Get More Work by Showing up as You
What if you can get more work by practicing curiosity and embracing who you are? Recently my friends Cortney and Aaron shared some takeaways and behind-the-scenes about a client referral posted in the Bootcamp chat. This is what Cortney wrote:
Here’s how Aaron got himself to the top of the list of prospects and had a client leaving a zoom call with excitement, saying “Oh he’s our guy!”.
[By the way, the client was my friend and she asked me to join zoom calls etc. So I saw the whole process through from job posting, to sales call, to scheduling the workshop, and got feedback and insights from all sides.]
Aaron responded immediately. Not a day, or two days later (like I would have). I know we aren’t all going to see a job posting right away, the point is responding the minute you see it instead of waiting.
Aaron expressed excitement about the job. He was honest about any concerns he might have but combined that with excitement and positivity. This made me feel really confident passing along his contact info.
After getting a bit more info about the job, again Aaron acted quickly. He asked when the client was available to meet on a zoom call. He could have easily asked for an email but, instead, he skipped right to face-to-face. He also could have said something passive (like I would have) like “Let me know about next steps”. By this time, I had sent off about 7 email contacts to the client. She didn’t even have the opportunity to email anyone because the focus was on Aaron who was actively trying to move things forward.
Aaron jumped on a zoom call with the client as soon as possible. He showed up as himself. He was casual, welcoming, and seemed genuinely excited to be there. These are actual client comments after the call:
“He made me feel even more excited about our business.”
“He just seemed genuinely excited.”
“I loved when he got excited about something we said and told us he was going to put it at the TOP of his notes.”
“It was nice to see him taking so many notes. He was writing so fast too, like he was getting a lot out of the conversation.”
“I can’t wait to talk to him for hours when we start the workshop.”
“He seems confident in what he’s doing.”
By this time it really didn’t matter that there were 6 equally great brand strategists ready to talk to them next. The client had made up their mind. What Aaron did was simple, and it’s something we can all learn from.
Aaron acted quickly and assertively. He showed excitement every step of the way. He put the lens on the client, not himself. It was never about what he will get out of it, it was always about how he could help.
He took the first time slot available to chat. He didn’t dress differently or talk differently in the call. He was there to understand, not to prove. It’s important to note that this client is in an industry somewhat unfamiliar to Aaron. He didn’t show up with case studies or a portfolio site. We never talked about previous clients.
Aaron’s biggest asset was listening. He made the client feel heard and understood.
And the whole way through, excitement was a noticeable thread. In his slack message to me, he showed excitement which made me feel confident to pass along his contact info. He showed excitement in the client call which snowballed into more excitement from the client. Aaron showed up ready to walk away. He was excited to take the job and equally excited to share it with someone else, if it wasn’t the right fit. His head was clear of assumptions and selling anything at all.
I don’t know about you, but I feel like it’s a HUGE relief knowing how far some excitement, genuine interest in another person, and showing up as yourself, can get you.
Cheers!
Melinda
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