It sounds simple enough: If you want to influence someone’s perception of you, you must lead him or her to your particular strengths. This certainly makes a lot of sense, but doing it in a repeatable, predictable manner is a whole different story. The first step to leading someone to your unique strengths is to simply identify what those strengths may be. Easy? I cannot begin to tell you how many of my clients get stuck right here.
To really understand your strengths or to find your unique niche, make a list of the areas you feel competent and even exceptional. To do this, you need to begin with the end in mind… literally. For example:
- If you are a financial advisor, there’s nothing extraordinary about telling a client you believe in customer service; join the club. By offering a process that provides a guaranteed response time to clients, however, you are identifying one of your unique, and defined strengths.
- If you are an accountant, there’s nothing extraordinary about telling a new prospect you believe in getting the work done correctly the first time; they certainly hope that is the case. By offering a method of checks and balances that proves your work is accurate, however, is protecting your clients and clearly one of your unique and defined strengths.
- If you are applying for a job, there’s nothing extraordinary about telling a company that you have an interest in social media and you think it’s an important issue for businesses: They hear that from time-to-time. By offering a strong and well documented track record of your successes in social media, you are letting them know about one of your unique and defined strengths.
Once you understand your unique strengths, the next step is to provide questions that link to these strengths. Let’s continue with the same scenarios you just read about:
- If you are a financial advisor whose unique strength is providing a guaranteed response time to clients, why not bring the client to this strength with these kinds of questions: “How do you currently communicate with your advisor?” or “How long does it currently take for you to receive answers to the questions you ask?”
- If you are an accountant whose unique strength is offering a method of checks and balances that proves the work you do is accurate, why not bring the client to this strength by asking something like this: “How do you currently keep up with the accuracy of your business accounting throughout the year?” or “What are some of the checks and balances you use to monitor your corporate accounting?”
- If you are applying for a job, and your unique strength is offering a strong and well documented track record of success connecting with your customers, why not bring the interviewer to this strength by asking this: “How are you currently working to interact with your customers?” or “What social media outlets are you using to create interest in your corporate brand?”
Leading others to your particular strengths is not rocket science – it’s common sense. But nothing happens until you understand what your particular strengths are. Once that’s clear, you’ll be able to ask the right questions to draw others to these strengths. That’s because drawing someone to your strengths isn’t accomplished through statements; it’s accomplished through questions.
I think you hit on something quite interesting here, Rob. I agree that most people get stuck on the first step – trying to figure out what really is unique about them. To help get unstuck, I suggest people bring in someone like you to help figure out their unique strength. For example, I recently invested in a certified WHY leadership coach to help delineate some of mine and I was quite pleased and a little surprised by the results. I’ve been able to put what I learned into my marketing materials and Linked In profile and have been pleased by the results and the response from prospects and partners. In summary, make a small investment in bringing in someone with the right skills to help you uncover these strengths.
I think people and organizations get stuck on this first step because as strange as this sounds, the concept is new to them. Instinctively we seeks to be everything to everybody. It sounds like by doing this we increase our chances for success by reaching a larger clientele. The reality is that we confuse clients who aren’t interested in everything, but rather something specific to address an existing problem or satisfy a need. I can’t tell you how many times a publisher has pushed back on me because I seek to write to everyone rather than a specific audience. They can’t sell the “everyone” book. Even when my clients cannot articulate their unique strengths it takes me about 5 seconds to figure it out. It’s usually on the homepage of the website or the top of the brochure! Great post my friend.
Well said Rob. In my years as a wholesaler for mutual fund or annuity companies, I worked for fledgling companies compared to the behemoths I competed against. So, my niche was to teach advisors how to gain more referrals, grow their assets, gain more time, create high-impact client events and loyal clients. My voicemail stated that I would return calls within an hour, something my competitors would never do. I helped them make more money and have more fun and they did the same for me. Win Win
Enjoy your weekend : )
Neil
Perfect example. Once we know our strengths, we don’t wait for clients to discover these strengths, we move our clients to a position of appreciating and wanting these strengths by the use of our questions. Enjoy your weekend as well and thanks so much for posting Neil!
Thanks Rob for the great Blarticle. I have trouble asking the questions. They don’t come naturally to me. I just make statements. This is the first step to changing a behavior/ process: identifying what I want to change.
Thanks!
Allison
You bet Allison. I think the hardest part is just being aware… and you are. Next step, remind yourself with a trigger word that you can put on whatever you are using to take notes when you are in a conversation. You can do this! Thanks for posting Allison.
Yes, Fred, Your WHY, combined with your unique processes and strengths, is the winning formula. Your WHY — which people value you for as it is your unique, differentiating gift– compels people to sign on, buy in, buy and refer. Whether reaching out to prospects, employers, investors or team members, watch the results roll in when you know and communicate your WHY. Another BLazing BLarticle, Rob and Fred, great to hear your WHY is resonating and producing results!!
A lot of WHY going on here. I know this is something you are passionate about. When we learn what it is that makes us extraordinary, it sure is easier to communicate that with others. Thanks so much for the post Beth!
Great read! Thanks. It’s both instrumental and thought-provoking.
Thanks! It’s one of those topics that looks easy until you actually sit down and ask, “What is it that I can truly define, and prove represents my strength?” If you don’t know, ask others who know you well. They’ll know! Thanks for posting Hui.
Another great BlArticle! Sometimes we need to be reminded to remember the simple and obvious things that may get “lost” in our busy brains.
Bingo. “Simple and obvious” and yet when pushed, so many of us cannot answer the question, “What is it you WANT someone to WANT from what you are offering?” Tell that busy brain to slow down and simplify! The answer is usually right under our noses. Thanks for the post Debbie.
Rob, I think you are correct that people get stuck on Step 1. The challenge is moving through being ordinary to extraordinary and feeling confident to focus on the other person. There is a book (I can’t think of the title it is something like) ” Change your questions change your life”. By changing your questions you are making space for your strengths to emerge and equally important providing an environment for a connection to take place between you and your client. The connection leads to fireworks for both you the provider and your customer. It becomes a Win Win!
I know that book well because that was written by Marilee Adams – a fellow Berrett-Koehler author. I agree that the challenge is focusing on the other person, and that takes work. It’s a lot easier talking about yourself, as opposed to asking questions of others. Happy to see your post Judy.