Skillful Listening Critical to Ad Agency New Business
Listening = Winning
by Todd Knutson | published on August 20, 2009
We've all heard the expression, "People love to hear themselves talk." When it comes to new business, your success is often determined by how well you get your prospects to do the talking.
The Comments of Others
Todd Knutson | 09/01/2009
Well said. Thanks, Peter.
Todd
Great post. I especially like the advice against advising during a meeting. We have a phrase here: “Don’t make commitments while standing on client soil”. Meaning, timelines, budgets, etc are all items that require the input and feedback from several members of your team back home, and clients will only remember the first commitment date, time, or cost you provide. The same with recommendations. Not only have you not earned the right to recommend in that first encounter, it also has significantly less value in the eyes of the buyer if you developed it on the spot. The perceived (along with the real) value is much higher when you go away, internalize their issue/opportunity, discuss it with your strategic team, and then develop and present a well-thought out recommendation.