Get Smart

Get Smart

My friend, Howard Christensen, once said to me, “Have you ever noticed that the smartest people you know think just like you?”

Think about it. It’s true! The smartest people you know think just like you. In fact, people who don’t think like you are often dismissed as idiots…..well, I may be overstating my case a bit.

But here is my point. Your clients will think you are the smartest marketing consultant they know if you can think just like them by aligning your proposals with their thoughts, beliefs and visions.

How can you write a presentation that demonstrates you think just like your prospect? Here are a few tips:

  1. Ask thought-provoking questions to uncover your prospects’ underlying motivations, and document their answers carefully.
  2. Fly some “trial balloons” during your questioning process to make sure you are interpreting their thoughts correctly.
  3. Look around their office to see what books they read and what marketing “gurus” or business leaders they follow so your presentation will align with their beliefs.
  4. Deliver a trade article or blog about advertising or about marketing their business and then ask for their feedback.
  5. Prepare your presentation with their long term vision or dream in mind, rather than simply solving this month’s short term problem.

When you become the smartest marketing person your prospects and clients know, you will be surprised how much they will pay you for thinking just like them!

 

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