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“Storytelling is a universal language, and its oral tradition is an incredible — but ancient — form of communication. It’s also still wildly effective today.”
I was honored to be asked to contribute to the Exit Planning Institute's "Mastering the Market" magazine with one of the most important topics a business owner can face: vulnerability. My article on vulnerability is featured on page 26. All the quotes in this newsletter are from that article.
Authenticity is a big-time buzzword in marketing right now and rightly so. The trick, of course, is that when everyone is talking about being authentic…they usually aren’t.
How do you show people, when you aren’t present for the conversation, that you are a real person and are authentically there to help them without jamming a product or service down their throat when they make the mistake of engaging with you? Being vulnerable is your superpower.
“Think of the vulnerability in loaning someone a car of yours. Or, better yet, asking to borrow someone’s car — especially a luxury automobile they treasure.”
I know that, like some of you, I used to think earlier in my career that being vulnerable meant being weak. I am happy to report that I was wrong.
Instead, being vulnerable is actually how you display strength. Your story, especially the tough parts, is actually the very best tool to show people that you aren’t just pixels on a screen. Additionally, when your referral sources have to answer the key question in selling by referral, “why should I meet with you?” they have an answer that is more than just about what you are selling.
Another missed opportunity to be vulnerable is approaching referrals with the proper mindset.
“But here’s where the vulnerability comes in: you cannot come into a relationship with a client with only one solution. You have to come in with a posture of curiosity that’s open to possibilities. Not being able to control everything? Now that’s vulnerability.”
Key point:
Are you worth meeting if the person you are referred to isn’t buying today? Do you have the skills and mindset to be valuable if the referral doesn’t end up being the right type of prospect?
When I lend you one of my cars, I am more likely to do so if I am confident that you will be a “safe driver.” Vulnerability — the willingness to focus on serving your referral sources’ needs (protecting and enhancing the relationship they referred you) instead of your own — is what scales over time better than anything you can name in marketing. When your best referral sources, over time, learn that you are not only safe to refer to, but you bring the cars back better than they left…you will have a referral pipeline that will be envied by most.
When you add in the predictable part of my Can I Borrow Your Car Referral System, you have a predictable and scalable referral system that will make sales more fun and rewarding than you ever imagined business could be.
Action step: Reflect on who and what you are. What have you overcome? What challenges do you deal with on an ongoing basis? Write a blog about it and consider posting it.
I was deeply moved in a Zoom meeting earlier this week. A client of mine shared with me that he had a special needs family member and some of the challenges and struggles that he chose to embrace. The commitment to helping his sibling resonated deeply with me as a special needs father, and our relationship is far, far more authentic now than before.
Before I open the “garage” and let you pick the car you want to drive of mine…I need to be interested in even bringing you to the doorway. The more I know who you really are, the more likely for that to happen.
For owners of financial advisor firms, this is even more powerful because of your ability to share personal stories that don’t contain product or service compliance issues.
Admittedly, what I am sharing here is not a quick fix, but what really is in marketing? Remember that there aren’t any shortcuts that are free. The best day to start is today.
Related: From Turmoil to Trust: Strengthening Client Bonds in Volatile Markets