When it comes doing business it isn’t always about the money and it shouldn’t be. Beyond doing what you love. It should be about the client. Now, now, hold on, yes you need to make money to pay bills but if all you think about is making money, I doubt you will have time to think about anything else. So here’s a thought instead that will help you build a better business that will bring you in money.
Instead of asking “What can I do to make money?” ask the right question. “What can I do to help my clients make more money?” By shifting your mindset to a positive note you can now start focusing on doing business.
A few weeks ago I met with a potential client to propose redoing their web site. They had a few other bids on the table. But I was the only one who asked “What can I do to help them make more money?” I looked at their needs as a business plus I did a little research. They were a business that could benefit from online scheduling but also a program that would send emails to their clients every few months. They also already had a sort of reward program, it was one of those cards that every time a client bought something they would punch a card and on the tenth punch they would get the eleventh free. So I proposed integrating that into the site so the client will also get reminders and updates on not only to come in but also how many more times they need to buy to receive something for free.
By integrating the scheduling, reminders, and rewards program together it would help this business do what they do better. It would reduce fraud punches because the cards are now kept track of online. By sending out reminders it would keep their business in front of their clients. Then online scheduling would help clients come in when they wanted.
By asking the right question, “What can I do to help my client?” (then listening), I was able to come up with a better solution that will help them do what they do better. By doing that it helps them make more money. Which in turn will make me more money. But if I had only thought about how I can make money, I wouldn’t have gone the extra mile. I would have only cared about making some website so I could move on to the next company.
So the next time you talk to your client, are you asking the right question?
