In which we discuss a difference between “consultants” and “needs satisfiers.” I was sharing stories with another business owner this week, discussing succession planning. At one point he said, “I hired a guy, thinking he would develop into someone who could eventually lead the firm.” Read more »
In which we are urged to protect our profits in escalating negotiations. My wife (who expertly manages our household day to day) sometimes asks me to run errands for her on a Saturday morning. Typically, we discuss her list and I head out the door. Then the most amazing thing happens. Read more »
In which we are encouraged to hear our clients stories as guidance toward the solutions they need and want. I could not stop myself. I had to tell my company’s story. Last Wednesday, I sat with Clarity’s Practice Manager, Maureen, at our conference table in the company of the very wonderful Susan, an expert in … Read more »
In which we are reminded, focus first on people and relationships before moving to task and business. “Don’t talk business until the spoon hits the ice cream.” This single, crisp sentence stands out from a six hour seminar through which Somers White led me and other consultants … 25 years ago. Why, that’s … an … Read more »
In which we are urged to get right to the point in written correspondence. A letter received this week. From an investment company. Playing the “fear” card boldly. Read more »
In which we learn the value of “putting people in their story” when selling. She was crisp, smart, blonde, and she left with a check. A V E R Y big check. After she left, my wife looked at me and said, “I wasn’t planning to buy this morning, were you?” Read more »
In which we’re reminded to give a BRIEF introduction to ourselves and our companies when starting a conversation. You would never do this. It was probably my fault. Maybe I just set him up the wrong way. Read more »
In which we are reminded, when prospecting, on whom to focus. My daughter the high school junior receives ten to twelve letters a week from colleges seeking her attention and our money. The colleges are the sellers. My daughter is their prospect. Read more »
In which we discuss the preparation needed before calling a prospect. I’m holding a document whose title screams “Get Rich Quick in Real Estate… NOW!” A more careful reading yields a more subdued, “no-money down strategies for today’s down market” and provides a critical lesson for us when we’re prospecting. Read more »
In which we discuss the dangers of “just assuming” we know what our clients prefer. My son’s recovery from wisdom teeth removal included a “dry socket” which, for the uninitiated, translates as dull, throbbing pain at an extraction site accompanied by more than the usual swelling two to three days after the extraction. Read more »
We Are Seriously Social.