Real Relationships Real Revenue - Audio Edition | Invest in Relationships to Build Your Business and Your Career

Today we’re talking about how to add value to your interactions with clients when there’s nothing to really purchase in the moment. Reliability is important, but sometimes going the extra mile is worth more.    Do things without asking. It could be as small as a handwritten note. And because of that small extra effort, that small unexpected gesture, you will add value to yourself in the eyes of your client because they associate you with going above and beyond! This episode will cover things like:   Using the unexpected to drive curiosity Adding value to your interactions with others Creating enjoyable experiences   Incorporating this “Do the Unexpected” principle into your interactions with other people will help to build your business relationships and encourage loyalty.   If you enjoyed listening today, tune in to the next episode of Real Relationships Real Revenue where we’ll be wrapping up our series on using curiosity to advance your business!   Mentioned in this episode:  Glen Jackson on Preeminence – What You Need To Succeed: https://video.realrelationshipsrealrevenue.com/glen-jackson-on-preeminence-what-you-need-to-succeed/

First impressions are a very powerful thing. When you first introduce yourself to a new client or prospect, it’s better to avoid simply stating your role within your company or business. Why? It leaves no room for curiosity! There’s no conversation or active listening happening in this kind of single-phrase interaction that’s going on.   Meeting somebody for the first time is where the curiosity should really begin!    Here are the three steps to creating a more engaging introduction:   Frame the problem you solve Have a dialogue to ensure understanding State what you do   Having an exchange about your position and your role allows for the person you’re meeting to fully understand the scope of your responsibilities. It also turns a typically one-sided interaction into a conversation, which helps to begin to build that relationship.   If you’re looking to leverage curiosity in all aspects of your business, be sure to tune in as we get into this curiosity series.   Mentioned in this episode:  How to Use Customer Experience and Marketing to Create and Close More Opportunities, with Jay Baer: https://video.realrelationshipsrealrevenue.com/how-to-use-customer-experience-and-marketing-to-create-and-close-more-opportunities-with-jay-baer/

In our last episode, we talked about how to introduce cliffhangers to create excitement and anticipation between meetings. Today, we’ll be discussing how to create that engagement DURING meetings!   Today we’ll be talking about:   Ways to hint at something that’s coming without fully giving it away How to time these hints strategically throughout your meetings Why you shouldn’t ignore using curiosity as a helpful business tool   Retaining the attention of your clients during your meetings is vital to the success and productivity of those appointments. Make the most of your time - and the most of your clients’ time - by delivering a meeting that keeps your prospects present and involved.   Don’t be afraid to use curiosity as an advantage in your business development meetings. One of the worst mistakes you can make is overlooking it as a useful tool to help you generate enthusiasm and keep the ball rolling!   I am looking forward to diving into this even further on the next episode, so be sure to tune in as we get into this curiosity series.    Mentioned in this episode:    The Top 3 Things You Need to Implement from Ron Tite, Author of Think. Do. Say. https://audio.realrelationshipsrealrevenue.com/the-top-3-things-you-need-to-implement-from-ron-tite-author-of-think-do-say/

Today we’re talking about how to break up information into digestible and attractive portions, and how to deliver those portions in ways that intrigue and excite your prospects. The best way to gain that momentum and anticipation in your business development meetings is to end the meeting with a cliffhanger.   There a few different kinds of cliffhangers you can utilize in this way, and that’s what I’ll be covering in this episode:   Ask for more data to analyze with the intention to share results during the next meeting Introduce an idea about process improvement or timeline as a next step  Suggest an introduction to somebody who has experience in the area of discussion Suggest setting up a tailored brainstorming session    As you listen to the ways you can use each of these cliffhangers to your advantage, you’ll realize how many opportunities there really are to entice your client and get them excited for their next meeting with you.   It’s okay to spread your agenda out over multiple meetings instead of crowding every topic into a single appointment. Keep your clients engaged and ready to take next steps with you!   I am looking forward to diving into this even further on the next episode, so be sure to tune in as we get started in this curiosity series.    Mentioned in this episode:    The Top 3 Things You Need to Implement from Luke Burgis, Author of Wanting: https://www.bunnellideagroup.com/the-top-3-things-you-need-to-implement-from-luke-burgis-author-of-wanting/

This week we are talking about how to create curiosity.   This is a really interesting topic because hardly anybody talks about creating curiosity.   During a normal sales process, everything’s about us.  Today we are talking about why you should be flipping this to the buyer. Today we are covering the three big scientific elements that allow us to leverage curiosity.  1. Curiosity is an intrinsic motivator 2. Curiosity creates a heightened sense of arousal 3. Curiosity allows you to remember more As you tune in to hear me cover these three elements, you will see why these are the kind of things that you want to give your client.   It’s a great experience to help them feel the feeling of curiosity.  Avoid trying to do too much too fast and you will allow your clients to feel comfortable taking the next step with you. Don’t try to close the deal on your first meeting.  Spreading out your conversations over a couple of meetings will encourage the buyer to take the next step with you without feeling pushed. I am looking forward to diving into this even further in the next episode, so be sure to tune in as we get started in this curiosity series.    Mentioned in this episode:  This is Your Brain on Curiosity: TEDx Talk with Matthais Gruber https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmaTPPB-T_s

Mo Bunnell reveals the number one skill for creating incredible growth in your career and for deepening relationships in general. Learn the frameworks for asking great questions and how they create a triple win for you and your prospect, the six types of questions you can ask to go deeper and build trust and rapport with anyone, and the biggest mistake you need to avoid for great questions to be effective.   Asking Great Questions that Work Hand in Hand with Your Business Growth Strategy Asking great questions gets you a triple win. The first being it creates an enjoyable experience for the other side. When people share information only they know (self-disclosing information), the pleasure center of their brain lights up. The second win is that you also become more likable. As people answer great questions, talking more while you talk less, the more they associate you with feeling great. The third win is that it allows you to become unique in the mind of the buyer. As they begin sharing, you are going to learn their priorities in their words. Being able to talk about what you do in the context of the other person’s goals and priorities is way more effective. When at all possible, avoid going first. If you have to, make your intro brief and shift quickly to asking the other person about their goals. People are dying to share their perspective, give that opportunity to them. You’re going to win the meeting if the other person talks more than you do. Avoid showing up with a big and clunky Powerpoint, focusing on you. Get to the other person as quickly as possible and offer ways to be helpful.   How Asking Past & Future Related Questions Affects the Success of Your Business Growth Strategy Make sure you’re getting the other side to share their personal perspective, something that only they know. Questions focused on the past and the future are great starting places for teasing out that information. Past questions include: “What historical data should we use to benchmark the future improvements we’re talking about?”, “What’s your #1 learning from leading teams on initiatives like this from the past?”, “What’s the most important experience you’ve had that's gotten you to this role?”, “What would you say has historically been the most important characteristics of an external partner like us?” Future questions get people thinking of ways they want to create value and advance things. Examples include: “What do you think this would look like if it was working well?”, “How much do you think we can improve that important metric you mentioned in three years?”, “How would people feel if we did it the way you would like?”, “What would your role look like if there were no restrictions on you?”, and “What’s the number one thing I can do to be helpful in following up?” Avoid asking stock questions, they just reveal that you haven’t done your homework. Customize the questions to show you are paying attention and care about the other person’s business.   Use This in Your Business Growth Strategy: Ask Elevating Questions During Sales Calls Future questions ask people to articulate what they think a future should look like. Elevating questions explore the present at a high level. Examples include: “How do you think your CEO sees this fitting in with your overall strategy?”, “What are the most important personal metrics for you this year, and how does this issue impact them?”, “What’s your favorite thing about your job right now?”, “If you had to choose some personal metrics right now that would elevate your profile and get you a big bonus, what would they be?” For questions around a specific issue, you’re focusing on the opposite of elevate and paying more attention to today at a detailed level. Examples include: “If you had to pick one process or step that was the most important to get right, what would it be?”, “If you could choose one quick win we could focus on and accomplish, what would it be?”, “What one person should we give some extra attention to in the meeting next week?”, and “What’s the number one thing we can improve in regards to our teams working together?” These style of questions require you to do your homework, but if you can design a great question you will get the other person thinking deeply and helping them understand themselves even better. You will probably only have the opportunity to ask four or five great questions over the course of an hour. Think deeply about the questions you want to ask.   How Connection Questions are Key to any Business Growth Strategy Connection questions are all about lateral thinking and how things fit together. The goal is to use them to get hired, develop trust, and be helpful in general. Examples include: “What other projects or teams might benefit from knowing what we’re considering?”, “What other external partners should we connect with to make things easier?”, “What connections can I make for you inside the company?”, “What kinds of updates would be most helpful for me to give you around the topic?” The next category is more focused on what’s missing. Ironically, these kinds of questions are the most interesting and most commonly skipped. Examples include: “What should we have discussed about this potential project but didn’t?”, “What other data should we begin to collect now so that we have a benchmark to prove success?”, “What kinds of people are you looking to meet?”, “What can I do to be helpful that we haven’t discussed yet?” These sorts of questions are very thought provoking and great to drop into the middle of a meeting or near the end. The trap to avoid is over indexing on your initial questions and not focusing on the questions you will use to wrap up the conversation.   Crush Your Business Growth Strategy by Avoiding Asking Prospects These Questions Research has shown that for commonly used skills, we drastically overestimate our abilities. In one particular study, people’s average percentile ability in the test skill was 12%, but they rated themselves on average at 62%. Asking great questions is the lynchpin. Earned dogmatism is a mental heuristic that says that the more we view ourselves as an expert in an area, the more close minded we become. The skills of curiosity and learning that got us our expertise wane over time unless we fight against the tendency. If you want to continue deepening relationships, you need to fight earned dogmatism by asking more questions instead of always talking about answers all the time. Wake up every morning and try to think you don’t know everything about your craft so you’re open to continuing to learn. If you can walk into every conversation with the beginner’s mind, you have a chance to grow your skills and keep getting better.     Mentioned in this Episode: “Disclosing information about the self is intrinsically rewarding” - research article by Diana I. Tamir - pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1202129109 “It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask: Question-Asking Increases Liking.” Huang, Karen, et al. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 113, no. 3, 2017, pp. 430–452. - doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000097 What Business Development REALLY Means, According to Brian Caffarelli - podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-relationships-real-revenue-video-edition/id1504330338?i=1000554062611 What Business Development REALLY Means, According to Mike Duffy - podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-relationships-real-revenue-video-edition/id1504330338?i=1000539740375   Debby Moorman on Sales – Time To Get Great At Business Development - podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-relationships-real-revenue-video-edition/id1504330338?i=1000547399956   Henning Streubel's Favorite Business Development Strategy - podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-relationships-real-revenue-video-edition/id1504330338?i=1000558839387

Research has shown that for commonly used skills, we drastically overestimate our abilities. In one particular study, people’s average percentile ability in the test skill was 12%, but they rated themselves on average at 62%. Asking great questions is the lynchpin. Earned dogmatism is a mental heuristic that says that the more we view ourselves as an expert in an area, the more close minded we become. The skills of curiosity and learning that got us our expertise wane over time unless we fight against the tendency. If you want to continue deepening relationships, you need to fight earned dogmatism by asking more questions instead of always talking about answers all the time. Wake up every morning and try to think you don’t know everything about your craft so you’re open to continuing to learn. If you can walk into every conversation with the beginner’s mind, you have a chance to grow your skills and keep getting better.     Mentioned in this Episode: Henning Streubel's Favorite Business Development Strategy - podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-relationships-real-revenue-video-edition/id1504330338?i=1000558839387

Connection questions are all about lateral thinking and how things fit together. The goal is to use them to get hired, develop trust, and be helpful in general. Examples include: “What other projects or teams might benefit from knowing what we’re considering?”, “What other external partners should we connect with to make things easier?”, “What connections can I make for you inside the company?”, “What kinds of updates would be most helpful for me to give you around the topic?” The next category is more focused on what’s missing. Ironically, these kinds of questions are the most interesting and most commonly skipped. Examples include: “What should we have discussed about this potential project but didn’t?”, “What other data should we begin to collect now so that we have a benchmark to prove success?”, “What kinds of people are you looking to meet?”, “What can I do to be helpful that we haven’t discussed yet?” These sorts of questions are very thought provoking and great to drop into the middle of a meeting or near the end. The trap to avoid is over indexing on your initial questions and not focusing on the questions you will use to wrap up the conversation.     Mentioned in this Episode: Debby Moorman on Sales – Time To Get Great At Business Development - podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-relationships-real-revenue-video-edition/id1504330338?i=1000547399956  

Future questions ask people to articulate what they think a future should look like. Elevating questions explore the present at a high level. Examples include: “How do you think your CEO sees this fitting in with your overall strategy?”, “What are the most important personal metrics for you this year, and how does this issue impact them?”, “What’s your favorite thing about your job right now?”, “If you had to choose some personal metrics right now that would elevate your profile and get you a big bonus, what would they be?” For questions around a specific issue, you’re focusing on the opposite of elevate and paying more attention to today at a detailed level. Examples include: “If you had to pick one process or step that was the most important to get right, what would it be?”, “If you could choose one quick win we could focus on and accomplish, what would it be?”, “What one person should we give some extra attention to in the meeting next week?”, and “What’s the number one thing we can improve in regards to our teams working together?” These style of questions require you to do your homework, but if you can design a great question you will get the other person thinking deeply and helping them understand themselves even better. You will probably only have the opportunity to ask four or five great questions over the course of an hour. Think deeply about the questions you want to ask.     Mentioned in this Episode: What Business Development REALLY Means, According to Mike Duffy - podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-relationships-real-revenue-video-edition/id1504330338?i=1000539740375

Make sure you’re getting the other side to share their personal perspective, something that only they know. Questions focused on the past and the future are great starting places for teasing out that information. Past questions include: “What historical data should we use to benchmark the future improvements we’re talking about?”, “What’s your #1 learning from leading teams on initiatives like this from the past?”, “What’s the most important experience you’ve had that's gotten you to this role?”, “What would you say has historically been the most important characteristics of an external partner like us?” Future questions get people thinking of ways they want to create value and advance things. Examples include: “What do you think this would look like if it was working well?”, “How much do you think we can improve that important metric you mentioned in three years?”, “How would people feel if we did it the way you would like?”, “What would your role look like if there were no restrictions on you?”, and “What’s the number one thing I can do to be helpful in following up?” Avoid asking stock questions, they just reveal that you haven’t done your homework. Customize the questions to show you are paying attention and care about the other person’s business.     Mentioned in this Episode: What Business Development REALLY Means, According to Brian Caffarelli - podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-relationships-real-revenue-video-edition/id1504330338?i=1000554062611