When you keep it simple, you make
it easier for your prospects and clients
to buy from you.
Rule 2: Be iNvaluable
Today’s crazy-busy clients want to work
with speakers who “know their stuff”
and bring them fresh ideas on a regular
basis. Perhaps you’ve never even seen
that as your role. But today, it is essential to embrace the concept of being
“iNvaluable” to turn yourself into the
competitive differentiator.
Think about how you can become
more knowledgeable regarding:
• What’s important to the decision makers you interact with on a
regular basis
• Business processes surrounding
your offering
• What other companies are doing to
solve similar problems or achieve
similar goals
• Your industry—market trends,
upcoming challenges, what’s
working and what’s not.
When you become iNvaluable,
people choose you over competitors, are
less cost conscious, and remain loyal.
Rule 3: Always Align
At the onset of your relationship,
clients need to see an immediate
connection between what you do
and what they’re trying to achieve.
It’s all about relevance and risk. As
they move through their decision-making process, they need to know
that the alignment extends into core
beliefs they value in the people they
work with.
To ensure alignment, ask yourself:
• How does my offering impact my client’s primary issues and objectives?
• What criteria are important to them
as they make their decision?
• What do they value in their working
relationships?
When you’re aligned with their
critical business objectives and core
beliefs, clients want to work with you.
Rule 4: Raise Priorities
It’s an absolute imperative to work
with frazzled clients on their priority
projects. With their limited capacity,
that’s all they can currently focus on.
Start by targeting prospects whose
priorities you can address. As you
work with them, focus on raising the
priority level of initiatives that have
decreased in importance. Your clients’
priorities are constantly shifting, so
you need to be alert to what’s going
on in their organization.
To ensure the long-term viability of
your relationship, ask yourself:
• What are your client’s current priority projects?
• How can you blend your service’s
value into their priorities?
• What can you do to maintain
momentum?
When you raise priorities, your sales
process is swifter and you get the business with less competition.
Getting Off on the Right Foot
To show you how this works, let’s
compare two different voicemail
approaches to setting up an initial client
meeting. Please read them as an actual
prospect, thinking about how you’d
respond to each.
The Gracious Message
“Pat Thompson calling from Generic
Strategies. I specialize in offering a
wide range of customized training programs for salespeople. I’d like to set up a
meeting with you to learn what you are
currently doing in this area and share a
bit about our workshops. I’d be glad to
meet at your earliest convenience. My
number is …”
The SNAP-py Message
“This is Pat Thompson from Generic
Strategies. In my work with other high-
tech firms, one of the biggest challenges
salespeople face is new client acqui-
sition. After working with one of my
recent clients, their reps cracked into
five of their Top 10 targeted accounts in
just two months. Let’s schedule a time
to talk. My number is …”
Both messages are exactly 57 words,
but the difference in how your pros-
pects respond is dramatic. The “nice”
message is nearly always deleted in a
nanosecond. Why? Prospects simply
don’t have time to meet to learn about
your programs. There’s nothing in it
for them.
