risk of getting it wrong. And then he gets us talking to confirm, and amend if necessary. In short, he’s doing the heavy lifting.
I ranted about this approximately 60 tips ago. I’m ranting again because it’s such a simple yet important lesson for anyone, not just Sales Guys: If you want to be influential, pay close attention to how you’re starting your conversations, whether it’s your first with a new client or your 100th with a long-standing one.
Don’t risk losing your clients at “hello.”
This week, pay close attention to how you begin your client conversations: sales calls, weekly status checks, exploratory conversations, and more. Find specific ways to you prove you’ve been listening.
Read more about true customer focus, from our friends at Trusted Advisor Associates, or refresh on the four trust principles in Chapter 4 of The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook.