BRX Pro Tip: Master the Art of the Ask
Stone Payton: And we’re back with Business RadioX Pro Tips. Stone Payton, Lee Kantor here with you. Lee, because of the relationship, maybe, in spite of the relationship, maybe, but at some point in cultivating even the strongest of relationships, some folks are really uncomfortable making the ask.
Lee Kantor: Yeah, that’s part of business. And this is a trap. I think a lot of folks who especially came from corporate have – when they were at corporate, they might have done a role and they weren’t the one that sold the deal, and they were doing the work, and they’re good at hanging out with the people, being nice to them, the people love them, and they have a good relationship with them, but they never really ask for the sale. And because of that, they’re uncomfortable making the ask when they get laid off and they have their own firm and then now they have to go and sell somebody something. So, they might be good practitioners, but they just may not be that great salespeople. And a foundational element of sales is you have to ask someone for the business. Like, there’s no way around that. They’re not going to just say, “Here’s money.” Like at some point, you have to ask them and make recommendations that they should work with you.
Lee Kantor: So, for the folks that are great at having conversations, they’re great at adding value, they’re great at building the relationship, following up, but the relationship isn’t generating business, that’s a clue that maybe you’re having trouble with that final step, and that’s asking for the business.
Lee Kantor: You have to, at some point, ask for the business. And when you ask them, “Hey, do you want to meet? Hey, do you want to get together?” That’s not the ask. The ask has to sound like, “I’d love to set aside 30 minutes to show you how we work. Would Tuesday or Thursday work for you? I know you’re frustrated with this thing. Our company can help you solve that.”
Lee Kantor: You have to ask them in a way that there is a yes or no, that yes, I want to move forward; no, I don’t want to move forward. You have to do that with all of your prospects at some point in time. And you don’t want this just to be something that lingers forever. You have to ask, “Do you want to work with me? Yes or no?” at some point.
Lee Kantor: And the sooner you do that, the faster you’ll get clarity of where this relationship is going to go. And at some point, you’re going to be selling somebody something, and then you can do the work that you really love doing and be that practitioner that you take so much pride in.
