What’s On My Mind
Buckle up. I’m going to vent. This week I’m talking about one of my biggest pet peeves. And more importantly, what to do about it!
This is one thing that really gets my hackles up.
It’s when some gets in your face and says…
YOU NEED TO ASK FOR THE BUSINESS IN EVERY CONVERSATION!
Whoa.
You don’t need to do that.
In fact, I find it repulsive.
Let’s say I meet someone for the first time. They are a VIP, someone who could buy a lot from us.
My goal in that conversation?
Find ways to be helpful.
Finding ways to be helpful by: Sharing assets with them. Making introductions for them. Sharing perspectives that are helpful to them. All these ways of helping them succeed.
I definitely want to add enough value they want to meet again, to have a next step, and advance.
THAT is what you ask for, the next step.
Ask for the advance.
Asking for the business, like getting the contract signed, can make a lot of sense.
But only when it’s the next very step.
And that’s very rare.
There might be 99 steps before that.
If you ask for the business in every one of those 99 steps, you’ll sound like you’re a used car salesman.
What can I do to put you in a car today?
Ick.
Shower time.
The initial steps in a relationship are about building trust, creating some curiosity, and then maintaining the momentum you’ve gained.
Getting going from a cold stop takes some doing.
Hey, I get people are trying to be helpful with this whole “ask for the business all the time” schtick.
But the words we use stick with us. They matter.
It’s repulsive to a decision-maker to be asked for their business all the time.
But when you have offered a helpful meeting (Give To Get!) and the prospective client loves the idea, definitely ask:
Hey, would it be helpful to pick the time for that meeting now? Sure beats going back and forth 20 times over email.
That’s being helpful.
That’s creating momentum.
That’s asking for the advance!
What’s We Just Created
Whoop Whoop!
We’re winding down Season 2 of the podcast.
This week’s interview is with the amazing Alisa Cohn.
She was seriously voted #1 Start-Up Coach in the world.
Not just in Silicon Valley. Not just in a specific country. In the entire world.
Wow.
Alisa has the goods.
She teaches CEOs how to think like an entrepreneur. How to scale their business. And how to succeed at home too.
We’re could all benefit from thinking like an entrepreneur.
I liked all the episodes we recorded but really liked her take on how to deepen relationships.
You’ll love it!
What’s Coming Up
Season 3 of the podcast is going to be TOTALLY different.
It’s going to blow you away.
I’m going to interview the TOP rainmakers across all our clients, asking them how they do what they do.
We’re covering DEEP stuff.
How they think about BD. How they overcome obstacles. How they meet the right new clients.
I’ve recorded one episode already, and it vastly exceeded my expectations.
More soon…
Be sure to follow the show on your favorite podcast platform. Just click on mo.show to be guided to sign up. That link will guide you to your favorite podcast platform. Super cool.
What’s Worth Lingering On
Back to advancing.
I’m convinced asking for the advance — especially in the meeting you’re in — is the fastest way to create and speed up a wonderful buying process.
Three steps:
- Leave time at the end of each meeting to recap the next steps
- Look for very specific asks you can make that would help both you and the client
- Use the phrase Would it be helpful if…to make your ask
Pro tip: Want to cement this habit?
If you want to get good fast, count how many times you ask for the advance in a week. Just tally them on a post-it note.
Believe me, you’ll dial up your asks, and in a hurry. The moment you hang up on a Zoom call and didn’t ask for an advance, you’ll feel pain. It’s amazing how much pain you’ll feel because you can’t put a tally mark on a post-it note. It stinks.
But good news: you’ll do it next time.
Just a few weeks of counting is all it takes!
You’ll be amazed at how many asks for the advance you can make.
It makes a big impact on your momentum.
Great rainmakers are always progressing.
Always moving.
Always advancing.
Why?
They ask for it.
Mo