Three Minutes
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 »
It’s All About Them
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 »
Figuring It Out … Up Front
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 »
We Just Assumed
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 »
Ask First. Then Tell.
In which we remind ourselves that clients don’t always want our advice. A friend called a couple of weeks ago to check in. We hadn’t spoken for a while, so he asked, “What’s new with Clarity?” I responded — business has been good, we have two new articles out, and we’ve just launched our refreshed … Read more »
Five Questions to Ask in January
In which we offer five questions to understand your clients’ big pictures for the year. What better time to expand your conversation with your customers and than in January. Why? They’re finishing their plans for the eleven upcoming months and their New Year’s resolve and resolutions are still top of mind. Read more »
Do You Know The Way?
In which we describe a simple technique which opens the door to differentiation and higher value added. I walk hills for fun and exercise. Midway through Saturday’s walk, I could hear a car approaching me from the rear, slowing down… stopping…. rolling again…. stopping…coming closer… stopping. Remembering Spiro Agnew’s observation that “Just because you’re paranoid … Read more »
Ho, Hum
In which we’re reminded to tailor and differentiate our unsolicited approaches to prospects. 2:00 pm. I’m at my desk, working. The phone rings. Caller: Hi Nick this is John Greene at (Securities Firm A) in Chelmsford, how are you today? Me: Great, John. What’s this about? Read more »
Name That Tune
In which we are encouraged to savor our clients’ answers to each of our questions rather than rushing to judgment. Just before the turn of the year, I participated in a “music circle” – 15 guitar players and singers in a circle, amusing themselves on a cold evening by playing and singing songs ranging from … Read more »
122208 What Do You Like About…
In which we learn to ask a specific question to ensure the solutions we propose don’t draw out an immediate objection. In the midst of a spectacularly beautiful snow storm, I joined a Christmas party that included immediate neighbors. As I glided past a small gaggle of them to grab a grape, I overheard the … Read more »
We Are Seriously Social.