Work Smart Business

by Jason Linett

  I met with their executive team for my presentation’s needs analysis. As it often does, our conversation shifted to the bigger picture of the event. They renamed a new employee benefit program a “family benefit.” They stopped using the language of “employees” to instead call their team “partners” or “members.” At the banquet where my keynote would be the feature, the executive team abandoned the idea of having the management sit on an elevated dais. They instead sat at the tables with their staff. In addition to the feedback I received from my presentation, I still remember someone commenting how nice it was that the CEO stood in line at the buffet with everyone else.

  Reframing makes it easy to show rather than tell. Observe a challenge from another angle. Make the roadblocks in your story the starting point of a new one.

  Exercise creativity as you put this to use .

  WORK SMART ACTION STEPS:

  ☞ Are there negative words you’ve discovered that have become a frequent theme in your life? Write them down. Brainstorm alternatives. This begins as a conscious exercise to remember to label things differently. It may soon become a massive unconscious shift, setting change into motion.

  ☞ Explore the idea that an environmental change may be helpful to you. I coached a work-from-home website designer. She achieved better productivity when she traded her pajamas and sofa for a business suit and desk, even though she launched this business to work from home. The result? She really felt like she was “going to work” and her productivity exploded. Are there changes you can make to your environment?

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  CREATE RAVING FANS

  Driving my car into a mailbox taught me everything I needed to know about asking for client testimonials. We’ve already discussed how positive feedback from your past clients is an incredible asset that can be leveraged into future business. When people discover your product or service, it’s as if their automatic reaction is to ask, “Yeah, but does it work?”

  I’m going to walk you through the exact method I’ve used for years to get feedback from my clients. I’ve used the model across different platforms, whether it’s product sales or speaking, though I’ll detail it specifically as it would play out in my office. I tell my private clients that my model of business is “raving fans” rather than “lifelong dependents.” Build a community that supports your work and promotes it without having to be asked. As people have a great experience with you, they will be happy to tell their story. This builds a solid foundation for a successful, thriving business.

  We live in an era of social proof. All media is social. Whether it’s online communities, video sites, or even local news, everything is now social. Allow me to paint a glamorous image for you. I’m writing this chapter in a New Jersey hotel prior to a speaking engagement. How did I pick this place to stay the night? Online reviews. Price, convenience, and location were obvious factors in the decision. The positive reviews online let me know I was going to be in good hands here. One review cautioned me about the quality of the continental breakfast. This warning proved to be valid. I enjoyed the travel luxury of two protein bars from my travel bag. The customer feedback momentum will continue after I check out. I’ll leave a positive review online, perhaps making suggestions about how to improve the breakfast.

  Do you look at reviews when shopping online? Social proof gives you a feeling of safety and security. In hypnosis terms, it lets you mirror someone else’s story and walk through their journey. As their story aligns with yours, you’re more likely to make the buying decision.

  Shift your thinking to the testimonial’s hidden benefit. It improves the experience of the person giving it! Yes, though the client feedback experience benefits the growth of your business, it also benefits the person who already had the positive experience. It’s validating the improvement they’ve made. It affirms that they made the right decision .

  But what about driving my car into a mailbox? On a cold, winter morning, I was driving very slowly, with extreme caution, in my neighborhood. Even though I carefully turned the steering wheel to go home, my car followed the momentum and kept sliding with no change of direction. My vehicle impressively knocked over the neighborhood’s centralized mailboxes. The exterior of the car was heavily damaged. Time for an insurance claim!

  The work was soon completed at a local body shop. Their customer service was outstanding and their communication inspiring. “The work is complete. Your insurance covered everything. However, I’m sorry to inform you that you’ll need to wait an extra fifteen minutes because we took the liberty of repairing several other minor scratches on your car. The shop is almost done with a complimentary detailing of your car. Do you mind filling out a brief survey while you wait?”

  Genius. Talk about under promise, over deliver! Rather than a nameless repair shop suggested by my insurance company, the process of sharing my story drove me to realize how well things went. I now know this business by name, and I’ve since referred others to them. Raving fans rather than lifelong dependents. I hope to never need this service again, but, if I do, I know where to go. I emerged from the experience a raving fan, and, yes, I’m now more a cautious driver on ice .

  Model this experience for your own business. Here’s how I’ve done it. I elicit client feedback once we’ve successfully completed a presentation or program. If it’s a coaching client, I’ll ask, “Hey, do you have a few minutes before you head out?” This question establishes two important frames. First, we’re about to wrap up. And, second, this will only take a few minutes. I’ve never had someone respond “No” to this question.

  I then say, “I’d like to share with you a quick exit survey to get your feedback on our time together. You probably saw several of these on my website or saw the book with dozens of them in my lobby. Your positive story helps to inspire others. Would you mind filling one out please?”

  Take note, this process was suggested in advance. The document they’re about to receive isn’t something new to them. They’ve seen these documents before in my promotion. It’s one-page, it’s quick, and it’s an easy form to complete.

  They say “Yes,” and I reply, “Great. Thanks so much. Feel free to share as much or as little as you like. And if you’d rather I not use your full name in sharing your story, it’s fine to just sign the form with your first name.”

  I now have hundreds of past client survey forms displaying the success of my business.

  Take note of how this experience has played out .

  First, they’ve already seen this document on my website or in a book in my office. This is an environmental suggestion that people who work with me complete these surveys. It plants a seed like the jars of cigarettes in my office. The nonsmokers walk into the space ready to throw out their cigarettes. My clients already expect that they’ll be completing a survey.

  Second, I asked a question that always elicits a yes response. I’m conditioning a “yes” response prior to asking the real question for which I wish to hear a “yes” response.

  Third, there’s a sprinkle of reframing in this. I never use the word testimonial. It’s an “exit survey.” If you take just one thing from this “Create Raving Fans” chapter, please let this reframing be it!

  Fourth, I offer full transparency as to what will be done with the document with the option to let it remain anonymous.

  Now you have an asset! Post it on your website. Share it on your social media streams. Transcribe the written text into an email with the polite request to share their story as an online review. Archive them as specific case studies to share when receiving a unique request.

  My current favorite strategy is to go after what I call the “longevity testimonial.” It’s good to have a positive story about your business. It’s amazing when the story begins, “Jason worked with me eight years ago, and I’m still seeing improvements in my life!”

  Are you just getting started in business? Instead of taking your full fee or a reduced payment, consider trading your services for a testim
onial. I’ve coached some of my business students to use the phrase, “Assuming our time together goes as well as we both know it will, rather than my full fee, can I count on you to share a feedback survey that I might use in my business promotion?” This strategy has helped several start-up businesses launch with raving fans.

  Brainstorm the things you can ask on your survey. My preferred method is fill-in-the-blank sentences for the client to finish.

  “We hired Jason because _____.”

  “The best part of the presentation was _____.”

  “Our staff’s response to the speech was _____.”

  This also works for video testimonials.

  Never stop asking for feedback. I have binders full of these physical documents, yet I keep gathering more of them. These stories will continue to inspire your future clients to work with you while continuing to inspire you to keep growing your business !

  WORK SMART ACTION STEPS:

  ☞ Brainstorm appropriate ways to make getting client feedback a natural part of your process. Too many businesses ask for testimonials in such a way that it’s a surprise to their clients. Plant seeds early on that it’s a natural part of the experience.

  ☞ Stay ethical. I met a business owner who would only allow a specific coupon to be used in her business if you left a review for her business online. Even worse, she was requesting the testimonial before the service was complete. Don’t do this. It’s a nice gesture to provide some extra benefit as a thank-you to those who help you, although I don’t endorse the idea that someone can’t receive something because they’re being forced to leave a review.

  ☞ Create your own survey. You know the things that people typically say about your business. Consider my fill-in-the-blank idea to make it easier for your client. Model the survey form we use at Virginia Hypnosis by visiting:

  https://JasonLinett.com/wsbsurvey/

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  PACING AND LEADING

  It’s time to learn a hypnotic language pattern!

  You are about to learn a simple and direct method of positively guiding communication to become more influential. Learn this method, and you’ll be able to put it to use right away.

  I’ll make a disclaimer, however. I’ll most often talk about this theme as a branded two-word phrase: “Ethical influence.” Almost anybody can sell something once. “Once” is the key. My goal is to help you put a positive message and service out to the world. Build raving fans along the way. If your morals or quality of work are not in alignment, you might crash and burn as you don’t deliver on your promises and receive negative reviews.

  On the other hand, is your business making a positive impact on the world? Is its value represented in your efforts and the results people achieve? If both of these statements are true, it’s your ethical responsibility to use every appropriate technique to inspire more people to join you !

  Let’s talk about “pacing and leading.”

  A “pacing” statement is one that shares a sensory, verifiably true statement or feeds back an undeniable fact. The important thing about pacing is to not add a new judgment opinion in the statement. You wouldn’t say, “We’re having a positive meeting.” Instead, you could say, “We’re meeting here today.”

  Here are a few more examples:

  Notice the temperature in the room.

  Hear the sound of my voice.

  Feel the sensation of the chair you’re sitting on.

  Look at the contract in front of you.

  Again, these examples do not carry a judgment or opinion. I’m not saying that it’s warm in here or that you enjoy the sound of my voice. I’m making a factual statement to create the momentum of unconscious agreement. To make an opinion invites judgment, which is a conscious mind activity. This breaks the rhythm you’re learning to establish.

  A judgment may be part of your pacing statement if it’s an opinion that has already been expressed. I could say to someone, “We’re here to discuss your upcoming convention because last year’s event wasn’t as successful as you had hoped” if they’ve already expressed that opinion. Get in sync in conversation by reiterating themes that are already present.

  You could simply say, “We’re here to discuss your upcoming convention.”

  Let’s move on to “leading.”

  A leading statement is a suggestion to take an action, shift a belief, or create some other kind of change.

  Some examples are:

  “You’re ready to get started.”

  “Sign the contract now.”

  “Discover a new way of looking at this problem.”

  If I began a meeting by saying to somebody, “You’re ready to get started,” it would come across as too bold a statement. Blocks would be created in our communication. Consider this alternative phrase:

  “We’re meeting today because you told me you’d like to grow your business, and you’ve been looking for a service to help with your search engine results. You’ve been dealing with the frustration of trying to program it all yourself, and that means, you’re ready to get started having someone else do the work for you, right? ”

  Note the rhythm that is established when the leading statement comes after three pacing statements. The pacing statements are mirroring back previous discussion points. I shared this principle and example with a social media marketing company. They’re now converting more prospects into clients. The appropriate sequencing and delivery metaphorically put the foot in the door, so the buyer is ready to take action.

  Let the classic cartoon Schoolhouse Rock be an inspiration here. “Conjunction junction, what’s your function?” The use of the word “and” ties together the pacing statements, establishes a rhythm of communication, and naturally leads into the leading statement.

  For extra credit, there was a tag question at the end of the sequence. Simply asking the question “Right?” gets them to go inside their own thoughts, create a brief internal trance, and check in with the statement. It’s a mini “Yes Set” to stack the ethical influence and positive buy-in.

  Swap the word “and” for the phrase “which means” and you’re now building what’s called a “Complex Equivalence.” You’re still pacing and leading; however, you’re doing it with more flair.

  Here’s a recent example from a home contractor :

  “You want to look at your attic access because you want to expand your home storage, which means you’d like to review some installation options, right?”

  The focus of the sentence is now on the second half of the phrase. You’re driving them out of the “no room in my home” problem state into a “get the work done” solution state. Because you read the example, you also realized that demonstrated a complex equivalence. Right?

  As you’re reading this chapter, perhaps you’ve already noticed I’ve been using this linguistic pattern in most of my writing, haven’t you?

  You can also use previous leading statements as new pacing statements.

  As you’re understanding how you can use these patterns in your communication, you’re realizing there’s value in putting these strategies to use.

  And as you put these strategies to use, you discover a greater desire to continue learning.

  As you realize that value in expanding your education, perhaps you’ve thought about visiting my websites to learn about my online courses and live training.

  It’s that easy .

  This grows better with practice. As you practice this technique, perhaps scripting a few out for yourself, you’ll soon discover a greater confidence in “freestyling” this language pattern conversationally.

  As your ethical influence confidence continues to grow, you’ll realize there’s power in actively listening, which means you’re better enabled to resolve conflict or handle typical buying objections.

  As your skills grow in becoming more flexible in your communication, you’ll realize the power you have to grow your business now.

  WORK SMART ACTION STEPS:

  ☞ Th
e more you listen to people speak, the more you’ll likely realize this is based on effective communication. As you adopt this language pattern into your regular speech, you’ll likely discover you naturally become more influential.

  ☞ This doesn’t have to be scripted. Though you can have some rehearsed “chunks” ready to go for the common experiences in your business, perhaps. When it comes time to ask for the sale or make a specific offer, you can be ready with this influential communication pattern.

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  ANCHORING

  My daughter is only three months old, and she is deeply asleep. I’m supposed to be out catching up with friends. My wife and I have traveled thousands of miles away for a friend’s wedding. She is already in the hotel’s lobby with our friends. I’m supposed to put our little girl in the stroller and head down to the lobby, but, again, she’s asleep. She’s sleeping on me. I’m on the hotel bed on my back, and there’s a little face with her eyes closed inches away from my face. There’s that half-smile babies are known to make while sleeping.

  Time stands still. Nothing else matters.

  My phone is within reach, so I text a photo of the situation to my wife. “Have fun, I’m good up here” is all I have to send.

  I close my eyes, breathe in fully, and exhale a long, slow, relaxing breath. I want to hold onto the deep connection of peacefulness and my love for my daughter. I want to hold onto this sensory experience .

  I focus on her sleeping weight on my chest and the sound of her breathing. With my eyes closed, I repeat the slow, focused breath, taking in the full experience.

  Now, more than seven years later, I can close my eyes, breathe that same, focused breath, and fully bring back the kinesthetic experience.

  It’s more than just the breath. I can feel the muscles in my body melt and stress drain away as I repeat this focused breath.