Sometimes, We've Got To Be Ready---And Willing--- To Take An Alternate Route

By: Betsy Buckley

Posted on 07/11/2011 - 12:02pm | From the Growth Strategy Blog

There’s a reason why they say “There are two seasons in Minnesota- winter and road construction.” During the last six weeks, at least twice a day, I’ve detoured on roads that were marked--- and a rather high number of roads that should have been marked, but weren’t.  I have learned to anticipate these detours by checking online traffic reports before leaving the office and have found new ways to save time (and frustration) by using back roads, especially scenic ones.

My destinations didn’t change--- but the way I got there did. The roads were undergoing change--- so; I needed to change as well.

I really see this re-routing as a perfect analogy to my professional life, and, especially the lives of those professionals whose rainmaking I coach. Our mantra for adding new clients for your law firm, CPA practice, consulting group, engineering firm--- really, any professional firm where what buyers choose is intangible--- is “WE GUIDE, THEY DECIDE”.

That means our guidance needs to parallel their decision making process. There are transferrable steps along the path--- find them, learn more about them, help them learn about what makes us different, have meaningful conversations to explore whether or not there’s a fit--- but those steps have optional approaches. We guide by being vigilantly aware of their decision making process, and, directly asking them at every step of the way--- “in what ways has this conversation been valuable to you, and, what are you seeing as possible next steps?”

We also focus the direction of the next phase of the potential buying journey based on how they think--- not on what we think we should or must or even want to do.

What’s the secret to making that work? To use the road repair example, it’s definitely not what I did the first day my access to 94W was under repair. I hadn’t watched the signs that had been posted for the previous two weeks announcing that the exit was going to be closed. I didn’t pay attention to the traffic report on the news as I worked out earlier the morning of my meeting. I didn’t look down as I crossed over the freeway to get to the exit, and see the traffic backed up both ahead of me and behind. And, I didn’t give myself enough time to evaluate options, because I hadn’t been prepared.

Here’s what I should have done--- and how this approach can apply to practical preparation for a second meeting with a potential client.

• ANTICIPATE: During the first meeting, we should find out about any decision making criteria they typically use. For example, knowing how someone makes a major purchase decision such as a car or house or even a vacation provides great insight into their decision making style and solid clues about the preferred approaches we should be using as we guide them.
• ASK AND AGREE: When concluding a first meeting, we should ask for and agree to a second meeting only after raising questions about their interest and possible next steps (including timeline and budget). And, we should talk about this not as a “meeting”, or “getting together again” or even “having lunch”. We should frame this as a way to explore together whether or not we might be a valuable resource for them.
• BE PREPARED: Always send a draft agenda for the meeting and ask for and incorporate their feedback. We all need to have a written plan (even if it is only three bullet points on a post it) about the desired outcomes from the meeting. Sometimes, rehearsing is helpful (think of it as a test drive on a new road, just to make sure you are ready).

We guide, they decide. And, by staying focused on them, disciplined enough to anticipate and ask, and being fully prepared we can take as many alternate routes to guide them toward their decisions as are needed. That’s what matters.