I endured a remedial massage last week. And I mean endured. It was at times excruciating… where the best I could do was breathe through the pain of someone trying to take my pain away. At the end of the hour, the treatment had worked. The headache I had tolerated for two days was gone, movement had been restored to my neck and my back and shoulders felt the lightest they had felt in ages. The therapist had given me what I needed (a hard-core body work session which untied the knots in my back)… not what I wanted (a relaxing massage which would temporarily make me feel better). She boldly went where few other therapists go… she gave me what I needed and trusted her professional experience to make that decision. As a business owner, do you give your customers or clients what they need… or what they want? Are you BOLD in your suggestions… or are you polite, agreeing to provide the solution that the customer thinks they want? It’s not an easy task, to tell a customer what they need is different to what they want… but gee, it’s refreshing (for supplier and customer alike!). The therapist last week didn’t ask me how I liked my massage, she simply determined the best course of action and went for it, only saying to let her know if it got ‘too much.’
Tips for being bold:
- Offer your expert opinion as expert opinion – not with excuses or diminishing phrases like ‘what do you think?
- ‘TRUST your expert opinion. Customers pay other people to do things they can’t do – they are paying YOU to do things they can’t do.
- Conduct a needs analysis first – ask questions that go beyond what the customer is saying they want… discover what they need. Questions that start with ‘why‘ are perfect for determining needs.
So … be BOLD – stand out from your competitors and BOLDY go where they won’t. Your customers will appreciate it.
Your turn …
When have you been given what you NEEDED by a supplier, not necessarily what you wanted. Did you appreciate the bold approach? Are you BOLD with your clients or customers? If so, why? If not, why not, what holds you back from being bold?
