y Michael Delon
I’m sitting on my back deck and enjoying a beautiful fall morning when I hear a ruckus.
Looking up, I see three small grey and white chickadees dive-bombing the bird feeder 10 feet away from me.
They zoom in, pull up, hover, land, peck for seed, then fly off into a nearby tree. Then they repeat this exercise multiple times.
They know what they want: birdseed. And once they realize where it’s located, nothing will stop them from getting it.
Your prospects are like chickadees. They are looking for answers to the questions that are keeping them awake at night. They talk with their co-workers and search the web, but don’t find good answers. They feel stuck with no solution in sight.
Meandering through their day, they hear ads promising relief…but they don’t trust ad writers who too often twist the truth to their advantage. They arrive home and rifle through the mail, barely noticing any difference in the dinner and seminar invitations from competing businesses that all look and sound the same. Where are the seeds to a better future?
As they crawl into bed they feel no better tonight than last night. Though their body is tired, their mind is racing. Where will they find the answer? Whom can they talk to?
At breakfast the next morning they meet with a friend who holds the answer. After rehearsing their woes once again, they ask their friend “Do you have any ideas?”
Handing them a copy of a book the friend replies, “Here. You should read this.”
It’s a book written by you, the local business owner. Throughout the day and into the evening, your prospect devours the book. They underline sentences, dog-ear pages, and read chapters over and over. By the time morning arrives, they know they’ve found someone who can help them.
The call is made. The appointment set. Questions answered. A relationship formed.
Sitting on my deck, I realize that chickadees and prospects have much in common. Provide a solution to their deepest felt need and place it within their reach. You’ll not only be satisfying their need…you’ll be gaining a new friend.
As you search for your chickadee this week, be sure to provide them with the answers and solutions they seek. If you don’t, someone else will. Your prospect will end up eating at a competitor’s feeder.
Relationships are built on trust. Don’t withhold information hoping to pounce on your prospect them when they enter your office. That’d be like having a bird feeder filled with seed but no opening. The birds may come…but they’ll leave just as quickly, never to return.
Give your prospects what they desire. Provide answers to their questions. Help them sleep soundly each night.
Do this, and your feeder will be a flutter of activity.
ichael DeLon is an author and the President of Paperback Expert. As a marketing-centric publishing and expert positioning firm they help clients create a book in 24 hours to position themselves uniquely and experience sustained business growth. You can request a free copy of Michael’s book On Marketing by visiting www.paperbackexpert.com/FreeBook
