You attend Chamber events and community activities. People know where you work and what you do. If not, the logoed ball cap/windbreaker/umbrella gives them a good idea. (Please wear only one at a time.) People often ask: “How's business?” What do you say? More important, are you missing an opportunity for some soft selling?
|Your standard answer
Most people are on auto-pilot when they answer. We say “Great” or “Wonderful.” Why? Because no one wants to hear you complain. Imagine if someone said: “Terrible! I just lost these valuable client documents!” Suppose you said: “Lousy. You wouldn't believe the loony people I work alongside. My boss is the chief loony.” TMI, or Too Much Information.
Change your approach and you might change your outcome. Ever notice when some politicians are asked a question they don't want to answer, they look at the camera, answering a totally different question? This technique can work for you.
|Everyone wants help when they need it
Suppose instead of hearing “How's business?” you heard “How have you helped someone today?” Obviously, client confidentiality takes center stage. Any stories you tell are anonymous. You also need to keep them short.
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