Shut Up And Listen!
The secret to building your client base & the success of your small business
According to recent U.S. Census data, less than half of all new businesses survive past the 5 year mark. A current article posted in the New York times tracked the success and failure of small businesses during two different time spans with interesting results.
Despite the fact that the US economy behaved very differently,
the pattern that emerged was very similar:
failure was consistent, even during “boom” years!
You can blame the economy, the president, or the weather, but obviously there must be something else at play here. As a professional, an entrepreneur, or a small business owner, what can you do to increase your chances of success?
How do you become the go-to person in your field?
The one most respected, trusted, and, ultimately, the one making the most money?
The principles of prosperity economics teach that one person’s success does not need to be achieved at the expense of anothers. This goes against what most of us have been taught – that in order for me to win, you must lose. Often times, the “losers” are the very people whom we are trying to reach, either for sales opportunities or as potential clients, yet we are taught to treat them as a means to an end. We are taught to view the end product – the money – as more valuable than the people who get us there – our clients.
There is a difference between selling for profit’s sake and selling to meet the client’s needs.
Once you understand this distinction, you can make the shift. You can take the pressure off yourself of always having to “win the game” because operating under the principals of prosperity economics, there is no I win, you lose. There is only win/win. There is no “my way” or “your way” there is only a higher way, a better way. What is the secret to building a RichLife business?
Always operate with the client’s best interest in mind
And how do you do that? How do you know what’s in their best interests? How do you know which products will help them the most, give them the greatest peace of mind, work within their budget and their plans for the future?
Shut Up And Listen!
That’s right. It’s not about you – what you’ve done, how many people you’ve already helped, or how many record breaking sales you’ve already made. It’s about one thing: helping the person who is currently in front of you (or “virtually” in front of you, if the exchange is online.)
This is a relationship you are developing,
not a transaction you are making.
This is the core of what I do when working with my clients, whether I am coaching or helping someone plan for their RichLife. As a professional, seek first to understand where they are coming from, and second to add value.
You add value by offering your skills or services to further THEIR objectives.
But what if you realize, in getting to know a potential client, that what you do cannot help them achieve their goals? You add value to their lives by recommending the help or services of a professional you trust. People don’t forget that, and it will only serve to strengthen your networking relationships, referring more business back to you.
Really, this is an enjoyable way to work. The pressure is off.
It’s not about you at all, it’s about them!
It’s that simple. There is no game to play, no I win or you lose.
It’s about a partnership, a co-creation using your professional skills and the goals of the client.
Your first job is to understand those goals. Shut up and listen, and watch the relationship between you and your clients deepen, taking your business to new levels of rich.
It has been one of my greatest joys to get to know my clients over the years, keeping up with their lives, keeping in touch. It is my sincere hope that it becomes one of yours.To learn more about prosperity economics and living a Rich Life visit www.RichLifeAdvisors.com
Love your solid advice and great reminder that each day we should be helping those around us have a better life and business as we grow ours.
Making a personal connection with your clients or customers helps create a brand and a reputation. The business will follow.
Especially in the internet age, Beau, it's so easy for potential clients to find dozens of options that "could" resolve the concerns they bring. But a careful choice will come from figuring out who truly has their interest at heart, where it will be more than a one-shot deal and where an ongoing, supportive relationship can be built that means 1 + 1 = at least 4! This holds true in any economy, but even more so during more challenging times … which is why some people's businesses grow faster during hard times. Thanks for reminding us!