Most of us are complex characters, with all sorts of interesting features and quirks. Put it simply, we’re unique.
Unfortunately, this uniqueness can get in the way of business. Others might put you in a box or completely misunderstand who you are. They might not understand the value you can offer or what you could potentially deliver.
That’s where this post can help. It explores some strategies and tactics you can use to ensure your clients “get you.” This way, you can reduce the risk of misunderstandings and achieve your business potential.
Make Your Value Proposition Clear
The first step is to make your value proposition clear. You want to be in a situation where the person on the other side of the deal knows exactly what they are getting from you. Your personality shouldn’t cloud this in any way.
The best way to do this is to leave your personality at the door and simply deal with what you can offer. Talking about your products and services, and showing how they work can be a powerful motivator to get people to buy.
Listen Actively
Another strategy you can use is active listening. Taking time to really hear what your clients are saying gives them confidence that you’re actually trying to help them, not just pushing your products.
Active listening means tailoring how you talk to the opposing party based on what they say. You shouldn’t be waiting to just make it so that it’s you who says the next sentence or gets the point across.
In some cases, you may need to bite your tongue. But that’s okay: the idea is to get your clients to feel positively toward you and understand where you’re coming from.
Use Simpler Language
You can also help your clients “get you” by using simpler language. Boiling everything down to a few easy-to-interpret phrases can help enormously and set the relationship off on the right foot.
Don’t try to be too technical with people you want to sell to. Remember, all they care about is the benefits your products and services bring. They aren’t usually interested in how everything works, especially if understanding that would require a technical qualification.
Outline Your Deliverables
Another way to ensure your clients “get you” is to outline what you offer in concrete terms. Simply listing what they get in a crude manner can be a highly effective marketing strategy in industries where the outcome of an exchange isn’t obvious.
For example, you could write a list of ways you will help them through the next stage of their business instead of simply offering generic “entrepreneurial consulting.”
Invest In Personal Branding
Investing in personal branding also helps clients “get you.” The more you can put forward a simplified view of who you are and what you offer, the more likely customers are to gain a deeper understanding of your motivations, goals, aspirations, and services.
Starting with embossed business cards is one way to get your branding across. You can also run courses, set up a website, advertise on social media, or simply adopt a specific voice when you talk to people in person.
Be Transparent
Transparency is another way to help your clients just “get you.” Being open and honest about who you are makes you appear less mysterious and more predictable (even if you are an original thinker).
Of course, being transparent is a skill that’s hard to get right. You want to show people who you are but you also want to avoid revealing your entire hand.
The trick here is to mention if you are holding something back and explain why. Highly skilled businesspeople do this all the time to sidestep challenging questions without making themselves appear opaque.
Be Available
It’s also critical to be available if you want your clients to understand you. Being around them more will help them form fuller and better impressions of who you are and what you offer.
You don’t need to be available 24/7, but you should have regular office hours when clients can contact you. It can also help if you host webinars or other public events where you can interact with them.
Talk About Past Achievements
Finally, you might want to talk to your clients about your past achievements. Letting them know what you’ve done before often drives sales.
That’s because it gives them an opportunity to see how you can help them. Showing them what you’ve done before is the ultimate proof you can deliver (especially if you can back it up with solid reviews).
