|
TEEING OFF:
|
Your best friend. A mentor. The barista at Starbucks -- They are all a part of your daily or weekly life, just with different roles. But there lies the mistake, all of these relationships should be treated as the same opportunity for growth.
The issue many of us have in our respective personal or business intent is that we look at the surface to what our ultimate goal is in each relationship. It’s time for a change. Let’s look at every encounter as an opportunity. As a person in sales and advertising, I have a distinct approach to each business owner I meet with. The conversation involves crafting a unique plan with one intent: to in the end do one thing: solve a problem. While many of us probably approach our work appointments similarly, it’s time you looked at every ‘hello,’ outside of the 9 am to 5 pm hours in the same sense. I’m a real-word example kind of guy, so take this story as a testament to what I’m writing about. Three-months ago a mentor of mine and I started meeting every Friday after work for a Happy Hour type get-together. It slowly began evolving as we met more people at the restaurant, and other friends decided to join as well. Our table soon became filled with new friends and most importantly new relationships. This group, which continues to be a staple of my week, has led to philanthropy donations, sales leads, and more importantly building a base of new contacts. Rather than staying in a comfortable circle filled with only consistent friends, it was an opening to new people - seizing the opportunity of every introduction. As you go forward in your weeks and weekends, my challenge is for you to build one new relationship each week. Take it for what its worth, and look at that interaction as an opportunity for both business and personal expansion in your life. Let me know how it works for you! Always feel free to comment on your thoughts below, or if you're interested in hearing how we can help your business grow, get in touch with Justin Lewis: [email protected] or 501-324-7501 We’ve all been there. You got the appointment with an important decision maker, and you’re jacked, can’t wait to tell him or her why you’re the best. What makes your company or product so great against anything else. However, you forget one crucial thing:
Listening. In just a short amount of time in sales, I’ve learned how vital listening is versus pitching. Take this instance for example. I had been calling the same decision-making over-and-over for months only to get hit with the gatekeeper each and every time telling me he wasn’t available. Finally the moment came, I spoke with him. A meeting was set. At this point I’m thrilled, this could be a huge account! Again, most times in this scenario, as sales people we start planning out how we’re going to tell them about what makes our product stand out. Why we’re better than “the other guys.” Instead, I did a little something in that meeting that set me apart moving forward: listened. A few meetings later we came to an agreement and established a new advertiser. Months later, and during one of our follow meetings, I remembered something he had mentioned in our initial meeting. He talked about being involved in a particular seasonal event, something that was important to him and his company. A light bulb went off, and I immediately got the creative ball rolling. I called the client to tell them I have something I think they would be interested in seeing, by this time I’ve earned their trust so they agreed to the appointment. We created a unique, creative, and exclusive program based upon a simple comment he made in our initial meeting. The client loved the idea. Another sale was made. Since then I’ve received numerous emails from this client and his board, thanking me for considering their company for the exclusive sponsorship. This all sounds so simple because it truly is. The problem we face comes back to listening. Rather than being consumed on what I was going to pitch this person, sitting back and actually listening to what he was looking for, although months-and-months down the road, led to the payoff. Think about this in your next initial meeting. Get your point across about what sets you apart, but don’t make the meeting about your wants and needs. It’s about theirs! Listening more instead of just blabbering about the product can not only lead to prosperous sales, but a customer relationship that’s setting you apart from “the other guys.” It’s amazing what you can learn and earn if you just…..listen. Always feel free to comment on your thoughts below, or if you're interested in hearing how we can help your business grow, get in touch with Justin Lewis: [email protected] or 501-324-7501 |
Justin Lewis,
|