Every time I attend a marketing conference and the subject turns to business development (also known as ‘sales’) the same words of advice are always repeated: Listen, listen, listen. If that is what the experts tell us to do, why is it so hard to master this skill? We just love to walk into a meeting with a prospect and start talking. We talk about our firm, our history, our professionals, our culture, our distinctive benefits, and our wide range of services. But since we have not listened much yet, we don’t even know what the client’s challenges are, and we are looking for solutions! We are told by the experts that business owners crave information, benchmarking statistics, industry trends, any relevant news about their world. Yet few firms actually bring this type of information along when meeting with a new prospect. The next time you go into a meeting just remind yourself to be quiet, ask a few probing questions, and sit back and take notes. Then share some meaningful information - who knows, you might get a new client who appreciates your thoughtful approach!
- 503 reads
