Talk to Strangers: How Everyday, Random Encounters Can Expand Your Business, Career, Income, and Life (12 page)
Authors: David Topus
Chapter 20
Be Clear on Your Own Value Proposition
A successful random encounter will benefit both parties. In fact, the more you demonstrate what (and sometimes who) you have to offer, the more likely the other party will want to associate with you. You will often be the one who reaps the most from the connection you make, at least at first. You may come away from the conversation with a name, an insight, a key piece of information, a chance to make a proposal, or even a sale itself. And although it’s impossible to predict what you will get from a random conversation, successful random connectors know they have to bring value to the conversation if they are going to create credibility. They also know what that value is (see
Table 20.1
). They are confident and self-assured about what they know and have to offer. This is why it’s essential to be clear in
your own
mind about your value proposition; it will help build your credibility in the eyes of your burgeoning connection.
Table 20.1
Ways to Describe What You Do That Build Credibility, Engage, Compel, and Get the Other Person to Want to Do Business With You
| Descriptions That Don’t Create Perceived Value | Descriptions That Create High Levels of Perceived Value |
| I’m a mechanical engineer. | I build systems that result in greater efficiency for manufacturing plants. |
| I’m a Realtor. | I help people sell their houses quickly, at the highest possible market rate. |
| I’m an organizational development consultant. | I show companies how to align their people with their processes to create highly productive corporate cultures. |
| I sell cars. | I help people drive the automobile of their dreams, for less money than they ever thought possible. |
| I’m an artist. | I bring beauty into people’s lives. |
| I do personal coaching. | I enable people to find more satisfaction and gratification in their personal and professional lives. |
| I’m a recruiter. | I help companies find and hire the best talent in the market. |
| I do multilevel marketing. | I help people realize their dreams of managing their own destiny. |
| I’m a financial planner. | I show people how to create financial security and achieve their goals of financial independence. |
CASE STUDY: A random encounter and a confession to a complete stranger while on vacation in Aruba leads to a lucrative opportunity for David A.’s firm.
David runs a successful executive recruiting practice; however, he knows that what he
really
does is help companies grow by attracting the best talent. He struck up a conversation with a complete stranger while on vacation in Aruba—and landed a huge client for his firm. As Dave explains it:I was in Aruba with my wife, and we passed many daytime hours shopping at the resort stores. One particular store had a seating area set aside for husbands and boyfriends to wait while their female companions browsed the merchandise.
I took a seat and began chatting with the man next to me. We developed an instant rapport when I said shopping for clothes with my wife was not my favorite activity. After a few more exchanges about the obligations we husbands carry, I asked where he was from.
My ears perked up when he mentioned Silicon Valley, as that is where many of my best clients are. After comparing notes on our hometowns, the transition to asking what he did for a living came naturally. Turns out he was the CEO of a midsize software company.
As I asked about his company’s services and specialties, my new friend grew increasingly excited as he spoke about some of the innovative products his company was working on. I saw this as a cue to position myself as someone who could add value to his company, so I asked, “Do you intend to continue growing the size of your company?”
He replied with an emphatic, “Yes.”
That’s when I had my golden opportunity: “I can help you do that,” I responded with a big smile. A quick overview of my firm’s services followed, along with an exchange of contact information.
I called my new acquaintance when I got back to Philadelphia. He remembered our conversation clearly and put me in touch with his vice president of sales. It was easy for me to win the VP’s confidence, since I had been referred by his CEO!
That company became one of my five biggest clients. And it all started because I confessed to the person next to me that I don’t really like to shop for women’s clothes.
You bring value, either through what you know, what you sell, what you do, or who you know. And understanding the value you offer is essential in creating credibility for yourself and direction for the conversation. As discussed previously, you want to focus on the other person and how that person can be of value to you. However, keep in mind that Favor Avenue is not always a one-way street. At the end of the day, your ability to help
the other person
is what makes the connection work. Besides, it is your offering that will monetize the relationship—and no one will spend money on your product, hire you, invest in your company, or otherwise commit their precious resources to you if they don’t perceive that they will get something in return.
My title is sales readiness and messaging consultant. However, that’s just a description of what I
do
. It doesn’t really reflect the value I bring to companies and individuals. So when I am asked about my profession, I say, “I turn reputations into revenue.” This speaks to the outcome I create, and it’s the outcome people want. From that point, I can explain how I do this and what that process involves. And when I explain my job this way, people light up. Even if they don’t know exactly what it entails, they appreciate that it’s clever and results-oriented.
Your value comes in many ways. What you know—your subject matter expertise—can be incredibly useful to others. What you provide through your service can have great value to others. The way you deliver your product or service can represent a profitable return for the other person. Knowing what you know—and knowing how your knowledge, products, and services translate into something of value to others—is the key to effective sales and thus effective random connecting. Getting the other party to place the confidence in you to turn what began as a chance meeting into a business relationship is the golden nugget of turning random encounters into profitable business relationships.
In fact, the higher up the influence ladder you go, the more important your knowledge and expertise will be in establishing your credibility and value to the other person. And while you surely don’t want to be a show-off, you
do
want to make it clear to the CEO you just met that you know your stuff. Or make it clear to the director of human resources at a target potential employer that you’re at the top of your game. In either case, you want to express the fact that you’re the best the marketplace has to offer.
If you are a marketing consultant, you will make a far greater impact by saying you “help companies expand their customer base by identifying and capturing high-profit segments of their market” than by merely saying that you are “a marketing consultant.” If you are a supply chain manager, you will garner far more attention from the chief financial officer (CFO) you just met by saying you “enable companies to reduce their costs and maximize profit and quality by creating greater efficiency in their supply chain.” And if you’re a housepainter, you will be much better off telling others you “improve the visual appeal, maintenance, and market value of people’s homes” rather than simply by stating that you “paint houses.”
How you describe your value proposition makes all the difference in how others perceive you. Your job title doesn’t necessarily adequately describe how you represent value to the other party. Your value proposition comes through when you can explain exactly how what you do makes a difference for the other person or their company. Describing your value proposition in these terms not only will allow you to fully capture others’ attention and establish your own credibility faster but will also pique others’ interest in what you can do for them—and make them more likely to want to stay in touch.
Chapter at a Glance
- Successful random encounters are mutually beneficial.
- You bring value to others through your product, service, or expertise.
- By describing yourself in terms of the outcome you create, you build credibility and perceived value for yourself in the mind of your new contact.
Chapter 21
Position Yourself as an Expert
People are valued for their knowledge in today’s marketplace. It’s not just
who
you know nowadays; it’s
what
you know. You have expertise in your field; maybe there’s something you know how to do better than anyone else. Maybe you have insights into how others can use what you do to improve their lives. Maybe you have detailed knowledge of industry trends or competitive offerings. Maybe you know marketplace luminaries. Whatever the case may be, there’s no better time or place to share some of that knowledge and expertise than when you want to turn a random encounter into a profitable business relationship.
People are looking for solutions to business, career, and even personal challenges. And even if they are surrounded by resources in their day-to-day position, there’s always room for a new insight, approach, or observation to help them see things in a new or more productive way. Creativity and innovation are in great demand today, but is in short supply.
As a random connector seeking to enhance other’s lives and thereby establish mutually profitable relationships, it all comes down to your credibility and your ability to establish your value by sharing some of what you know. Not
everything
you know, of course—just enough to show that you have expertise. Your new connection will appreciate and recognize that, and he or she will reward that with interest and a desire to engage you as a resource.
Look for opportunities to make value-added remarks as you listen to your new contact; if opportunities don’t present themselves, create them. Share what you know—not by acting like a know-it-all, but by presenting yourself as someone who has a command of his or her chosen profession. Let the other party know that you are a pro. An expert. A leader.
If the other person is talking about a specific problem, offer a solution. If the person is talking about a personal goal, offer a way to achieve it. If the person is looking for something, help find it.
Did you just meet a new potential customer? Make a point of understanding what business problems or challenges that person has that your product or service might be able to solve. Have you just encountered someone whose company is building a division and hiring expertise like yours? Position yourself as a top talent whose background is ideally suited for the jobs the company is trying to fill. Does this person have connections in a company or organization you have wanted to access? Let him or her know you have something of potential value for that other company and that you would appreciate an introduction. Is the connection particularly well informed on a topic that can enhance your knowledge and therefore your market value?
Make a point of asking as many questions as you can to learn as much as you can, and then be sure to keep in touch with your new connection as a subject matter expert. Is this new acquaintance someone with whom you have much in common and find you enjoy talking with? Make a plan to get together again, just for the pure enjoyment of socializing.
Adding value to the conversation and demonstrating my subject matter expertise helped me turn one particular random encounter into a highly profitable client relationship. While on a trip to New York, I was sitting in first class next to a man who was engrossed in a Sudoku puzzle book. I had no idea what his line of work was, or for that matter, if he even had a job at all.
Not knowing much about Sudoku—and in the name of authentic curiosity and waiting for the right moment when he put the book down—I asked how long he had been doing these puzzles. He told me that it had been a few years, and I pursued the conversation by asking about the game and how it’s played. He explained it was a good distraction from business pressures. Bingo! I found my conversation path: “So what line of work are you in?” I asked. As we began chatting and the conversation unfolded, I discovered that he was the CEO of a large division of a major software company.
As I asked him about his business, his challenges, his goals, and his needs, I kept hearing that they had an issue with customer retention. It was my lucky day; I happen to have a lot of expertise in the subject. So I shared with him throughout the conversation various insights about what constitutes a customer-centric organization, how to build a customer-centric culture, and the internal steps necessary to achieve it. He was obviously impressed and asked for my business card, which I gladly provided. We went our separate ways upon arrival in New York, agreeing to talk again when we both got back home.
As a matter of standard operating procedure, I dropped him a short e-mail that night from my hotel, saying how much I enjoyed meeting and chatting with him and that I would surely follow up per our conversation. My plan was to circle back by the early part of the following week.
Well, as random connection luck would have it, we both ended up on the same return flight the next day. . .and guess where: sitting next to each other in first class! This connection was meant to be. But had I not sent the note the night before, I would have missed an opportunity to build my credibility and show I was serious about following up. This relationship resulted in a six-figure consulting engagement and an opportunity to build new material for my consulting business.
No one likes a show-off; however, playing small doesn’t impress anyone. The key is to walk that fine line between boasting or being showy and demonstrating a confidence and subject matter expertise. After all, if you don’t believe in your ability, how can you expect someone else to? Take stock of what you know, think about how your product or service makes a positive difference for others, and don’t be afraid to express it.
Chapter at a Glance
- People are seeking new and better ways to achieve their goals.
- Your subject matter knowledge builds your credibility.
- By sharing a little bit of what you know, you will earn the regard of others and position yourself as a desirable resource.