Times have changed. And one of the things that have changed is what people want from the companies and the individuals they do business with. Clients and customers today want connection with the people they choose to do business with. This concept is not entirely new; but it has risen to the top of the list of reasons people give for their choices of professional services providers, physicians and more. They want a different kind of connection.  They want you to understand them and anticipate their needs.

Of course they want to know that you are qualified, trained and competent to do your job. They also want to know how you can help them and what you can offer. But as Lou Brock once said, “No one wants to hear about the labor pains, they just want to see the baby.”

In this new day of relationship marketing and selling, the traditional sales pitch is the labor pains. And they really don’t want to hear it. As sales guru Jeff Gittomer says, “People want to buy; but they don’t want to be sold.”

If the prospective customer or client doesn’t want to hear your sales pitch and they want a “relationship” – a deeper connection – with you before they do business with you, what are you supposed to do?  The answer is simple – LISTEN.

There is another thing to keep in mind before you show them the baby: They don’t want to see just any baby; they want to see their baby.  And this is why it is so important to listen and build a relationship. You simply can’t show them their baby until you figure out which baby of all the babies in all the nurseries is theirs. 

So, there is a new approach to marketing and selling your firm’s services, and it feels a little backward at first. But that’s okay. With practice, it will start to be comfortable.

• Empty your mind of all assumptions about your prospect’s business or personal needs and goals.
• Explain yourself and your credentials in 60 seconds or less.
• Make a clear shift in the conversation to a focus on the prospective client.
• Ask a question about the prospect’s life and values
• Listen and ask focused probing questions
• Ask about the prospect’s goals
• Listen and ask focused probing questions
• Ask about the prospect’s challenges, needs, concerns
• Listen and ask focused probing questions
• Show them the baby – explain how you/your firm can provide customized solutions to needs, problems, challenges, etc.

If you will listen first, you can explain your services and products in ways that show a clear and direct response to the prospective client’s needs and concerns. By making client needs the point of departure for your conversation, you can keep the focus on the fact that you are presenting the right baby.