Curious
“We say we are looking for character, but what we are following is clarity.”
Every relationship, whether business or personal, needs to matriculate through three key stages:
Curiosity
Enlightenment
Commitment
First, something has to capture your attention. Develop some level of curiosity. And by the way, you are having to compete with 33,000 messages a day assaulting the average person’s attention in order for you to arouse curiosity about you, your company, or your product.
For this reason, you better have something very compelling to offer them to develop some level of enlightenment or engagement. You better show some level of awareness of their problems or pain and be able to position yourself as the guide or answer to those issues. And you better do it pretty clearly and quickly (you are still competing with those 33,000 messages).
Finally, if you are able to keep engagement through the first two phases, you might just development a commitment to you or what you are offering. Let’s face it, not only are those thirty-odd thousand people screaming at us, pretty much anything or anyone a person would want is just a few mouse clicks away.
Being really aware of your audience and clear in your messaging isn’t just better business practice, it is becoming crucial to your survival. Let’s look at an example of what I am talking about:
We have a client that runs retirement communities and rehab facilities.
OR
2. We have a client that cares for the most precious people in your life in their most vulnerable season.
The first sounds just like another of the 33,000 other pitches I might get daily. The second sounds like something that might rouse my curiosity, allow for an opportunity to enlighten me more about how you might serve me and my needs. Let’s just say that those two explanations above somehow make it through the noise of all those other messages. Now we have a chance to enlighten them.
We have over 2,000 beds available in 20 different communities with really great food, quality of care, facilities, and rehab services.
OR
2. We know how challenging it can be to determine the path for a loved one who has reached a point in life you can no longer negotiate on your own. We’ve existed to help others solve those problems well for over 25 years. We’d love to help you as well.
With the second example of enlightening potential clients, you’ve taken a bold step forward in earning the right to have them form a high level of commitment to you. You not only understand my pain, problem, or challenge, you sound like you might be the ones that can help me solve them.
You haven’t:
…said, “Look at us and how great we are!”
…babbled on and on about how you want them to meet your need or buy your stuff.
…pitched them at all.
You’ve simply said:
You have a problem.
We understand and we care (empathy).
We can solve your problem (authority).
The last step is a whole other blog post, but quite simply, how you position your authority determines whether or not you will get that commitment. (Evidence again the noise of the 33,000.)
Once you’ve won their curiosity and provided enlightenment, commitment will likely be found in you oversimplifying the process of your solution. The actual process for engaging and on- boarding a person into a retirement community is long and complicated, but how does this sound:
Have a brief conversation with us.
We’ll provide options and help craft a solution.
Breathe easy knowing they are taken care of.
It is no longer enough to merely do things well or even market aggressively. If you are not rousing curiosity, enlightening them with a sense of clarity focused on solving their specific problems, you will never gain commitment.
Consider
Do you think your company is getting enough attention?
Are you enjoying all the business you would like?
Are you positioned to gain curiosity, enlightenment, and commitment?
What is going to eventually happen to your business if you don’t?