Showing Up Does NOT Guarantee Success
Check Twitter. RT some goodies. Check Facebook. Get lost in everyone’s banter.Run over to Google+ and share some excitement there. Check email. Respond to a scant few that need responses.
Write a post. Share it.
That’s it. That’s showing up. That’s what I did for the last three weeks. And I got ZERO out of those weeks. In my defense, that’s all I needed and wanted to do – survive. But, as soon as inspiration struck (in the form of a foul-mouthed Alec Baldwin speech from Glengarry Glen Ross), I switched gears. (That bit's here.)
If you’re not familiar with Glengarry Glen Ross, you should be. Every entrepreneur should be. By the time the speech was over, I was packing to sign some real estate clients, then I realized I’m not even in real estate! That’s how powerful his speech was.
Baldwin basically said, in no uncertain terms, if you’re not closing, you’re not shit. Well, I can’t have people stepping on me like that, can you?? We've got to push to prove to people like Blake (Baldwin) that we are THE shit. Not shit.
And the lesson learned? We have to prepare to do that.
Prepare for Success
Baldwin closed deals because he knew his stuff. He was prepared to handle anything a “sit” would throw at him. And that’s what you have to do.
You have to know who you are sitting with (i.e. the client or prospect), what they need, what their perceived problems are, what their real problems are, and how you are the only solution they need.
Sounds easy peasy, right? :)
It’s not. It takes work. Baldwin said in his speech that he could go out on a sit that night and earn $15,000 in two hours. He couldn’t do that with only his charm or good looks (even if we’re talking 90’s Baldwin :D). He could earn that because he knew how to listen, how to talk and how to address concerns.
Now you have to learn how to do those things.
Where and How?
You spend time researching your clients. Talk to them. Get to know them. But not just on a superficial level, on an intimate level. Not like THAT - geez! Learn how to read their minds, how to interpret their feelings. ;) Tweet it?
For example, I can sell to my husband because I know how he thinks. He thrives on respect and success. I talk to him and those terms and I can “sell” him on most of my hair-brained ideas (someone say Harley?). My brother is a big goofball and I can sell him with a little humor. Get him laughing and he’ll say yes. One of my best friends just wants to be understood and felt cared for because she’s always caring for others. So, I’d talk to her in words that let her know that she is supported if I wanted to sell her something.
What About Your Client?
Now, if you have access to that kind of info on a regular basis - you know, like your best friend is your ideal client and you know how to deal with her, then you have a leg up on your competition right there.
But, if you don’t have that access, then you’ve got to be a little scrappy.
It’s time to start stalking! Wait, don’t be creepy. This is only for observation and learning purposes, get me? :)
Follow your ideal client all over social media and read up on what’s going on in her head. Then, put yourself in her shoes. Walk that walk. Then, next time she asks you a question, or asks a question on social media, or the next time you need to create a piece of content (which is, like, right now and all the time!), you can answer with her pain and emotions in mind.
Your preparation’ll show her you understand her and can help her solve that irritating problem because you built a connection, a bond, with her. Because you took the time to listen, learn, and relate.
That’s the key to closing deals. That’s the key to giving clients what they need. And that’s how you prepare for success.
Any questions? ;) Get out there and get busy. You have clients to study and deals to close.