Listening Skills; part 2

* Today we have the honor of featuring some very helpful lifeskills and business building skill tips from Donna J Thomas. The article was a bit longer than we normally publish so I have split it into two sections. Today is part 2... Find Part 1 via August 6th's post. 

Can You Hear Me Now? 6 Ways to Listen to Clients

4. Listen for Buying Triggers

You have probably heard that we base our buying decisions on emotion. Stirring up emotions may make people want what you offer. But most people are smart enough to not make a purely emotional decision, especially when it comes to their health or their money! You also need to appeal to their need and their logic.

Make sure your marketing message will trigger an emotional response, a desire, a want. The emotional response then activates a reaction of need. Then complete your marketing message with a logical, compelling reason to buy your offer.

As humans, we're more alike than different, especially about our deepest motivations and desires. 

There are 12 universals motivators that drive people to do business with someone:

- Relieve/avoid pain

- Make money

- Save money

- Save time

- Feel safe

- Avoid effort

- Increase happiness

- Become successful or famous

- Have fun

- Feel attractive

- Find love and community

- Make a significant contribution

With health and wellness, most peoples' needs - and our solutions - fall within the top five on this list. In most cases, they are at the heart of why people buy a product or service. So listen to where their need falls in this list of motivators and create your marketing message around that need.

5. Listen for Power Words and Client-Specific Vocabulary

Power language is words or phrases with a high emotional charge. Consider the difference between saying "overweight" and "fat." Or between "cost" and "investment." Or "show" and "reveal."

As you develop your awareness of marketing, emotional buying and client language, you will start hearing and seeing words in a different way. Notice especially words from your niche and from your own and affiliate professions.

Set up a "swipe file" to store your ever-growing collection of marketing phrases and power words. If you see a website or brochure with wording you like, save it in your file. But don't copy others exactly - tweak the language to make it your own while keeping the message intact. Keep adding to this file over time and get in the habit of referring to it frequently when you work on your marketing materials.

If your client base belongs to a certain generation, profession or sub-culture, use words, phrases or slang that speaks to them in their own language! Focus on terms specific to that target group and "seed" then into your marketing. "Seeding" means to sprinkle them here and there, to plant "seeds" of ideas. As a health professional, you would seed your marketing with words about the needs of your clients and the problems you solve, along with words about benefits and results - how your work helps people! For health entrepreneurs, this includes words relating to pain, pain relief, greater comfort or more energy, for example.

6. Listen with an Open Mind

Many practitioners ask questions with a particular answer in mind, and are unwilling to accept an answer they didn't expect. They have an agenda and simply use questions as a lead-in to tell people what to do, rather than really listening to the answer and responding appropriately.

Don't assume you already know what your clients want. Don't use your client consult session to get agreement or confirmation on your opinions. Really sit back and listen with an open mind to hear their needs, desires, frustrations and challenges. The only way you will truly be of service to them is when you they feel heard!

If you ask the right questions, your clients will tell you exactly where they are and where they want to go. These goals and desires will guide you in how to attract them as a client. Once you really hear them, not only will your marketing more effectively draw them in, but will also serve them in a deeper level to really help them get their needs met.

Truly listening - and hearing! - establishes rapport and credibility with anyone who has the particular need that you target. Trust and communication open up when you speak the same language as your audience! Once you tune in to your clients' need and craft a marketing message that addresses it, you'll always have enough clients and enough money coming in. And you'll gain confidence knowing that your work is making a difference in people's health and their lives!

* Find Part 1 via August 6th's post.

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