Stop “should-ing” on your clients!

As I write, I’m in a plane on my way to Denver, CO for a meeting. My presentation is ready, and I’m rested. I know the material inside and out and I have the head of our Los Angeles office meeting me there, so we’ll be well represented – to say the least.

Several months ago, one of our large SEO clients (a global media company) formed a strategic relationship with a Denver based firm and are now preparing to move all the management of the services we provide from London (where it has been managed up to this point) to Denver (where it will be managed from here on out by the new strategic partner). Because we’ve done an excellent job so far, we’ve been given an opportunity to go to Denver, introduce ourselves, and see if we can perpetuate our engagement through the new management team – an interesting challenge. Just to set the stage properly, the new management team is led by a very knowledgeable gentleman, who’s been performing large SEO initiatives successfully for most of his career – most recently with a Denver-based vendor who is both talented, and local.

Hmmmm…. Do you see my dilemma?

I have two hours scheduled in which time I must introduce myself, our firm and the services we provide. Review the work we have done with their new strategic partner to date, provide recommendations on how we might work together in the future and make the value we provide clear to him and his internal team.

But is that really what I should be focused on?

I think the real challenge for me is to establish trust, demonstrate our expertise and credibility, and establish whether or not there’s professional chemistry between us – I think these are the real keys to a successful working relationship in the new era of conscious commerce.

But how will I establish trust and credibility in two hours?!?

What I’ve found in communication is that there’s a process for everything. And when you break it all down, there are a handful of rules, that when thoughtfully applied, will generate the desired result with your target audience.

Before I tell you what they are, let me first start with a warning for those of you who think they can simply “talk the talk” and get what they want in a presentation. Generally speaking if you are not credible, presenting yourself in a credible way will not work. Same holds for expertise. If you don’t have it, there’s very little you can do to demonstrate it with the proper communication techniques. So… assuming you are both credible and talented, how do you get that across in two hours and build the necessary level of trust to get you to the next stage of the process? I’ll tell you what I am about to do:

First, I intend to listen. A lot. There are thousands of things I COULD talk about while I’m there, and while I’m interested in each of them, I would be foolish to believe that my client prospect is. By listening, he will tell me what’s important to him, and when he’s shared all of his thoughts, I will be able to address each point with information about us – shared in the context of HIS concerns.

Next, is the way in which I will share information about us. In my experience, it’s much more effective to speak experientially rather than to “tell someone how it is”. These are intelligent people, who understand what we’re talking about and have their own opinions on how things “should” be done. If I “should” all over them, they will tune out. Instead, I’ll share my experiences on relevant subjects. Only then will what I have to say be meaningful to them.

There’s another interesting side effect of sharing relevant experiences. Without saying so directly, it demonstrates our expertise and lends credibility. I will have an opportunity to share our deep level of subject matter knowledge in the context of examples that are relevant to what he wants to talk about, in the name of our other clients – many of which he will have heard of.

Finally, I’m going to remember to stay clear of “our messages” in favor of talking about “his pains”. In so far as my message addresses his pain, he’ll be interested in what I have to say. If I start talking about what I want to talk about (my message) he will tune out because he’ll feel he’s being sold to.

When I land it will be about 11am, and we’ll have until 4pm to drive in, meet, drive out and get back on our respective flights back to Los Angeles and Miami. Competing with an incumbent firm is always a challenge, and while I’m very optimistic about our chances, I recognize that there will be a lot of “proving ourselves” before we achieve our ultimate goal – an investment I’m willing to make.

My strategy is simple. I will remain focused on my client prospects concerns, and apply my expertise in an experiential way to solve their problems. Then back up our conversation with case studies and references that validate we deliver what we say we do, on time.

Many miles to go today before I rest… and many more before this program becomes a reality. But I’m feeling good about it.

Stay tuned