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How to resurrect old relationships

Posted byIan Brodie on February 26th, 2012.

A couple of years ago I wrote an article called “How to turn old contacts into new clients”.

(You can read it here by the way)

The point of the article is that our old contacts who already know and trust us can be a great source of new business or referrals. But unfortunately, because we've not been in touch for a while, we often don't know how to reconnect. Or we feel too embarrassed.

The article shows a bunch of ways you can reconnect even if you've been out of touch for months or years.

But recently I was asked by a coaching client:

“What happens if you've not seen them for 5 years or more – and you want to ask them a favour?”

That's a fairly extreme case. But not at all uncommon.

I thought about it for a while, but in the end, my answer was simple.

“Be straight with them”.

What I've found is that rather than saying you're calling for a made-up reason, then working the conversation round to asking for the favour – it's far better just to be honest.

If you try to twist or manipulate conversations it's often pretty transparent and your old contact realises you're just contacting them for a favour. Yet you didn't come clean about it.

It's better just to say something like:

“Hi John – long time no speak.

John, this is a bit embarrassing – I know we've not been in touch for ages, but I'd like to ask your advice if it's OK.

I noticed on Linkedin you're connected to Fred Smith. We've just written a benchmarking report on XYZ which I think Fred would benefit from.

If you were me, how would you go about getting a copy to Fred?”

So here's what you're doing.

You're being completely honest – and apologising too.

And rather than asking for a big favour (e.g. “can you introduce me to Fred”) you're asking for John's advice.

That's just a small favour – in keeping with the relationship you have with him.

(It's also pretty flattering to be asked for your advice too).

You're not putting John on the spot and asking him for a recommendation or an introduction. So he can give you his advice without feeling pressured.

And most of the time, if he knows Fred well enough, he'll offer to make an introduction anyway.

If he can't, he'll suggest something else you could do.

But the key is you've been straight with him. And you haven't asked for too much.

Are there any old contacts you could be reconnecting with?

I'm betting the answer is yes. And I'm betting if you did reconnect it could lead to new opportunities.

Take a look at the article and see some of the ways you can reconnect without embarrassment.

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The pre-selling secret

Posted byIan Brodie on February 5th, 2012.

I can do it. In fact, I got quite good at it through practice and some excellent mentors.

But I never enjoyed it.

What I've discovered over the last few years though has made selling for me much easier.

In fact whenever I've taken on 1-1 clients recently the “sales process” has consisted largely of me asking them a few questions to understand what they'd like to achieve so I can be confident I can actually help, then simply describing how we could work together.

No real selling involved.

After that they've asked how much and what my bank details were so they could send over the fee.

I used to think the role of marketing was to get you a meeting with potential clients.

But recently I've realised that one of the real secrets of marketing is to “pre-sell”. To ensure that the first time you meet with a potential client (or speak on the phone) they're already very close to buying.

For me, that means the materials on my website, and perhaps on my social media profiles and feeds have to “prove” to potential clients that I know what I'm doing, that I have lots of ideas and experience that will help them to get more clients. And that I can work with people like them – that they'll get on with me.

For you, that might happen through presentations you give, or even a book you've written rather than online stuff. But there will be something you can do.

And if you can pre-sell your services it puts you at a huge advantage against competitors who don't.

These days by the time a potential client calls you their mind is largely made up based on what they've seen so far.

If you can be the one that stands out and inspires confidence before you've ever met them then you'll be in pole position once they make those calls.

If you're lucky, you'll be the only call they make.

Yet most marketing is simply aimed at connecting. At getting that first meeting. Rather than setting up that meeting for success.

So take a look at your website. Your online profile. Anything clients see or get from you before you actually meet.

If you were a potential client, would it inspire you? Would it give you confidence that this was a great person to help you? Someone who would really understand your issues? Someone with the skills and track record to help? Someone you could work with?

Because if you don't pre-sell your clients, someone else will.

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Marketing to a new generation of clients

Posted byIan Brodie on January 29th, 2012.

Last week I talked about three huge forces changing the way our clients buy consulting, coaching and other professional services:

1. They're busier than ever before – meaning they just don't have the time for networking or speculative meetings to get to know new potential suppliers.
2. They're resistant and resentful of being “sold to”.
3. And they've got more choice avaiable to them than ever before.

More choice, less time to use it in, and an aversion to being sold to.

Does that make these people “unmarketable”?

Far from it.

It just means they (or in truth, I should say “we” as these are characteristics many of us share as buyers too) need to be marketed to in a different way.

Business guru Jay Abraham has a saying which I think is even more true today that when he first said it:

“People are silently begging to be led”.

He doesn't mean that in a derogatory sense. But in the sense that for many major buying decisions, there's simply more information available than most of us will ever have the time to go through to fully evaluate that decision.

Sure, next time I want to buy a TV I could spend a weekend locked away reading up all the data, or maybe even going out and testing a a big bunch of them myself.

But it makes far more sense for me to listen to the opinion of experts who've already done that legwork and who are more familiar with the market than I am.

In many, many fields, if I can find an expert I trust, and who shares or knows my preferences, then I'm more than happy to take their advice.

If you want to market to me (and thousands like me) – become visbile in your field as an expert and share that expertise willingly.

Give me a reason to trust you and to follow you.

Give value to me before I ever work with you.

Then I'll come knocking on your door for help when I need it.

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Sell more by selling less

Posted byIan Brodie on January 8th, 2012.

Something for you to ponder this morning…

“People buy based on emotion”.

You've probably heard that before.

Like me, your experience probably tells you it's true too.

But what can you actually do about it? How can you harness emotion to help you market and sell your services better and get more clients?

Let me ask you this:

When was the last time you were moved to tears by a powerpoint presentation?

Or inspired by a list of benefits or a business case?

Yeah – pretty much never.

But what has moved you, harnessed your emotions recently?

How about a film, a book or a play?

That's much more likely.

The difference? Films, books and plays are about stories. Stories with real human characters we can empathise with. Heroes we can cheer. Villains we can boo. Plucky orphans we can root for and unsuspecting victims we can be frightened for.

It turns out that the ability to empathise is hardwired into our brains. Thanks to something called “mirror neurons”, when we see a big nasty spider crawling up someone's arm our own flesh creeps, for example.

But we don't have to see things in real life to empathise. We can read or hear stories and it can evoke deep emotions and visceral reactions.

And that's the secret of how to help your clients “buy on emotion”.

Instead of pounding them with facts and figures to illustrate your point, tell them a story. Preferably with one of your previous clients cast as the hero.

Tell them how (with your help implied, of course) they overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles to win the day. How they saved their company from ruin. Or found that great new career that allowed them to lead a fulfilling life. Or clawed back that tax overpayment despite the tax man's best efforts to thwart them.

When I was with Gemini Consulting in the 90s we differentiated ourselves from typical “vendors” in sales meetings by sharing stories of client successes rather than boasting about features and benefits or our USP. And it powered our growth for many years.

You can do it too. Think back to some of your client successes and the challenges you helped them overcome. Think of the ones similar to the challenges your future clients are likely to face and construct a handful of little stories.

You can then use them face-to-face in sales meetings – or in your marketing.

They'll have a powerful effect, I promise you. Less selling, but more sales.

(Of course, you've got to use powerful techniques like these ethically. With great power comes great responsibility, as Ben Parker told young Peter).

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The surprising secret of building trust

Posted byIan Brodie on December 25th, 2011.

A while ago I interviewed my old friend Charlie Green for a podcast.

You may well know Charlie as the author of Trust Based Selling, the co-author with David Maister and Rob Galford of The Trusted Advisor and with Andrea Howe of the Trusted Advisor Fieldbook.

So it's pretty fair to say Charlie's a bit of an authority on building trust.

One question I asked him was “if you were starting at ground zero with a potential client – what's the best way to build trust?”

I was really surprised by his answer.

Before reading on – have a little think about how you would answer that question.

I was expecting an answer about relationship building or “soft skills” somehow.

But Charlie's answer was “have a point of view”.

His point was that the best way to earn trust quickly is to add value.

Don't waste your client's time.

If you don't have anything to say, no point of view that might give them new insights or challenge their way of thinking, if you just nod and agree with what they say: what's the point of you being there?

Of course, Charlie added that you must get across that point of view respectfully. Suggest ideas. Tell them about what you've found with other clients and that might likely be an issue for them.

Don't bash them over the head with your stunning insights or come across as Mr Arrogant.

What struck me was that this approach involves risk. What if you're wrong? What if the client disagrees?

But as Charlie said: without risk there is no trust. You have to put yourself on the line to earn trust. You have to risk failure. Playing it safe doesn't earn you anything.

Definitely food for thought.

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Always have something to give

Posted byIan Brodie on November 13th, 2011.

Last week's Sunday email about the pain and discomfort of selling really struck a chord. Many thanks to everyone who emailed me saying how that was exactly the way they felt, and how much the tips had helped them.

Here's something to think about in similar vein.

How can we make referring us less painful?

As we saw last week, the thought of directly promoting ourselves fills a lot of us with horror. Yet often, when we ask for referrals, that's exactly what we're asking other people to do on our behalf.

Now some people love to recommend others they know or have had great service from.

But to many, recommending other people's services to their friends, colleagues and clients brings up the same uncomfortable feelings of being pushy and salesy that we talked about last week.

If you ask them for a referral they'll politely agree and say they'll think about it. But they rarely actually do refer you. It all feels too painful and risky to them.

So how can we take away that risk and pain?

I've found the best way is to go back to good old “Value in Advance”.

Create something for them to “give away” to people instead of “referring” you.

This could be an invitation to a useful seminar you're running. It could be a voucher for a free copy of a book you've just had published.

It could be an email suggesting to people they check out a free video you've got up on your website where you show them how to tackle a particularly tricky problem.

It could be a free report – either in online PDF or printed format.

They still go through the same process of introducing you to a potential client as a traditional referral. But instead of feeling salesy, they get to feel good because they're giving something useful, something of value to their friends, colleagues and clients.

Do you think they're more likely to do something that makes them feel good than something that makes them feel salesy?

You bet.

And all it takes is for you to create that little thing of value they can give away.

Get working on it!

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“The Whole Damn Lot”

Posted byIan Brodie on November 6th, 2011.

A while ago I spoke at an annual convention for independent consultants on the topic of “Pain-Free Selling”.

At these sort of talks I usually ask the audience what they most hate about selling or marketing.

The usual answers are things like “feeling pushy”, “cold contacts”, “not being respected” or “closing”.

First out of the gate this time though was:

“The Whole Damn Lot”

Apart from being rather amusing, this is actually a pretty common feeling: a huge aversion to all things salesy.

If you feel like that – either a lot or a little – then here are a couple of tips that might help you.

Get Your Mindset Right

When most people go into sales meetings or make calls, their primary goal is to sell. To emerge from the meeting with a client.

That's not the best mindset for a professional to have.

It can often backfire. Your potential client will pick up that your goal is to sell them and their trust in you will drop.

When you recommend something a little voice at the back of their head will be asking “is he recommending this because he thinks it's best for us – or because he wants to sell us something?”

The best mindset for a professional is to enter the meeting with the goal of seeing if there is genuinely a good fit and whether it's right for you to work together.

In other words: make “no” an OK option.

Once you do this, you take off the pressure. Your potential client will trust what you say more.

You also seem less needy.

Paradoxically, by making “no” an OK option – you get more “yeses”.

Follow a Formula

Once you've got your mindset right, you can help overcome your nerves and discomfort by following a simple formula for your meeting.

Forget you're in a sales meeting for a moment. Act as if you're an independent advisor helping the client come to the right decision about what to do.

What sort of questions would you ask them?

You'd probably start off by asking questions to diagnose their problem, or figure out their goals or aspirations.

Then you'd probably discuss the impact of the problem or the gap between the goal and the current situation to see if it was worth addressing.

Then you'd look at what the action plan should be to address the issue – maybe talking about some of the potential barriers too.

You're going to do the same thing in this sales meeting.

You're just going to add one last question (one borrowed from best selling author Michael Port as it happens).

When you've discussed with the client and they've agreed what the action plan should be, you simply close by asking them:

“Would you like some help with that?”

Now this is not a world class sales technique. There's lots you could do to better it.

But it's simple. It doesn't feel uncomfrotable or pushy. It's something pretty much anyone can do.

And the results are not at all bad.

Chances are if you've asked smart questions and built trust and empathy through the discussion, then they'll say yes.

All without being pushy, manipulative or “salesy”.

Try it.

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Why Batman is better than Superman

Posted byIan Brodie on October 23rd, 2011.

Superman was the first big comic book hero. Still the one most people think of.

But amongst hardcore comic-book fans, Batman's far more popular.

When I checked the stats on Wikipedia recently, Batman's  page was the 520th most visited page. Superman's was the 1907th.

Why does Batman seem to connect with more people than Superman?

He's human.

He's flawed, he's got character.

Superman is too perfect. He's invulnerable, super strong, can travel so fast he can warp time.

He's a bit of a goody two-shoes too. Batman has an edge.

So why is it that when most of us present ourselves to the public, we try to be Superman rather than Batman?

We cover up our flaws. Hide behind corporate-speak. Talk about “we” on our websites when there's only the one of us (yup, I've done that).

We try to be perfect – when what our clients want is someone believable to connect with. Warts and all.

Don't be afraid of who you are. Don't be afraid to show your human side. To admit your flaws.

It makes you more believable. Someone your clients can connect with.

You're you.

And you're great.

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Value in Advance

Posted byIan Brodie on October 9th, 2011.

We finished on a bit of a cliffhanger last week :)

I talked about how allowing clients to sample what you do in advance can reduce their risk – and so increase their chances of buying.

It also works to identify the highest potential clients too. Someone who makes the commitment to test you out in advance is much more likely to become a client that someone who doesn't.

So you can focus your follow-up marketing on them.

Value in Advance

There are lots of ways of doing this “Value in Advance” strategy.

The traditional approach for many consultants and coaches is the good old “free initial consultation”.

Unfortunately, because this is 1-1, it doesn't leverage your time well.

Yes, it goes “deep” and can do a lot to demonstrate your credibility and build a relationship.

But if you offer this to people “cold” as your first interaction with them, you run the risk of doing a lot of free sessions with people who aren't ideal clients or simply can't afford your services.

And in fact, many potential clients don't see this free initial consultation as the high-value session that you do. If they don't know much about you they're just as likely to worry it'll be a waste of their time or worse: you'll try to hard sell them for an hour.

My advice is to reserve your free sessions for more qualified prospects who you already know are ideally suited to be clients and have been pre-qualified in some way.

A better method is to run seminars or do presentations to small to medium sized groups. This gives you more leverage while still being able to make a strong impression on multiple people.

But, of course, it still relies on your time and physical presence.

Lead Magnets

Personally, my favourite strategy is the use of a “lead magnet”.

A lead magnet is a short report, audio CD, video, ready-reckoner, anything that helps your clients with an initial problem in an area they may later hire you in.

It's something that demonstrates your expertise and begins to build your relationship with them.

And it doesn't require you to invest your time every time a potential cllient requests one.

They can download reports, or you can get CDs easily copied and distributed for a few dollars or pounds.

Although you're not giving as much “Value in Advance” as you would be with a 1-1 session, in some ways it's a better first step for many potential clients – not quite so scary as a meeting.

And, of course, it's much more scaleable. You can reach hundreds or thousands of people without buring up all your time.

You can use lead magnets in all sorts of situations.

The obvious method is on your website as an inducement to sign up to your regular communications.

But you can also use them at networking events, for example. Instead of talking about what you do – let people sample it by giving them an audio CD of you being interviewed on a topic that would be useful to them.

All it requires is a little creative thought and any marketing method – from cold calling to doing presentations to advertising – can be enhanced by using a lead magnet.

What Do You Use?

Now, I bet this isn't the first time you've heard the lead magnet concept or something similar.

Yet few consultants and coaches use it to anywhere near it's potential.

if you're not already using a lead magnet, think about what you could produce quickly to use as one. You probably already have loads of materials you use as part of your client work that you could tweak and turn into a lead magnet.

If you already have a lead magnet – think about how you could use it more. Maybe different formats (turn a report into a video, for example). Maybe use it more ways.

But make sure you're using one.

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Justin Bieber’s marketing secrets

Posted byIan Brodie on September 25th, 2011.

OK, OK, I realise Justin Bieber's not everyone's musical cup of tea – but there's a lot we can learn from how he's risen to fame.

Now I'm not talking about the marketing machine surrounding him today. I'm talking about how he started out.

He recorded videos of himself performing and posted them on youtube. He built a fan base by giving his “target clients” a sample of what he could do. Eventually his manager spotted him and it took off from there.

It's what Amazon do too with the Kindle. Rather than making you buy a book sight unseen, you get to download a couple of free chapters first to see if you like it.

All the best selling iPhone apps do the same. The free version of Angry Birds has been downloaded over 2 billion times – triggering hundreds of millions of dollars of sales for the business.

But it's not just an internet age phenomenon. Retail stores like Costco have been giving free samples of their food away for decades to shoppers as they browse the store.

Using free samples works partly because of reciprocation – you got something for free so you feel obliged to give something back.

But it mainly works because it reduces risk. You get to experience what you're considering buying to see if it's any good – whether it works for you.

In the world of consulting and coaching there are far too many “best kept secrets”. Far too many brilliant coaches or genius consultants who scrabble around for work.

And one of the key reasons is that no one knows how good they are.

They don't allow people to sample their work before they buy. They don't want to “give away the store”.

But from a client's perspective, it means that hiring them is a big risk. They don't know exactly what they'll be getting. And they don't look any different to all the other coaches and consultants who say they're great too.

So how do you “do a Bieber”? How do you allow your potential fans to sample what you do before they buy?

You've got a week to think it over!

In next Sunday's email I'll be sharing some successful and less successful models for how consultants and coaches can do this.