Jedi Mind Trick: Networking, Selling and Pitching
with Kevin Airgid
Presented on September 18 2014 in Toronto at
FITC's Web Unleashed 2014 Conference
More info at www.fitc.ca
OVERVIEW
In this session, Kevin Airgid discusses how to:
Avoid dead ends and network with true leads
Use non-verbal cues to read your clients and adjust accordingly during a meeting
Never sell but teach your clients to buy by becoming a resource and an advocate for their goals
OBJECTIVE
To increase your sales numbers
TARGET AUDIENCE
Anyone in sales or networking
ASSUMED AUDIENCE KNOWLEDGE
You are already doing some type of internal or external sales networking or selling
FIVE THINGS AUDIENCE MEMBERS WILL LEARN
1. Use nonverbal cues to read your client
2. Increase sales
3. K.I.S.S. pitch writing
4. How to become a resource
5. How to form a bridge with your clients to build relationships
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Editor's Notes
Welcome what will we learn today?
Setup chairs (2) and ask someone to participate in the presentation
How to add value to your client interactions
Explain how value is over used term
How to win more business by just being more authentic and becoming a trusted resource
A little about Kevin Airgid
Here are a few of my clients
What separates me from the rest of the interactive services industry?
I’m not a better designer?
I’m not really big (there is only me in my company)
I’m not really all that attractive?
But what I am is service oriented, value oriented (explain)
First Impressions
We all chew gum, put on some good cloths, brush our hair, (some even have a shower) before we meet clients to make a good impression
Often concentrate on our physical appearance but totally forget the world of the non-verbal
You only have once chance to make a good first impression and I am going to show you how using non-verbal cues
First Impressions 2
“I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.” Babe-raham-lincoln
Isn’t this true sometimes we can make a judgment call on someone in the first 2 minutes of meeting them
What do you use to judge someone? Their hair, cloths? The way they talk?
These are all things people use to judge someone and form a first impression, but there is a hidden world of the non-verbal
When you are in your first meeting explain how to: mirror their language style
Example of account rep who was all business when client wanted to joke around
Go slow if the client is a slow talker (but not outside of your norm)
If the client is a faster talker pick it up!
Really pay attention to not only what the client is saying but how, there are many clues there how to work
First Impressions 2
Did he really just sniff my arse?
There is a difference between kissing your clients butt and show genuine interest in their lives
Often I will “Google Stock” a new company
Give example of mountain biking and my OLN client
The goal is to build a bridge between you and them inside the world of the “personal”
Clients buy from clients that they feel are like them, and that they like
Mirror, Mirror
Another excellent technique is called “mirroring your client”
I have seen people naturally do this and it’s not uncommon for it to happen spontaneously
It’s just another way to get clients to feel you are “like” them and “on the same page”
Explain Technique
Ask up person from audience and go over technique (explain I am NOT an expert)
Talk about active listening, and repeating back what you hear
KISS METHOD
Just another way to add value to your interaction with your clients
View the proposal writing phase as just another way to add value to the interaction with your client
Include as many ideas and suggestions that you think give your client options
KISS METHOD
Bullshit free copy starts here. Add value or go home.
Example of dot.com company 200 page document, it’s needed sometimes but do you need to describe your process?
Avoid “marketing” speak
Include casual language if possible, and make it personal, and avoid talking in 3rd person (depends on client)
Write like you and the client are a team approaching the project, not “them against us”
Look at this actual example it’s only 4 pages
I always include my logo and clients logo together (reinforces we are a team visually!)
Spell the clients name right: give example (Durham College)
Highlight key concerns from client conversation (I actually use MS Word highlight function)
ARE YOU ADDING VALUE
Are you like our friend C3P0 when you enter an asteroid field you just bla bla bla bla
I feel “adding value” is a very over used term, it’s really become watered down
But are you really becoming a trusted resource?
My style is to be as authentic as I can be, and to genuinely care about my clients long term goals
Once again is my company better no? am I a better designer no? Am I more expensive “yes” often.
How do I keep clients happy? I become a resource for them.
LITTLE RED BOOK OF SELLING
It changed my business and actually has made me way more money
It’s common sense so common you’d be surprised more people are not following it
It’s only $4 bucks used or $9 bucks for a kindle so there is no excuse not to buy it!
I love this handy book mark
It’s not meant to be read cover to cover, but skimmed daily as a reminder
It has great lists
Become Valuable
The more valuable you become, the more the marketplace (or your clients) will reward you. Give First. Become knows as a resource, not a salesperson. Your Value is linked to your knowledge and your willingness to help others. How Valuable are you?
If you remember only one thing from this presentation today it should be this slide
If you can transition from a “freelancer” or a “service provider” company to a “resource”. You my friend are golden.
How do you do this? Well first off you need to care about what your clients are doing.
You need to share with them often ideas, and new ways to do things that will either save them money, or make life easier
How I added Value:
Tell the app vs the web app story
Develop and Maintain a positive attitude
Surprising this is not a common characteristic
And to be honest it’s one of my struggle points with my business
It’s also very “buzzy” and kinda “positive motivation poster kinda crap thing”
But it’s true, people like to be around positive people… it sells
How to do things to get more positive (things that work for me)
Stay away from negative people
Listen to music you love
Volunteer with the poor
Listen to positive hypnosis tapes
Look up “tapping” or EFT on Google
Business Card
I do no advertising my business card is my only “ad”
I had paper business cards a while ago
Just got these plastic ones
Tell the story about “can I keep this”
If you can’t get in front of the real decision maker: YOU SUCK
Because it’s no use talking to the guy who collects the quotes unless you talk to the guy who buys
How do you get to meet the decision maker? He is a VP, busy man/woman?
Example of becoming a trusted resource, a partner
How to get clients to buy from you even when your price is higher:
Example of Bob and Will
Bob is a resource, always sending the client new articles and the go-to-guy for questions, which he answers with enthusiasm
Will is a great guy too, but doesn’t really share all that much, but is very responsive to phone calls for “orders”
Bob and Will get to bid on a project. Bob’s price is 35% higher than Wills price.
Client has to decide between the lower price Will or Bob who is a trusted resource, whom he also likes more
Who do you think they are going to pick?
This is the same for my clients. I’m often not the cheapest, but they trust me. They know I’ll deliver reliable work that will make them look good.
Use creativity to differentiate and dominate: In your clients mind: transition from a worker be to a valued team member.
How?
Never be an “order taker” become a trusted partner, see your self as this. This is important you have to change the way your see your self.
When clients ask you to bid on work always see it as way to bring value to the table. Maybe do a little more research into new ways to solve their problem.
Example: using Dreamhost as a cheap development server spending $100 vs having a $150 / programmer taken off an important task to do it
Become a valuable resource, someone they will call to ask questions.
Example: client referred me to TV show, then I provided them with a solution to use low-tech animate GIF’s instead of video so it will work on the iPad
THE END!?!?!!