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Dear John,
Not long ago I was having lunch with a long-time friend named Ron. He was in town for a conference and I picked him up at his hotel. The place Ron was staying was not indicative of his style. Typically, Ron stays in luxury hotels. (Not because he is a snob but because Ron believes, as I do, that business travel is tough enough and paying for upgraded service is well worth it.)
This trip however, found Ron in a place that catered more to the motor coach crowd. In fact, when I arrived to pick him up for lunch there were several large busses parked out in front of his hotel, which was located well north of the business center of Miami.
When Ron got in the car I smiled and greeted him. He smiled slightly but looked a little haggard.
Once we sat down to eat lunch I asked him about his hotel choice. He replied:
“I didn’t choose it. My assistant has been out for the past month with a personal issue and the temp taking her place did not make my reservation in time. The entire city is sold out and this was the only room I could get. This hotel is full of kids on some kind of trip. They are awake at all hours of the night and they party and play loud music until 4AM.
I’m not an old man but I’m in town working on a big deal. I need to get some sleep. ”
The conversation subject changed and I discretely sent a text to my assistant about Ron’s situation.
As the meal concluded, Ron got up to use the rest room and I made a telephone call to my assistant to confirm my previous text.
Ron was shocked when I dropped him off at the Four Seasons Hotel in Downtown Miami. He wanted to know how I got him a room.
I informed him that someone I knew was able to get him a room due to a cancellation.
As you can imagine, Ron was grateful and amazed. It wasn’t the accommodations that amazed him. It was his perception of my influence and the fact that I could pick up the phone and make this happen.
This type of influence (a small accommodation) is not something that can alter the course of history. But it is a demonstration of the power of a relationship.
As a consultant, I am constantly in a battle for the hearts and minds of my clients. If I do not sell them on my ideas, if they do not believe I have the best interest of their firm at heart, I will be ineffective.
Unfortunately, rational argument rarely accomplishes this. And, unfortunately, this type of influence, the kind of influence that can convince a business leader to make a shift in business strategy, is built up over time. This type of influence comes from building a deep level of trust with your client.
One of the questions my clients always ask is: “How do I establish myself as a person of interest? “
What they really mean to ask is:
“How do I begin a relationship that will result in me becoming a trusted advisor? My clients view me as a specialist who comes in to handle one issue and move on. How do I take that next step and become a trusted advisor?”
Here are five ways you can get a relationship off to a good start – one with trust as its foundation. You can also use these strategies to change the perception of you in the eyes of your client.
Teaching
Most people enjoy learning new things, especially when those new things make them money. Corporate executives are no exception. As a consultant, I educate myself on trends and strategy and I focus on where the market forces are pushing the industry.
I then share this information with my clients (and future clients). This is teaching and teaching is leading.
A person with the latest information (and most accurate information) is influential.
What can you present to your target client audience that they will find valuable?
Connecting
Business leaders rarely get out of their offices. If you want to become influential, introduce a business leader to someone with whom he can do business.
Connecting people is an easy and powerful way to become a person of influence. If you put two serious business people together you will receive a huge amount of psychological credit. This makes you influential.
Engaging in High Intensity Activity
If you want to get someone’s attention, throw him out of a plane at 15,000 feet.
This type of activity is not for everyone. But inviting a client to play a round of golf or to attend a charity event with his/her spouse or to sit in a luxury box at a baseball game is a great way to make a more personal connection.
Once a personal connection exists, it becomes easier to break down the barrier of skepticism and thus become more influential.
Solving Problems
What’s keeping you awake at night?
If I can help you fix that issue, you are more likely to trust me.
Asking your client about his goals or his most pressing issues and then offering to help him solve them (or achieve them) is a great way to start a dialogue. Once you solve a tough issue, you will have earned some credit in your client’s trust bank.
Repeated Exposure
Believe it or not, you can become influential by simply showing up consistently.
Psychologically, when someone sees you over and over again, they are more likely to trust you than if they see you infrequently.
Why?
Repeated exposure is implied consistency. We take comfort in predictable, consistent behavior and we tend to trust people who exhibit it.
This is one of the reasons why arriving on time for meetings and events is so important. A person who arrives on time, or early, consistently, has a subconscious advantage over everyone else. Why? Their behavior is predictable.
We are likely to accept the guidance of someone we trust.
Influence is necessary in every profession but it is particularly valuable for an attorney. Give these five techniques a try and see if people begin to view you differently.
My friend Ron definitely views me differently. He introduced me to the guy with whom he negotiated his big business deal as “the guy who knows how to get things done, even under the most difficult of circumstances.”
Will you make an effort to become of person of influence to your clients?
Have a great week.
Regards,
David V, Lorenzo
888.444.5150
Host of the Business Strategy Show:
Four Minute Fixation
Owner & Founder:
Valtimax Consulting
Professionals invest in me for help with:
- Leadership Development
- Business Strategy
- Law Firm Management
- Productivity Improvement
- Relationship-Based Marketing Initiatives
- Buyin g/Selling a Business or Professional Practice
- Private Problems They Cannot Share With Anyone Else
Call for help: 888.444.5150
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