Wait to Offer a SolutionWritten by Kendall Summerhawk
Picture this: you are mid-way through a conversation with a prospective client when you hear, "So tell me how you work?" You tell yourself, 'Perfect! Now is my opportunity to tell them what I do and how I can help them', and off you go, launched into an energetic, enthusiastic description of your service. The only problem is, no one is listening to your eloquent monologue. Let's rewind this movie and play it again, only this time, we've made a few choice edits:You are mid-way through a conversation with a prospective client when you hear, "So tell me how you work?" You tell yourself, 'Hmmm. I haven't heard enough yet about what symptoms they are experiencing. If I launch into a pitch now, I'll lose their attention', so you answer: "The way I work is by first gaining an in-depth understanding of what a client's situation is, then I create a solution-focused action plan to put resources they need at their finger tips. May I ask you a few more questions to find out more about your situation?"
| | How Do You Get People to Listen to YouWritten by Kendall Summerhawk
Have you noticed people pretending to listen? They nod their head and murmur, "a-huh" but truth is they are not paying much attention to what you are saying! I recommend being very careful about describing what it is you do too soon or in too much detail. Why? Because: It's Not About You, It's About Them. When you make 'it about them', you are only talking for a sentence or two, and then asking another question. My rule of thumb is this: you are either ASKING a question or SUMMARIZING what person just said. Being asked to describe what you do on a first meeting is a trap! Do not fall into it. The person asking you may seem like they really want to know more. But their curiosity will quickly be extinguished if you talk for more than two sentences! If you want to talk a bit about what you do, ask permission first. Simply ask, "May I spend a minute describing how my service works?" You are likely to receive not only a yes answer but person's full attention. Permission always builds trust, rapport and respect.
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