When your in front of a potential client do you ever feel like your fumbling for the correct words? Well, Bill breaks it down for you so you can understand how to communicate like a professional.

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I was invited to attend a retirement party recently for a well respected CFO of a major hospital and, as you would expect, I was introduced to a lot of people. After the obligatory “hi, how are you?” the inevitable question is “so…what do you do?”

Most people are missing a golden opportunity in the way they answer that question. The typical response is something like “I’m the ‘such and such’ at XYZ Company.” Or “I work for ABC and Associates.” What does that REALLY tell me? It tells me their title and the name of their company, but it doesn’t really tell me what they DO. And it certainly doesn’t tell me what they might be able to DO for me.

Let’s say for example that ABC and associates specializes in estate planning and I’ve been thinking lately that I really should get my will and estate in order just in case something happens to me. What if XYZ Company provides custom printing and graphics and I happen to know that my company has been looking for a new vendor for those services? Will I make the connection? Will I even realize that I’m talking to someone who could help me satisfy a need?

My point is, that if I just answer with, “I work for The Brooks Group” I will probably get a blank stare followed by a polite excuse to go meet someone who has something more exciting to talk about.

So instead I hit them with “I work with executives in organizations that have sales and sales management staffs to recruit, hire and retain top performers. We use a proprietary method to help our clients find and coach superstar performers who make an impact in their organization.”

I left that party with two business cards from executives who asked me to call them because they “need some help” in what I do. If just one of these two cards turn into a new client and subsequently a preferred client, then an advocate for me, then refers me to another client … well, you get the picture.

How many times has someone asked you “so, what do you do?” How do you answer them?

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The primary perception is extremely important to the critical path to the buying decision.

Click the green play button above to play the audio

This and other podcasts are available to download at itunes to help your selling career. If you have never used itunes and need help to download and install it click here for a tutorial.

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Here’s a tip that has actually shown early signs of transforming our business here at The Brooks Group. We rely a lot on leads generated by our strong internet presence. The problem? Our salespeople would call and get voice mails, a person saying they didn’t even remember requesting information, etc., etc.

How have we addressed the problem? The first thing was to seek some data. The best was from a reputable source . That research revealed that a web lead contacted the same day it is received is significantly better than one that sits around. In fact, their research says that after one, four and eight days they tend to get worse, worse and worse in value.

We then installed a “four hour” rule that says every internet generated lead must be contacted within 4 hours of receipt. We even have someone assigned to make the calls if the salesperson to receive the lead is unable to do so. That person then passes that lead on to the salesperson.

The response? Prospects are happy to hear from us. More requests for information. Leads ultra-improved with our speed of responses and more qualified leads who actually remember requesting the information. Hope this helps!

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OK, I’m a procrastinator … am I alone? I didn’t think so. On Tuesday I was searching for a florist to get roses for the lady in my life. I called one florist and asked if I could get some roses delivered Wednesday and the guy on the phone said “no.” No apology, no explanation that the cut off date passed … nothing … just ‘no.’ An uncomfortable silence followed his ‘no’ and I said “OK” and hung up. I called another florist and a very pleasant woman politely said they couldn’t accommodate me because the cut off date had passed and they couldn’t guarantee they could deliver them on time. Then she did an amazing thing … she recommended I call one of their competitors who, she knew, could accommodate my order. Wow … she recommended a competitor to accommodate MY needs. How many of you would recommend one of your competitors to a prospect you couldn’t help?

Of the three florists I experienced who will I think of first and want to do business with when I have a need for flowers again? Did you say the third florist who was recommended to me because the second florist couldn’t accommodate my needs? If so, you would be incorrect. I was impressed with the second florist who wanted to solve my problem and make my search easier. To me, she was more than a florist, but rather a “problem solver” who made my search easier.

As a selling professional are you a “problem solver” for your clients or are you simply “selling a product or service”, meeting quota and collecting a paycheck? Are you willing to tell your prospects “The way I work with my clients is to help them get exactly what they want and if I discover, after asking you a few questions, I can’t help you I will make a recommendation of a competitor who can. Is that fair?” In our research, if you can make a statement like that (and mean it) you are in the upper 5% of the top selling professionals in the world.

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