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Charlie Green on Building Trust in Marketing and Business Development

Posted by

Ian Brodie on February 8th, 2012.

Author and expert on Trust in Business, Charlie Green, reveals the best ways for professionals to build trust to turn potential clients into paying clients.

Charles H Green needs no introduction (but I'll give him one anyway).

As author of Trust Based Selling, and co-author of the absolute classic, The Trusted Advisor and the recently published follow-up The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook, Charlie's built a name as THE expert when it comes to trust in business relationships.

I caught up with him on skype recently to ask him about how professionals can build trust in their relationships. In particular, in their marketing and business development when they're “courting” a potential client.

Listen in, and you'll hear some of the most powerful, yet simple advice you'll ever hear on building strong trust-based relationships.

If you're new to Charlie's work – or just want a reminder of all his great material, head over to his website:

The Trusted Advisor

And take a look at the recently released Trusted Advisor Fieldbook. It's got a teensy weensy contribution from me (but don't let that put you off – it's an excellent book!)

And click here for my step by step approach to becoming a trusted advisor.

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More Clients Memorandum

The pre-selling secret

Posted by

Ian 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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More Clients Memorandum

Marketing to a new generation of clients

Posted by

Ian 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:

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.
They're resistant and resentful of being “sold to”.
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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Marketing

Content Marketing Case Study: How Dave Gorman Discovered a Brilliant Technique for Coming Up With Interesting Ideas

Posted by

Ian Brodie on January 24th, 2012.

Like many other people, my primary marketing strategy is to produce valuable content to showcase my expertise and build relationships with potential clients long before we ever meet.

And whether it's blog posts, longer articles, podcasts or videos – the core challenge for anyone following such a content strategy is coming up with interesting stuff to “write about”.

In fact, the number one reason I hear from people who want to get into blogging or content marketing but have struggled to do so is that they just can't imagine producing enough interesting material. Or they've tried and then run out of steam.

Well, let me introduce you to Dave Gorman.

Dave's a comedian based here in the UK. He started his career fairly gently by writing for established acts, and his first show at the Edinburgh Fringe “Reasons to be Cheerful” was based on an analysis of whether the items mentioned in the Ian Dury song “Reasons to be Cheerful #3” actually were reasons to be cheerful.

So far, all pretty standard.

But then Gorman hit on a brilliant idea which would propel him towards 4 bestselling books, sellout live shows and his own TV series.

And it's one we can all use ourselves.

The simple idea was that instead of trying to think of interesting things to write about for his act, he would do interesting things – and then write about those.

It turns out that people are far more interested in the weird or exciting things you've done that in the weird or exciting things you've just thought about.

So Gorman's 1999 Fringe show was called “Dave Gorman's Better World” and was created by him writing thousands of anonymous letters to local newspapers asking for suggestions from the public on how to create a better world – and testing them out to see if they worked.

His next wheeze was triggered by spotting that an assistant manager at small Scottish football team East Fife had the same name as him. So he drove 450 miles to meet him and photograph the event. He then set about meeting another 53 Dave Gormans across the world (one for every card in a pack of cards plus the jokers apparently). He chronicled his adventures meeting these Dave Gormans in the book and TV show “Are You Dave Gorman?”.

Next, he resolved to live his life according to a literal interpretation of his horoscope each day. Turned out pretty well when he bet everything he had on rank outsider Ian Woosnam (who he shared a birthday with) winning the Dubai Classic golf tournament (which, of course, he travelled to see) and won.

After that, he started his “Googlewhack Adventure” when he became obsessed by finding google search phrases with only one result – and then travelling the world to find the person behind that single result. The result for him was another bestselling book and TV show.

More recently, he travelled America avoiding all corporate outlets and using only family owned hotels, restaurants and petrol (gas) stations. “America Unchained” was again a bestseller.

Then he challenged the public to take him on at any game of their choice – from poker to darts to Khett to Cluedo to Kubb. And of course, he travelled to play them and chronicled his adventures in yet another besteller.

So how can we harness this approach for ourselves?

The key is that people are more interested in what you've done than what you think.

What I mean by that is that it's great to have new ideas, theories about your field, predictions for the future.

But what really gets people hooked is hearing about practical experiences.

You can cull those from your own personal experience. Or you can interview others or create case studies.

Or you can do what Dave Gorman did: go out and do something interesting.

You recommend a particular approach to leadership, for example? Use it yourself. Get your clients to use it and record the outcomes. Video interview them afterwards. Get them to chronicle their experiences.

You show people how to get more traffic to their website? Create a live case study from scratch. Build a website, put some content on it, follow your traffic strategies and record the results.

In my case, I test out the marketing strategies I recommend myself. A lot of what you see on my blog is a result of my own experiments (particularly with online marketing) to see what works and what doesn't.

You can do the same.

You want inspiration? Need something interesting to write about?

Then do something interesting.

———-

For a whole bunch more sources of inspiration for blog posts, emails and other content, check out my articles on 21 Sources of Inspiration for Blog Posts and Emails.

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Strategy

The Twin Track Strategy For Startup Professional Firms

Posted by

Ian Brodie on January 21st, 2012.

One of the stories I hear the most often from struggling solo professionals or small firms is that they did well for a couple of years after starting up and then just kind of plateaued.

Usually what's happened is that work came in easily in the early days. Ex clients and colleagues heard they were now out on their own and sent work their way. They did a good job and got repeat business and a few referrals.

But eventually, they ran out of steam. The close circle of people who knew them well enough to feel confident sending work to them ran dry or was hit by recession, retirement or other factors.

Sometimes the steam runs out after 12 months. Sometimes after 18 months. Sometimes it can be as long as 2 or 3 years.

But eventually it will run out, unless you start actively marketing yourself and widening your network.

Clients buy for meany reasons. With clients who know you well, who like you, and who trust you and your capabilities, you don't have to do much active marketing or selling to them.

But this can trap you into complacency.

You see, the potential clients who don't know you so well – the ones outside your close circle – they see a different picture.

They don't have that history with you. That experience that tells them you're a safe pair of hands. So they look for external indicators that you'd be a good choice to work with them.

Are you a recognised leader in your field? If they google your name do they see lots of articles where you share your expertise? Are you presenting on your topic frequently? Can they find lots of testimonials saying what a great job you did? Does your website inspire them that you know the area they need help in like the back of your hand?

For most professionals who've been getting all their work from existing relationships and referrals, the answer is usually no.

Many of them are incredibly talented – but they've never had to showcase that talent to the world before. The clients who hired them already knew they were good.

And it takes time to build your reputation. To build your website and fill it with content. To build a portfolio of testimonials, published articles and successful speaking engagements.

So you need to start on this early.

When you first start up the majority of your business is likely to come from people who already know you. Ex clients and referrals. You need to focus and actively work these channels.

But you also need to adopt a parallel strategy of building your authority in your field. Writing, blogging, speaking. These are the things that will bring clients to you in the future and prove your capabilities for people who don't already know you.

In know this from my own personal experience. I went through the exact same pattern with the business from ex clients and colleagues largely drying up after a year or so.

But thankfully (and I have to admit, somewhat luckily as I'd done it out of interest rather than as a deliberate strategy) I'd been writing and blogging for over 12 months by the time that happened and was beginning to bring in leads via my website.

If you're just starting your own business make sure you do something similar. Don't rely on people who already know how great you are to keep you in business forever. You need to start working on building your authority and market position from day 1.

———-
Image by the real kam75

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More Clients Memorandum

Sell more by selling less

Posted by

Ian 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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Strategy

“How I Escaped My Certain Fate” – A Comedian’s Lesson In Niche Marketing

Posted by

Ian Brodie on January 2nd, 2012.

Over the holidays I've been reading comedian Stewart Lee's How I Escaped My Certain Fate which chronicles his rise, fall and rise again in the world of stand up comedy.

As well as being a pretty funny book, it contains a huge marketing lesson for all of us.

Lee was part of double act Lee and Herring who had a relatively successful show on the BBC for a couple of years (relatively successful in the sense that it was my favourite programme and lasted a couple of series). Despite that, when he returned to the stand-up circuit he struggled.

In essence, his nonchalant delivery, choice of material and complex routines meant that he didn't have the mass appeal of more populist comedians of the era. Despite his TV success and respect from “those in the know” (Ricky Gervais cited him as his favourite comedian, for example), he simply couldn't get enough people turning up to his gigs to make money from them. So he retired from stand up in 2000.

After achieving critical (though again, not huge monetary) success as the writer of Jerry Springer The Opera, he returned to stand up in 2004 – prompted partly by being accused of copying Gervais who had actually been influenced by him.

This time, things were different.

Instead of trying to make a success of the mainstream circuit, he took advice from comedy poet John Hegley who told him “you only need a few thousand fans. And if they all give you ten pounds a year, you're away” (which, of course, is a version of Kevin Kelly's “Thousand True Fans” idea).

He wasn't particularly ambitious. He just wanted to do what he loved doing and, in his words, “survive”.

Rather than trying to get booked in big venues and trying to attract large mainstream audiences, he got his booker to focus on smaller locations with audiences who would be be open to his type of humour.

“Instead of going on for guaranteed fees in empty council venues and failing to build an audience, or boring the shit out of Friday night punters who just wanted to have some fun between work and the disco, I needed to be in the dedicated comedy clubs that had flourished in my absence from the circuit, playing for smaller fees to smaller crowds composed of people that would get it and would come back next time with a friend”.

His shows were promoted by “…letting nerds all over the land know about your work via these newfangled social networking sites…”.

He took inspiration from the obscure Jazz musicians he loved and how they ran their affairs “direct marketing their work to sustainably farmed fan bases”.

And it worked.

Audiences of 20 to 30 became 50 to 60 became 100 to 200 and eventually up to 500 to 600.

A TV series followed which won him best comedy programme and best male comedian at last year's British Comedy Awards. He's currently mid way through a 4 month daily run at the Leicester Square Theatre before heading out on tour again.

The lesson for all of us?

Most of us and our businesses are more like a Stewart Lee than a Michael McIntyre or a John Bishop.

We're never going to have the widespread appeal to fill stadiums with the average man on the street. But we should be able to find a few thousand people who love what we do.

And that's enough.

If we can find them. If we can connect with them and inspire them to hire us or pay us for something. If they become big enough fans to “bring their friends”.

Then we've got very successful business.

And the way to do it is the same way Lee did it. Direct marketing to a targeted fan base – rather than trying to please a mass audience.

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More Clients Memorandum

The surprising secret of building trust

Posted by

Ian 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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Mindset

Intent Is More Important Than Technique

Posted by

Ian Brodie on December 18th, 2011.

Intent is more important than technique

I first heard those words in 2006 from Mahan Khalsa, author of the excellent book Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play.

(Which, believe it or not is a book about selling consulting services).

A few years earlier I'd been working in Basel in Switzerland, doing some strategy work for a large pharmaceutical firm.

Back then my favourite pastime outside of work was magic. Not the “sequinned suit, girls jumping in and out of boxes” type. But close up magic – the sort done right under your nose that leaves you completely mystified.

I was pretty good (I had a lot of time to practice in hotel rooms working away from home so much). I'd performed professionally a few times in restaurants and at parties. And I wanted to take my skills to the next level.

It was never going to be a career option. Frankly, unless you're really, really good, it just doesn't pay well enough compared to consulting. But I wanted to be the best I could be.

I found out that Roberto Giobbi, famous magic author, inventor, collector, and one of the world's leading teachers, lived in Muttenz a short distance away from Basel. So I booked a lesson.

I remember my taxi pulling up at Roberto's house and studio one evening in the rain, and feeling both excited and apprehensive in equal measure at meeting someone whose work I'd read for so long and who I'd seen perform many times on DVD.

After looking around Roberto's studio and some of his collection of historical manuscripts and books we got down to work.

I did a short routine for him (a combination “ambitious card”, “Triumph” and “card to impossible location” if you're interested).

We then sat back and analysed the routine.

What I'd expected was to focus on my technique. Roberto is schooled in the “Spanish style” – complex yet artistic sleight of hand.

What we did was very different.

Roberto asked me what I was trying to achieve with my magic. What I wanted my audience to experience and to feel as a result.

Tough question. But a good one.

Was I trying to fool them? Amuse them? Astound them? Make them laugh? Give them a once in a lifetime experience of sheer wonder?

And who was I trying to be? A suave entertainer, a clown, a skilful cardsharp?

Roberto and I worked through these questions over a number of hours and a couple of drinks too. It was hard work. These were questions I'd never really thought about much before.

But it turns out Roberto was right. If your goal is to entertain your audience. If you're playing with them, rather than trying to outwit them – then they play nicely back.

Rather than your performance being you trying to impress them – to “make” them laugh, to “make” them like you – it becomes one where you work together with the audience to help them have a good time.

When they know they're in safe hands. That you're not trying to make fun of them or embarrass them. Then they can relax and enjoy the ride.

In magic, intent is more important than technique.

Though as Mahan would say – technique is still important. Clumsy technique spoils the illusion, breaks the spell.

But if your audience doesn't choose to join you. If it's you vs them rather than you with them – then all the technique in the world won't save you.

Marketing is like magic.

You must start with the right intent. Your goal must be to help your clients succeed, not merely to sell them your stuff. You with them not you vs them.

When your potential clients see your intent, they too can relax knowing they're in safe hands.

So before you go into any sales meeting, ask yourself the questions Roberto asked me. What are you trying to achieve? What do you want your clients to feel and experience?

Get that clear and you'll see a difference in how they react to you.

By the way, Roberto is still available for coaching if you're into magic and want to learn the “real work”. Go here for more details.

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Strategy

Should You Outsource Marketing And Business Development?

Posted by

Ian Brodie on November 25th, 2011.

I question I hear a lot from professionals frustrated and struggling to get their marketing to work is “Should I outsource marketing?” or “can't I just hire a business development guy to handle it all?”.

It's not surprising really – if you neither enjoy business development nor get great results from doing it then it's easy to think that by outsourcing or handing over responsibility you can take one more worry off your plate.

But think strategically for a moment.

Let's imagine it goes well and you start getting a steady stream of clients. Put yourself in the shoes of the firm you've outsourced to or the guy you brought in to do all your marketing and BD.

If you'd brought all this success to the firm wouldn't you think you deserved a bigger share of the pie? In fact, wouldn't you think that really as the source of all the new clients you were the central cog in the system? The lifeblood of the business?

Ford Harding tells a story of a long-established law firm who hired in a couple of rainmakers as junior partners to help them bring in more clients. They passed over pretty much all the BD responsibilities to the new guys.

The strategy worked – or so it seemed. The new guys started bringing in lots of new clients. The practice started booming. All was well and good.

Until one day the new guys approached the senior partners with an ultimatum: “We bring in all the clients. Hand over majority ownership of the firm to us, or we walk”.

What choice did the senior partners have? Hand over ownership of their firm, or watch their client base walk out the door and have the firm collapse?

Sounds nasty. But in truth, those rainmakers had a point. The success of the business was due to them.

It seems harsh to say it, but the truth is that lawyers, consultants, coaches and accountants who can do a good job are a commodity. People who can bring in new clients aren't.

If you outsource your lead generation to an outside firm and become dependent on them – what's to stop them raising their prices to take all the value, or just passing on the leads to the highest bidder?

Very little.

If you hire in someone to take responsibility for all marketing and BD – why wouldn't they think they deserve to get the lion's share of the returns – or walk?

Outsourcing or delegating responsibility for marketing and business development sounds like an attractive option when you're struggling with it.

But if you can't generate your own clients, if you become dependent on others to do it for you, then don't expect to become very rich these days.

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