I started to blog about asking your prospects this question during a first meeting: Why am I here? But then, I thought the more interesting question was: Do WE know why we are here?
We use the sentence Why am I here? as a tool in our up-front agreement. The up-front agreement is a vital part of the sales process. It’s where you get your head right—where the client can understand how you think and how you work. We teach our clients to be detached from the outcomes of a meeting—so detached that they bring no expectations to the meeting other than the intent to help the prospect…help them with problems or challenges…help them to exploit an opportunity…help them to understand what we do. Don’t get me wrong, this is good stuff.
But, how often do we ask ourselves the question “Why AM I here?” I think so many of us go through life doing what we think we are supposed to do, without thinking about why we’re doing it.
I do this job. I work for this company. I’m meeting with this prospect. I’m participating in this RFQ. I’m saying these words. I’m putting together this plan. WHY, WHY, WHY??
When’s the last time you thought about why you are doing what you’re doing? Do you wonder that if you don’t dig into the reason, you are minimizing the value of whatever it is you’re doing?
Trust me, you are. Just doing a job, but not having your heart in it, going on a sales call with a prospect that is not an ideal client – what value do you think you are going to bring? Completing an RFQ that you can’t win, really? Come on!!!
Value your time, value your value, value your prospect’s time. If you can’t come up with an answer to “why” that reeks of high intent – STOP DOING IT.
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