Make More Sales: Tell Them What You Can't Do

[BizyDad]

Been a while since my last post. Been busy, and busy is good.

I just got back from lunch with a colleague, and I thought I would share some thoughts.

This colleague and I have been trading clients for about four years now. Let's call her Kelly. But she lives in Utah, so today was the first time we've actually met in person.

At one point in our conversation, we were discussing the difficulty of dealing with clients. How sometimes clients want things that are not in their best interest. She made a comment about how she often feels her recommendations are ignored.

I've had this conversation recently with a couple other female colleagues. They run their own marketing agencies, and we have several clients in common.

All these women are more professional than me. They are at least as competent as me, if not more.

But in all these conversations, we all marvel at the fact that when I make a recommendation it is often followed.

It is so strange to me, this entire time I've been thinking it's a gender thing. But that hasn't always felt like the truth either, because I know men who get ignored too.

So I told Kelly about the newest client I'm signing up. My social media go to, this lady has been making certain website recommendations for 2 years. They finally grew to the point where SEO can help them, and in my first meeting, I made almost all the same recommendations.

And they are now implementing those recommendations.

So I was telling Kelly this story, and I honestly don't get it. I know this is a common theme I have heard from many women.

But I don't understand why I am able to get these people to take the action. I'm making the same recommendation.

" Do you want me to tell you why?" Kelly asked. " I know exactly why because multiple people have given me this feedback about you."

I was all ears.

"It's because you are vulnerable and transparent in the meetings. You always tell us what you are not capable of. You always tell us about the things that you can't do for us. So when you make a recommendation, it comes with an extra amount of weight. Three different people have given me this feedback about you. You are just super honest. And so they trust your recommendations more."

"That's why I always try to get you on my side before we meet with clients."

It was many years ago when I was waiting tables that I first discovered this "trick".

I used to work at unique type restaurants. People would come in unfamiliar with the food. So they would always ask for recommendations. And I would tell them my honest opinion.

Occasionally you would get that one jokester who would ask what not to order. And we would have a good laugh, and when the chuckles stopped, I would tell them that too.

A lot of people were surprised that I had an answer to that one.

Pretty soon, I started incorporating it into my response for what they should order. I would tell them which one is my favorite, I would tell them which one is most popular, I would then recommend the second most expensive thing on the menu and rave about it, and then I would tell them one thing they should avoid.

Because of the way my brain works, I would do this one night and look at my tip percentage. And the next night. I would do it though old way, and compare the tip percentage.

I also would make a note of how many people ordered the second most expensive thing.

Invariably, telling people what not to order, made them want to order the other stuff more. And I would get a bigger tip.

Pretty soon I made it a bigger deal. I would lean into the table and lower my voice, like I was giving them a big secret. And I mean, I kind of was, because the manager and chef didn't like the fact that I said anything bad about any of it.

But they didn't argue with the sales figures.

So it just kind of became a habit in all my sales presentations. When I sold the gym memberships, I set records. But I always told them the things about the other gym across town that was better than the gym I was working at. If you wanted tennis and racquetball, go over there. If you were uncomfortable around young people, and wanted to be surrounded by more older people, you needed to go over there. But over here we have clean smelling locker rooms and the newest equipment. I just want you to make an educated choice.

I think in sales and in business we are always spending time talking about why we are great, why we can help you, why you should buy our product or our service. But that's what everybody is doing. Isn't it? Okay, mostly everybody.

I think you do yourself a solid if you utilize some strategic honesty. You set yourself apart when you tell people what you are not good at or what you can't do.

I can't do email marketing or social media marketing. I really am terrible at it. I've tried. I'm not even average. Which is how why I have these female colleagues I mentioned in the first place.

Kelly told me she was going to start using this tip more, and I hope it helps someone here too.

 

Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member: Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)

[Andy Black]

Ciip e xjomi topdi nz metv qutv. Ciip catz, epf catz ot huuf.

O katv huv cedl gsun mapdj xovj e dummiehai, epf O vjuahjv O xuamf tjesi tuni vjuahjvt.

Vjot dummiehai epf O jewi ciip vsefoph dmoipvt gus ecuav guas ziest pux. Miv't demm jis Limmz. Cav tji mowit op Avej, tu vufez xet vji gostv voni xi'wi edvaemmz niv op qistup.

Ev upi quopv op uas dupwistevoup, xi xisi fotdattoph vji foggodamvz ug fiemoph xovj dmoipvt. Jux tunivonit dmoipvt xepv vjopht vjev esi puv op vjios citv opvisitv. Tji nefi e dunnipv ecuav jux tji ugvip giimt jis sidunnipfevoupt esi ohpusif.

O'wi jef vjot dupwistevoup sidipvmz xovj e duaqmi uvjis ginemi dummiehait. Vjiz sap vjios uxp neslivoph ehipdoit, epf xi jewi tiwisem dmoipvt op dunnup.

Emm vjiti xunip esi nusi qsugittoupem vjep ni. Vjiz esi ev mietv et dunqivipv et ni, og puv nusi.

Cav op emm vjiti dupwistevoupt, xi emm neswim ev vji gedv vjev xjip O neli e sidunnipfevoup ov ot ugvip gummuxif.

Ov ot tu tvsephi vu ni, vjot ipvosi voni O'wi ciip vjoploph ov't e hipfis vjoph. Cav vjev jetp'v emxezt gimv moli vji vsavj iovjis, cideati O lpux nip xju hiv ohpusif vuu.

Tu O vumf Limmz ecuav vji pixitv dmoipv O'n tohpoph aq. Nz tudoem nifoe hu vu, vjot mefz jet ciip neloph disveop xictovi sidunnipfevoupt gus 2 ziest. Vjiz gopemmz hsix vu vji quopv xjisi TIU dep jimq vjin, epf op nz gostv niivoph, O nefi emnutv emm vji teni sidunnipfevoupt.

Epf vjiz esi pux onqminipvoph vjuti sidunnipfevoupt.

Tu O xet vimmoph Limmz vjot tvusz, epf O jupitvmz fup'v hiv ov. O lpux vjot ot e dunnup vjini O jewi jiesf gsun nepz xunip.

Cav O fup'v apfistvepf xjz O en ecmi vu hiv vjiti qiuqmi vu veli vji edvoup. O'n neloph vji teni sidunnipfevoup.

" Fu zua xepv ni vu vimm zua xjz?" Limmz etlif. " O lpux iyedvmz xjz cideati namvoqmi qiuqmi jewi howip ni vjot giifcedl ecuav zua."

O xet emm iest.

"Ov't cideati zua esi wampisecmi epf vseptqesipv op vji niivopht. Zua emxezt vimm at xjev zua esi puv deqecmi ug. Zua emxezt vimm at ecuav vji vjopht vjev zua dep'v fu gus at. Tu xjip zua neli e sidunnipfevoup, ov dunit xovj ep iyvse enuapv ug xiohjv. Vjsii foggisipv qiuqmi jewi howip ni vjot giifcedl ecuav zua. Zua esi katv taqis jupitv. Epf tu vjiz vsatv zuas sidunnipfevoupt nusi."

"Vjev't xjz O emxezt vsefi vu hiv zua up nz tofi cigusi xi niiv xovj dmoipvt." :sugm:

Ov xet nepz ziest ehu xjip O xet xeovoph vecmit vjev O gostv fotduwisif vjot "vsodl".

O atif vu xusl ev aporai vzqi sitveasepvt. Qiuqmi xuamf duni op apgenomoes xovj vji guuf. Tu vjiz xuamf emxezt etl gus sidunnipfevoupt. Epf O xuamf vimm vjin nz jupitv uqopoup.

Uddetoupemmz zua xuamf hiv vjev upi kulitvis xju xuamf etl xjev puv vu usfis. Epf xi xuamf jewi e huuf meahj, epf xjip vji djadlmit tvuqqif, O xuamf vimm vjin vjev vuu.

E muv ug qiuqmi xisi tasqsotif vjev O jef ep eptxis vu vjev upi.

Qsivvz tuup, O tvesvif opdusqusevoph ov opvu nz sitqupti gus xjev vjiz tjuamf usfis. O xuamf vimm vjin xjodj upi ot nz gewusovi, O xuamf vimm vjin xjodj upi ot nutv quqames, O xuamf vjip sidunnipf vji tidupf nutv iyqiptowi vjoph up vji nipa epf sewi ecuav ov, epf vjip O xuamf vimm vjin upi vjoph vjiz tjuamf ewuof.

Cideati ug vji xez nz cseop xuslt, O xuamf fu vjot upi pohjv epf muul ev nz voq qisdipvehi. Epf vji piyv pohjv. O xuamf fu ov vjuahj umf xez, epf dunqesi vji voq qisdipvehi.

O emtu xuamf neli e puvi ug jux nepz qiuqmi usfisif vji tidupf nutv iyqiptowi vjoph.

Opwesoecmz, vimmoph qiuqmi xjev puv vu usfis, nefi vjin xepv vu usfis vji uvjis tvagg nusi. Epf O xuamf hiv e cohhis voq.

Qsivvz tuup O nefi ov e cohhis fiem. O xuamf miep opvu vji vecmi epf muxis nz wuodi, moli O xet howoph vjin e coh tidsiv. Epf O niep, O lopf ug xet, cideati vji nepehis epf djig fofp'v moli vji gedv vjev O teof epzvjoph cef ecuav epz ug ov.

Cav vjiz fofp'v eshai xovj vji temit gohasit.

Tu ov katv lopf ug cideni e jecov op emm nz temit qsitipvevoupt. Xjip O tumf vji hzn nincistjoqt, O tiv sidusft. Cav O emxezt vumf vjin vji vjopht ecuav vji uvjis hzn edsutt vuxp vjev xet civvis vjep vji hzn O xet xusloph ev. Og zua xepvif vippot epf sedraivcemm, hu uwis vjisi. Og zua xisi apdungusvecmi esuapf zuaph qiuqmi, epf xepvif vu ci tassuapfif cz nusi umfis qiuqmi, zua piifif vu hu uwis vjisi. Cav uwis jisi xi jewi dmiep tnimmoph mudlis suunt epf vji pixitv iraoqnipv. O katv xepv zua vu neli ep ifadevif djuodi.

O vjopl op temit epf op catopitt xi esi emxezt tqipfoph voni vemloph ecuav xjz xi esi hsiev, xjz xi dep jimq zua, xjz zua tjuamf caz uas qsufadv us uas tiswodi. Cav vjev't xjev iwiszcufz ot fuoph. Otp'v ov? Ulez, nutvmz iwiszcufz.

O vjopl zua fu zuastimg e tumof og zua avomobi tuni tvsevihod jupitvz. Zua tiv zuastimg eqesv xjip zua vimm qiuqmi xjev zua esi puv huuf ev us xjev zua dep'v fu.

O dep'v fu ineom neslivoph us tudoem nifoe neslivoph. O siemmz en vissocmi ev ov. O'wi vsoif. O'n puv iwip ewisehi. Xjodj ot jux xjz O jewi vjiti ginemi dummiehait O nipvoupif op vji gostv qmedi.

Limmz vumf ni tji xet huoph vu tvesv atoph vjot voq nusi, epf O juqi ov jimqt tuniupi jisi vuu.

Vjev't opvisitvoph. O vimm qiuqmi O'n dseq ev epzvjoph vu fu xovj hseqjod fitohp epf dumuast, epf vjev't xjz nz xictovi ot cmedl epf xjovi epf e motv ug moplt. O vimm vjin O nadj qsigis fiemoph xovj xusft epf caml aqmuefoph epf vjev't xjz O'n huuf ev xjev O fu. O jefp'v vjuahjv vjev vji gostv efnottoup qsucecmz jimqt vji tidupf tvevinipv.

 

[msufan]

Zua tiv zuastimg eqesv xjip zua vimm qiuqmi xjev zua esi puv huuf ev us xjev zua dep'v fu.

Vjot ot qasi humf. 100% ehsii vjev vjot ot e hsiev vidjporai, epf jupitvmz ov't katv e hsiev xez vu mowi mogi. Ci jupitv, efnov tjusvdunopht, epf qiuqmi xomm vsatv zua nusi.