Conversations About Conversations

HOW TO RESPOND TO "YOUR COMPETITION COSTS LESS THAN YOU" Clients and prospects will frequently say things like: -You COST too much. -Your fees are too high. -Your COMPETITION costs less than you. Where many go wrong is by improvising a response instead of following a DISCIPLINED PROCESS for handling objections. Most of the time a cost objection is actually a VALUE PERCEPTION PROBLEM. The cost is NEVER AN ISSUE when perceived VALUE is CLEAR and desired. There is a strategic decision you can make to set yourself apart so you don't have to get stuck in a cost/price competition. WATCH the video to learn what your COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE is and how you can simply and easily reposition "low cost" as a drawback rather than a benefit. ….. READ: Conversations: How to Manage Your Business Relationships One Conversation at a Time — Available now on Amazon http://a.co/d/7Ruhapu CONTACT: [email protected] Conversations About Conversations - Episode 81 #conversationsaboutconversations

KNOW YOUR TOOLS AND USE THEM SKILLFULLY In this episode of Conversations About Conversations, I draw an analogy between a precision probe set (a term for the tools a dental hygienist uses) and the question types I write about in two of the chapters of my book. I encourage you to challenge yourself to use questions in a strategic and precise fashion in your conversations. Take advan­tage of different question types in order to increase your effectiveness. Because, if you're not using questions skillfully, you're not taking full advantage of the tools necessary to succeed in managing your business relationships one conversation at a time. WATCH the video for an overview of the different probes/question types available to you. ….. READ: Conversations: How to Manage Your Business Relationships One Conversation at a Time — Available now on Amazon http://a.co/d/7Ruhapu CONTACT: [email protected] Conversations About Conversations - Episode 83 #conversationsaboutconversations

THE WORD PEOPLE FEAR THE MOST Even though "no" is just a word, it's still one of the most powerful ones. "No" usually prevents us—at least temporarily—from ACHIEVING our OBJECTIVES. It's easy to give up and not want to ask again. The fear of hearing "no" inhibits us from powerfully and freely expressing ourselves and asking for what we want. The problem is to get the kind of results you want, you need to become COMFORTABLE with and intentionally put yourself in situations where you might hear "no". WATCH the video for a discussion about the relationship we have with the word "no" and the impact that has on us. Consider being a "yes" to the word "no". ….. READ: Conversations: How to Manage Your Business Relationships One Conversation at a Time — Available now on Amazon http://a.co/d/7Ruhapu CONTACT: [email protected] Conversations About Conversations – Episode 84 #conversationsaboutconversations

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A ROOKIE AND A VETERAN QUARTERBACK While your presentation skills and ability to articulate yourself are important, you need to be more than just a good "talker" to have extraordinary conversations, you need to be able to read your clients like elite quarterbacks READ THE DEFENSE. You must be able to quickly assess your client's reactions IN REAL TIME so you can respond appropriately and effectively. The problem is if you don't ANTICIPATE or RECOGNIZE what the defense has in store for you, you increase the risk of throwing an interception or fumbling the ball. WATCH the video to learn THREE IDEAS for how to better read the defense. ….. READ: Conversations: How to Manage Your Business Relationships One Conversation at a Time — Available now on Amazon http://a.co/d/7Ruhapu CONTACT: [email protected] Conversations About Conversations – Episode 86 #conversationsaboutconversations

CHECK EARLY AND OFTEN FOR ACCEPTANCE The problem is you make a lot of ASSUMPTIONS in your conversations. You make a lot of good points as well. However, when you reflect back on a conversation you wonder: 1) Did he actually ACCEPT what I said or not? 2) He didn't disagree. Does that mean he AGREED? 3) He didn't say no. Does that mean he's a YES? The problem with NOT checking for acceptance is you're making things harder than it needs to be. It's harder to collaborate and it's harder to get interim and ultimate AGREEMENT. It's inefficient and can be confusing for both parties involved. It doesn't have to be this way. Find out how on this episode of Conversations About Conversations. ….. >>>READ: Conversations: How to Manage Your Business Relationships One Conversation at a Time — Available on Amazon http://a.co/d/7Ruhapu >>>CONTACT: [email protected] ….. Conversations About Conversations – Episode 106 #conversationsaboutconversations

The problem is you don't have a voicemail strategy. You don't determine what kind of message you're going to leave and what you're going to say before you call. You determine it on-the-fly, and often on auto-pilot, instead of preparing in advance as part of a comprehensive communication plan. You decide to wing it versus planning and putting together a complete voicemail strategy. As a result, you often leave long and rambling messages that your clients or prospects don't want to listen to. Worse, the quality of your voicemails increases the probability they don't/won't return your calls. It doesn't have to be this way. Find out how on this episode of Conversations About Conversations. ….. >>>READ: Conversations: How to Manage Your Business Relationships One Conversation at a Time — Available on Amazon http://a.co/d/7Ruhapu >>>CONTACT: [email protected] ….. Conversations About Conversations – Episode 105 #conversationsaboutconversations

The problem is you argue too much.

You unintentionally put yourself on the other side of the table from your clients.

You pick the wrong battles and then you find it very challenging to move these kinds of conversations forward once they go down this path.

In the end, your clients aren't satisfied and neither are you. Even if you win the argument, you really lose because of the way you made your client feel.

It doesn't have to be this way.

Find out how on this episode of Conversations About Conversations.

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>>>READ: Conversations: How to Manage Your Business Relationships One Conversation at a Time — Available on Amazon http://a.co/d/7Ruhapu

>>>CONTACT: [email protected]

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Conversations About Conversations – Episode 104

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When I was in my 20s, I thought my enthusiasm and knowledge would be the major determining factors of SUCCESS in my conversations with clients. BUT: -I was inundating my clients with information. -I was trying to cover too much. -I was talking at them so much I was figuratively DROWNING them in information. They couldn't have possibly absorbed everything I put forth—I was barely letting them breath, let alone swallow what I was saying. I was using a fire hose when I should have been using a glass and only providing a refill when THEY were ready for more. I learned that while you may have considerable knowledge about your company's products and services, your clients don't need to know what you know. Your clients JUST need to know enough to satisfy their NEEDS—and nothing more. ..... >>>READ: Conversations: How to Manage Your Business Relationships One Conversation at a Time — Available on Amazon http://a.co/d/7Ruhapu >>>CONTACT: [email protected] Conversations About Conversations – Episode 103 #conversationsaboutconversations

ARE YOU CONFIDENT OR OVER CONFIDENT? Without confidence, it's HARD to effectively manage your business relationships. BUT with too much confidence, you might operate on the FALSE assumption that you're better than you think you are. IF you think you're better than you really are, you don't do the things necessary to improve yourself and maximize your growth as a professional. 12 years ago, when I was already a 13-year veteran in my field, my mentor told me I wasn't good enough to wing it. I didn't believe him at first—I was shocked and offended when he said that. BUT he was absolutely right. I was OVER confident which meant I didn't realize I how much I was WINGING IT. I thought I was playing chess, but I was really only playing checkers. What about you? Are you confident or OVER confident? ….. >>> READ: Conversations: How to Manage Your Business Relationships One Conversation at a Time. Available now on Amazon http://a.co/d/7Ruhapu >>>CONTACT: [email protected] Conversations About Conversations – Episode 102 #conversationsaboutconversations

This episode of Conversations About Conversations starts with a love story before moving on to the important topic of building rapport in your business conversations. When you're not good at building rapport it has a real IMPACT on your conversations AND your bottom-line business results (aka $$$ in your pocket). I didn't believe it was POSSIBLE to get rapport with anyone at any time and under any circumstance—but now that I've learned how, I do. Rapport is the FOUNDATION of a successful conversation. And no matter how good you think you are at building rapport with your clients or prospects, I imagine you could be better. ..... READ: Conversations: How to Manage Your Business Relationships One Conversation at a Time. Available now on Amazon http://a.co/d/7Ruhapu WATCH/LISTEN: to other episodes: http://bit.ly/YouTubeConversationsChannel http://bit.ly/ConversationsApplePodcast http://bit.ly/ConversationsGooglePodcast CONTACT: [email protected] Conversations About Conversations – Episode 101 #conversationsaboutconversations