Return to Archive


More Clients
- the Online Marketing Newsletter
for Independent Professionals
from Action Plan Marketing
and Robert Middleton

In This Week's Issue: In This Week's Issue: Why is it often so hard to get a "yes" response? You haven't leaned the art of asking.

 

The Art of Asking

I have discovered that the most difficult part of verbal marketing conversations is when you ask a potential client for something. These are usually the "calls-to-action" that take your marketing conversations to the next level.

Making a statement or giving information is one thing - an Audio Logo, a story, details about your services, etc., These are pretty straightforward. It's a matter of developing and practicing these verbal conversations. Over time and with practice you'll improve your ability to deliver them with fluency.

But it's quite another thing to ask or make a request of a potential client. Asking if you can send some material, asking for a moment to talk on the phone, asking for an appointment and even asking for the sale are a whole different animal.

In today's More Clients I want to talk about the structure of how you ask. In this issue I'm going to reveal to you the big secret to asking and getting people to say "Yes" most of the time.

*Ask as if they were going to say YES, instead of NO.*

When you ask a prospect to take action it's not uncommon to expect them to say "No." It just seems to be built into us. We expect rejection. We don't expect cooperation. So either we avoid asking altogether and hope they make the next move or the way we structure our asking conversation actually sets us up for getting a "No."

But it's not so hard to ask in a completely different way. The actual sentence structure is different. The words are different and the expectation is different. This way of asking may seem strange to us at first because we're so used to the old way that doesn't work. But after trying it a few times and noticing the positive response you get, it will become a habit very quickly.

Below you'll find several pairs of requests or asking conversations. Notice the difference between the two approaches. Which one is more likely to get a "Yes" answer?

Asking for a card:

"Can you give me your business card?"
or
"I'd love to get your business card. Do you have one with you?"

Asking to send an article:

"Can I send you an article about my services?"
or
"I have an article about increasing profits that I think you'll find interesting. Let me send you a copy."

Asking to follow up:

"Can I call you to get your feedback on the article?"
or
"I'd like to get your feedback on the article. What's the best time to reach you?"

Asking to send more information after a talk:

"If you're interested in finding out more, please give me your business card as you leave today."
or
"I have an article that goes into depth on the information we covered today. (hold up article) Who would like a copy? (hands shoot up) Great, just give me your card as you're leaving and I'll get a copy to you."

Asking to add name to eZine list:

"Would you like to get my email newsletter?"
or
"I'd be happy to give you my report on "Tens Ways to Reduce Attrition" and send you a complimentary subscription to my monthly "Retention Tips" eZine. What's your email address?

Asking for an appointment:

"Would you like to meet with me to learn about my services?"
or
"What I usually do next is set up a meeting to find out more about your business and see if my services are a match. Let's look at a time that works for both our schedules."

Asking for the business:

"Would you like to start working with me?"
or
"I think the Management Acceleration Program would fit your situation best. Why don't we look at a start date?"

Asking for a referral:

Do you know someone who could use my services?
or
"I'm looking for other business owners who want to get the same results I produced for you. When can we sit down and talk about the best people for me to contact?"

Notice that in most cases the first way of asking could easily result in a "No". But with the second way of asking it's almost impossible to get a "No." The first sentence is usually a statement of what you want or what you recommend. The second sentence asks or states what to do in order to fulfill the want or recommendation.

There's a lot more confidence in the second approach. You don't feel like you're begging. You feel like you are recommending a course of action as a professional would.

For instance, you'd never hear a doctor say, "Do you want to take off your clothes now?" or "Would you like to take this medication?" or "Do you think getting that operation is a good idea?" Wouldn't that undermine your confidence in the doctor?

Wouldn't you prefer that your doctor was more directive in his requests? "OK, I need to examine you now. Remove your clothes, put on that gown and I'll be back in a minute." "This is the best medication for your infection. Let me write up a prescription." and "Of all our options, I believe this operation gives you the best chance of recovery. Let's discuss the options and get you scheduled."

So to master the art of asking, think of how the doctor asks and follow his approach with confidence. You'll get a whole lot more "Yeses" and gain much business you would have lost otherwise.

More on "The Art of Asking" in Marketing Flashes below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mastering The Marketing Conversation Workshops in Los Angeles and San Francisco

The key to getting attention, interest and action is through intelligently designed marketing conversations. Master these conversations and you'll attract more business. You'll get more appointments, more contracts and more referrals.

These workshops in Los Angles and San Francisco are all about understanding and practicing the marketing conversation. They are about learning the finer points of what to say (and not say) to get attention every time you speak about your business.

I invite you to attend one of the workshops below and also to attend a Free TeleClass next week on marketing conversations:

 

"The Keys to The Marketing Conversations - Free TeleClass.

Thursday, Feb 10, 2:00 p.m. Pacific. Reserve your space now:

http://www.actionplan.com/mctc.html

Or if you're ready, reserve your space in a workshop now.

Los Angles (Airport Area) - March 12

http://www.actionplan.com/wkp/lawkp.html

San Francisco (Airport Area) - March 26

http://www.actionplan.com/wkp/sfwkp.html

 

How to Turn Your Expertise Into a Book Quickly

What if you had a published book that could help bring you a lifelong stream of clients and dramatically increase your income? What if you didn't even need to write that book? Or, if you like writing, imagine writing a book in just 90 days.

I've just begun John Eggen's remarkable "Leading Mentors Publishing Program" on how to create a book that will help take my (and your) business to the next level. We've started, but there is still some space for a few more participants. If you'd like to know more about this program, just click on the link below.

http://www.actionplan.com/eggen.html

 

InfoGuru Marketing Manual and Home Study Program

An unsolicited testimonial about the Manual:

"Just wanted to let you know how much I'm enjoying the InfoGuru Manual. I had no CLUE how to market my coaching practice. I've gotten so clear on who I want to work with, what they'll get, where they are! It's truly wonderful...I LOVE reading the manual. So thank you for creating such a great tool. My coach referred me to your website and I asked her about the manual and she highly recommended it...now I know why!"

Jatrine Bentsi-Enchill

Order the InfoGuru Marketing Manual and Home Study Program here:

http://www.actionplan.com/infoguru.html

If you already have the Manual, you can order the 12 CDs here:

http://www.clientmagnet.com/infoguru#home

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marketing Flashes on "The Art of Asking"

How to structure your asking conversation:

* Have a clear end in mind. Be very clear what you want to have happen when you ask a prospect or client to do something. Picture clearly how it will unfold. Actually see it in your mind's eye.

* Write your want or recommendation first. Make it clear, unambiguous, certain. Say what you want to have happen, not what you want them to do. "I'd love to get your business card."

* Write the request or call-to-action next. Make it a sentence that is very easy for them to say yes to. It's often an agreement on a minor point. "Is Thursday a good time for you?"

* Practice your asking conversation out loud. Do it in a mirror, into a tape recorder, with a friend until it feels completely natural and comfortable to ask.

* Seek immediate opportunities to use your asking conversation. Stick to your script, make it conversational and low-key and always remember to wait for the answer before you say anything else.

Until next week, all the best,

Robert Middleton

ACTION PLAN MARKETING
Helping Independent Professionals Attract More Clients

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

www.actionplan.com

210 Riverside Drive
Boulder Creek, CA 95006
831-338-7790

Contact by email

© 2004 Robert Middleton, All rights reserved. You are free to use material from the More Clients eZine in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read:

"By Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit Robert's web site at http://www.actionplan.com for additional marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional service businesses."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *