This is a guest post by Sean Smith of Powerofmore.net.
Recently I took a trip to visit a close friend. The purpose of my trip was not necessarily for business, but some how I always manage to meet someone during my conversations and interactions with others who wants to do business with me. After meeting probably the tenth person during my travels who was interested in my services, it donned on me that the questions I typically ask during my conversations with others whom I’m meeting for the first time create an infections environment where they become excited about what I have to offer them. This realization is my inspiration for todays blog post.
The Philosophy
Here is the philosophy behind my (mad scientist) methods, muuahahaha!!!
Seriously, the idea behind these methods is nothing new. It is all about becoming a social person and learning how to simply network with and communicate with others. Running an Internet business isn’t strictly done online. Remember, you are still dealing with people and your website is simply a tool to convey your message to them. Learn to meet and greet others, and make a valid effort to meet someone new every day, whether online or off. Get to know them, ask them questions and be a good listener. This can be done most effectively over the Internet, as well as in the real-world.
Everywhere I go, online or not, I always make it a point to talk to at least 10 new people a day. During my conversations with them, I ask certain questions that allow me to better understand who they are and what they’re all about. These questions will not only help you gain a better understanding of who you are talking too, but also allows you to effectively build a strong relationship with them, which ultimately leads to trust. And trust eventually leads to a sale! I’ll discuss these questions in a little bit.
It’s a Conversation
To do this right, you must learn to have conversations with others. I never engage in any interaction with others with the intention to gain new business or to sell them something. I’m genuinely interested in what they have to say. If any business comes out of the conversation, then it is the result of my gaining their trust and nothing more.
As the conversation progresses, the other person will inevitably become more curious about you and ask you to share what you do for a living. And man do I love it when people ask me what I do for a living. Partly because I’m very passionate about it, and partly because I know that almost everyone wants to know more about how to make money online! On the internet, they may ask you directly, or more than likely, they’ll visit your website to get all the dirty details.
Have a Genuine Interest
Having a genuine interest in what the other person is tell you is a must! Listen to them, hear what they are saying. On the Internet, or in any business for that matter, this allows you to clearly identify what your target audience wants and how you can fill that need. Simply trying to sell your products or services to them without listening to what your audience wants is a sure way to set yourself up for dismal sales and potential failure. Know and respect your audience, and they will take you far!
An Example Illustrated
Asking the right questions will open up the conversation for further discussion and allow you to identify whether or not you can provide a solution to the other person, or audience’s problem.
For example, while traveling on a plane to my recent destination, I met an ink salesman. I had asked the salesman, what he did and how he got started in his business, which is how I learned he was an ink salesman. I was able to quickly establish a rapport with the salesman after asking 4 simple questions about what he did for a living. What’s even better, is because I had established a rapport with him, he in turn asked me what I did for a living. I quickly answered:
“I own an internet marketing and online business development consulting business where I help individuals and small to mid-sized businesses create a strong internet presence allowing them to succeed online.”
The conversation progressed which led me to expand upon my business further at his request. This was important to him, because he immediately realized I could help him expand his sales operations online where he could gain greater reach and increased exposure, thus allowing him to sell more product. He even asked me if I could teach his entire sales organization how to better utilize the internet to increase brand awareness and sales, thus resulting in the sale of a $10,000 consulting services package for me and an ongoing business relationship with his company.
What’s crazy is, I ONLY ASKED HIM FOUR SIMPLE QUESTIONS!!!
Questions, Questions, Questions
The questions I ask are simple and nothing new. Really the key to a successful sale is in starting the conversation and treating it like a conversation rather than a sale. So what are the questions I typically ask when having a conversation with others? Well, I’m glad you asked! See, your getting the hang of this already!
I always ask these questions when meeting new people whether in the real-world or through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or any other social networking or internet based community I’m hanging out in.
- What do you do for a living?
- How long have you been doing that?
- Do you enjoy it?
- How did you get started?
On the Internet, you could also pose a more direct approach to the questions through your marketing efforts such as landing pages and email campaigns. Here are some examples as they relate to my business:
- Are you struggling to monetize your blog?
- How long are you going settle for dismal sales and lack of income?
- Are you enjoying that much sought after success online?
- Did the hope of success online not work out for you?
The point is, to ask questions that are primarily open ended and not simply yes or no questions. This allows for expansion of the conversation into other areas enabling you to build the rapport and trust needed to ultimately make a sale. Getting other people to talk about their passions, family or what they do for a living will go a long way to opening up the conversation and will eventually lead to some sort of mutual relationship that may make you money!
Set yourself a goal to meet 10 new people a day, whether online or offline. And always remember, it’s just a conversation!
Sean Smith is that crazy guy over at Powerofmore.net who shares a ridiculous amount of knowledge and expertise about the hottest internet marketing & social media trends of today and tomorrow. And yes, he believes that Johnny B. Truant invented post-it notes!
David has been blogging for 15 years, and generating a six-figure income at it for the last 12. He is the founder of Blog Marketing Academy. 
David Risley has been building and operating authority blogs for 15 years, and operating a six-figure business doing it for a decade.
Very nice article & totally agree to what you've written!
Thanks Nishant!
It has been my experience those who are afraid of the sales process, so to speak, simply do not look at it as sharing information and having a conversation. If you change your perspective from believing a sales pitch always has to be a hard sell, and take on the idea that you are simply sharing information that could benefit the other person, you'll find that people are more open to you and will voluntarily want to do business with you!
I think so may people have the stereotype of internet entrepreneurs as hermit, introverted type people who stare at a computer all day and have no social life. While many of us may stare at a computer screen all day and our social lives may suffer some, there is a lot more to running a business online than the technical know-how. Getting out and engaging in conversations is key. Whether that is a face-to-face or through e-mail. You have to engage with people if you want to be successful.
So very true DJ! This is a common misconception I've been battling for as long as I've been an internet entrepreneur. Many of my web design and consulting clients lack the realization that an internet business is no different that your traditional real-world brick and mortar business, which is why I started my blog in the first place, to help change that misconception. I'm on a crusade my friend, as Nathan Hangen calls it, to help would be individuals and small to mid-sized business owners to gain the understanding that networking and conversations whether online or not, are an effective way to build a strong, successful business, regardless as to whether it is online or off.
Simply having a website won't build a successful business. You must network with, connect with and communicate with others. Most people are intrigued when I tell them what I do for a living and are very curious as to how I'm able to be successful at it. I love that cuz they ask me questions that allows me to talk about what I'm passionate about of course. People think these are new concepts when in reality they just don't know the concepts to begin with!
AS a blogger who spends the bulk of my time interviewing bloggers, I couldn't agree more. Every week I interview at least 3 bloggers for the podcast I run. Just from the tips I get from them alone, I learn about different ways to make money. I'm going to check out your blog Sean. I'll probably hit you up for an interview as well
Good post–but could really use the hand of a skilled editor. It was hard to even get through the first paragraph.
Srinivas, thanks man! I appreciate your comments and your willingness to check out my blog as well. I'd be delighted to do an interview with you and am glad you think enough of me to request one.
Yeah, I'm seeing a lot of bloggers such as David, Nathan Hangen and others, chime in on the fact that blogging isn't your true business, but rather a gateway to what your true business really is if your goal is to make money online. I know not just in the blogging world, but any business for that matter who desires to have a strong internet presence, many of them fail to gain the understanding that the internet and their blog or company website is simply a marketing tool used to convey their marketing message.
Taking the conversation to a more personal, one on one level both online and offline makes for a truly effective method to learning about your target market, what they want, how to communicate with them and ultimately how to benefit them. It also provides you the ability to expand brand awareness for your business. Of course the internet and social media allow us to do this through a one to many relationship. Although effective, a one to many is not as customer friendly and personal as a one to one conversation.
The fact that you regularly interview other bloggers is a fantastic way to provide value to your readers while mutually benefiting yourself and the bloggers you interview. These simple conversations create an awareness of your brand and allow you to meet new and interesting people which eventually lead to a sale of some kind at some point.
Keep it up my friend!
Heh, thanks Erica! Of course feedback is always desired and welcome.
Yeah, as soon as David notified me that he had posted my article, I immediately came here to read it. Man, I can't tell you how many times I proof read it before submitting it to David. Having another set of eyes is always beneficial to help with the editing and proofreading.
I guess I was a little to overly excited and passionate over the subject while writing about it. But hey, it keeps it real
Coming to a blog near you “Conversations Can Make You More Money” the unedited version – wait this is the unedited version!
Thanks for the feedback
I'm a firm believer of the power of good conversations and I'm glad to learn much from this post. I think it is also a good idea to let the person express all his thoughts when you're in a conversation with him. I often notice people who have a habit of cutting others off when they are talking about something. We should always remember to let the person express himself and finish properly before we can ask another question or share our own opinions.
Hi Julius, I'm glad you found value in this post.
You've made a good point. I too get somewhat bothered by people who fail to listen properly and are constantly thinking of the next thing they are dying to say before allowing the other person to finish their point. You will gain much more value by asking open ended questions and then listening to what the other person is say fully and completely before you add your own thoughts or comments to the conversation. Listening is also an important skill and is necessary for the conversation to mature to a point where friendship and trust is gained.
Thanks for commenting!
Excelente!
Gabriel Catalano from Argentina
Thanks Gabriel! I'm glad you found it useful and informative.
Successful sales people learn early on that if you want satisfied, long term customers, then provide solutions, not sales hype. The process starts by giving the potential client a clear understanding of what you do and how you may able to help them. The “elevator speech” outlined above is a perfect example. It's one sentence. Take a look at the structure, dismantle it, then mold it to where the new pitch describes the services and VALUE you provide. Practice giving your elevator speech until it flows freely. You never know when a new client is standing/sitting right next to you.
Great point!
In all my years of doing business, it has been the conversation, the ability to flow as you've stated, when interacting with a potential customer. The ability to ask the proper questions and flow, converse with the person you are speaking to allows you to effectively gather the necessary information to determine if you can fill a need or help them. A key to being a good conversationalist is to first be a very good listener. Don't rush the process or be in a hurry to be heard. Learn to ask questions and learn about your customers before you provide solutions to them.
Again, great point! Thanks!
Thanks Gabriel! I'm glad you found it useful and informative.
Successful sales people learn early on that if you want satisfied, long term customers, then provide solutions, not sales hype. The process starts by giving the potential client a clear understanding of what you do and how you may able to help them. The “elevator speech” outlined above is a perfect example. It's one sentence. Take a look at the structure, dismantle it, then mold it to where the new pitch describes the services and VALUE you provide. Practice giving your elevator speech until it flows freely. You never know when a new client is standing/sitting right next to you.
Great point!
In all my years of doing business, it has been the conversation, the ability to flow as you've stated, when interacting with a potential customer. The ability to ask the proper questions and flow, converse with the person you are speaking to allows you to effectively gather the necessary information to determine if you can fill a need or help them. A key to being a good conversationalist is to first be a very good listener. Don't rush the process or be in a hurry to be heard. Learn to ask questions and learn about your customers before you provide solutions to them.
Again, great point! Thanks!