The Tuesday Business Corner: use one success to trigger lots more

Use one success to trigger lots more! This is an easy, quick, pleasant way to use your recent successes to trigger lots more of them… Let’s start with six indisputable facts: You want to have more successes When you’ve helped someone, they’re grateful When people are grateful, they’re pre-disposed to helping you Word-of-mouth is powerful People are really busy, with lots on their minds It’s always useful to find the easiest way of achieving something Do you agree with all these? Good, thought so. Here’s how to use them to help you… When you finish a piece of work that went well, ask the principle beneficiary three questions: Question 1: ‘Are you happy with the outcome?‘ They can only say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. If it’s a ‘yes’ (which is probably will be, given things went well), move on to Question 2. If it isn’t, find out why and resolve their concern. Then ask Question 1 again Question 2: ‘What do you think was the best part about what we achieved?’ This question leads to them talking about what they perceive to be ‘your best thing’. In other words, why they think you’re a valuable resource. Question 3: Ask them to do something for you They’ve now agreed you’re useful, and why. Now ask them one of these questions, depending on what you want: Want to work with/for them again? Ask ‘How else can I help you?’ Want them to recommend you to someone else? Ask ‘Who do you know who would also like to benefit from what we’ve just achieved?’ or ‘Would you mind calling Mrs X and telling her what we’ve just discussed? I’d love to help her too.’ Want a written endorsement from them? Say ‘I’d love to include what you’ve just said in my CV/marketing. Would you mind if I summarised it in an email, and sent it to you, for you to approve?’ This works because people reciprocate. Your first two questions focused on how much you’ve helped them. If you like, it helps them feel they ‘owe’ you. And it leads to them considering how they can help you in return. As always with these things, remember the Doctors’ Rule ‘first, do no harm’. Choose when you use this approach. But do use it. After all, you’re simply using a technique that’s based on six indisputable facts… Action point Identify your most recent and/or greatest success, and the name(s) of the main beneficiary/ies. Prep your three questions, then go and ask them. Do it right, and you’ll both be glad you did… Know people who'd benefit from reading this Tip? Please forward it on, and introduce them to our Blog :)

Written by NativeEnglish

Native English Spain is dedicated to make learning English simple, fun and affordable for Spanish people.