Written by: Vickie Sullivan | April 21, 2020
The Seeds to Plant Now
By this time, many of you are getting heartfelt gratitude for all that free help you’re giving out there. Take in those well-deserved kudos – you stepped up when it counted. You rock!
How many needs did you uncover that you can help with later on? How many of those conversations are turning into next steps in your sales process?
In our generosity, it’s easy to forget to plant seeds that will generate interest in our help later on. Here are two kinds of “ideas” you can talk about now that can lead to next steps:
• What’s the lesson here? When we ask about lessons, we usually get positive insights. That’s a great first step. The next step is to take a trip to the dark side and ask about the challenges. What cracks showed up that buyers didn’t know they had? What’s the ripple effect? Is this going to show up again? This is a great way to uncover urgent needs.
Listen: How to Uncover Hidden Challenges
• What’s next? After the encouragement, there is an opportunity to be aspirational. So, ask about hidden opportunities. Something like this: “What do you need to gear up for?” As the dust settles, folks will exhale a little and look around for what’s next. If you help them with that at the right time, a conversation can quickly turn from catching up to scoping out needed outcomes for the future.
At some point, getting new opportunities is going to matter in your business. Many of us put this off because the transition from helping to pitching feels uncomfortable. The key is to make this a smooth transition. If you haven’t already, plant these seeds now, so you can refer back to these conversations when it’s time to explore joining forces.
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