Do You Practice “We Guide, They Decide™?”

By: Betsy Buckley

Posted on 10/25/2011 - 10:24pm | From the Growth Strategy Blog

This past week, I spent three days at my beloved undergraduate alma mater, St Norbert College, in trustee meetings, celebratory dinners (honoring alumni and celebrating new faculty), and campus tours, including some amazing new construction.

I always learn something about the business of higher education during these sessions, but at this particular meeting, a professional light bulb went off in my head. At What Matters, we work with financial and professional services firms when they want growth, specifically when they realize they need more revenue. We help them learn, practice and apply business development skills to generate revenue and coach them into new behaviors to create lasting results.  

Most professionals see themselves as experts in serving clients, but few of them have ever learned how to get clients. When they’re honest, many professionals will acknowledge their distaste for, discomfort with or sheer dislike of “sales.” They tend to think it’s merely transactional, involves slick talking (who could forget Danny DeVito in The Tin Men), and uses high pressure techniques to get results.  

We help them “flip” their mindset and realize that their job is not to sell, but rather to guide potential clients into discovering whether their firm’s expertise might provide added value to the client. Instead of pushing what they have, they end up collaboratively discussing what their potential clients want, and use that to help guide the decision making.

As our Advancement Committee at St. Norbert College met and reviewed our year-to-date contributions, it hit me. What gift officers do in discussing a possible investment in the college is really no different than what our CPA, attorney, architects or engineering clients do, as they explore whether working together with a potential client might make sense. 

Both are convinced they don’t want to sell--- and fear asking because they might hear a “no.” I find myself on a mission to help both groups realize who plays what role in these dances. Buyers and donors are the decision makers. Their decision comes from inside them, not from any outside pushing or manipulating we might do.

All we do is guide them along the journey.  Certainly, this requires us to be clear about the value that we can provide for them. Perhaps, more importantly, it requires us to be prepared, to have done our homework, to ask powerful questions, to listen, to understand and to identify the criteria they will use in making their decisions.  

Are you guiding and letting them decide? If not, call us. We’re here to help.