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Clients are more likely to do business with you if they know, like and trust you. And while it’s easy to become “known” to a potential client, and be sure they “know” what you can do for them, getting them to trust you is a huge issue.
I find that once I’ve delivered successfully for a client, that trust level is high – but at the start of the relationship, we’re both feeling our way.
One way to build trust, even before you meet a prospect, is by showing yourself to be like them. This is because if you build commonality with them, they’re more likely to believe that you can help them solve their problem.
Consider three scenarios:
• So you’re at a networking meeting, and you meet a potential client named Farooz. He’s got so much potential for you (professionally, of course) that you’re just dying to work with him. You’re the solution to a lot of problems Farooz is facing. And Farooz is equally smitten by you (professionally, of course). So next morning, he plugs your name into LinkedIn to find out if you really have the credibility you presented last night. Now ask yourself: Would Farooz be impressed with what he finds on your profile?
• Or, let’s say that Farooz was talking with one of his colleagues, and mentions some of his business issues. His colleague says that you were able to help her out on some of her issues, and that he really should give you a call. Farooz plugs your name into LinkedIn to find out about you…
• Or, this time Farooz reads an article you’ve written, hears you give a speech, or hears you interviewed on his favorite business podcast. He wants to know more, and wants to be informed about you before he picks up the phone. So once again…
Here are some simple, easy ways you can multiply your reach from public speaking, to get the best benefit from your engagement. I think that this comes in two ways. In a future post, we’ll look into how to get benefit from social media, as regards public speaking. But in this post, I’ll focus on how to get more uses from the information in your speech.
“When are you going to get a real job?” Every independent business professional has been asked this question. Maybe it was asked by your prospective love interest… or your in-laws… or maybe you were asking yourself. It might have been after you failed to land a client, or lost one, or just had a bad quarter. A steady paycheck looks good at such times.
I know that feeling. I’ve had a real job. Several. My most recent job was the best one I’ve ever had, and it still had its, well, limitations. I was way too vulnerable to other people telling me what work to do, and whether I’d be able to go on doing it.
The time is right for the skilled independent professional to spread his/her wings.This post talks about why this is the time to seize the day, and gives you some ideas on how to do that.
Does your content focus on what you want to say – or on what your prospective client wants to hear? The best topics for blogs are those that show your ability to meet the most pressing issues that your clients want to solve.
That is your objective, right? You DO want to make sure that what you’re selling, in terms of services, is what the market wants to buy? Anything else, and you’ll get lonely, with an empty bank account.
Here’s how one particular kind of content can help keep you on the straight and narrow – aligning your services with the market’s needs. It’s called “newsjacking,” which is a term from the world of content marketing.
Have you been developing thought leadership content that does a good job of showcasing your skills, but it’s not working? It’s not showing up in topic searches on Google, and it’s not effective at convincing clients to get in touch?
Some people think that solving this is all about the right keywords and other forms of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). And I agree, it’s important to have those elements in place. But go deeper to genuinely serve the needs of the people you want as clients.