How to Communicate for Business Development

One of the biggest struggles I see with coaches is how to go from a conversation to a paying client. The main reason behind the struggle? 🔴 Not leading the conversation well. This is a result of: — Not setting the context — Focusing on yourself — Not listening well How you can improve your conversation leadership 👇 1. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 — There's no script or agenda — This is not you interviewing me — I'm here to provide help, not casually chat Example prompt: "What would make this a really useful conversation for you?" 2. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 — Be curious about who they are — Be curious about what they want — Be genuinely interested in them Worried about saying the wrong thing? That's focusing on you, not them. 3. 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 — Listen for what it means to them — Look for themes and patterns — Note what they don't say The feeling of being truly listened to builds more trust in 1 hour than 100 hours of casual chatting. Always remember: 1. Being a coach is your best selling tool 2. A little assertiveness can go a long way 3. Leading the conversation is an act of love 4. If they don't want help, you just saved time Now go turn those conversations into clients 🚀 What was your biggest takeaway? . . . Coaching for your soul. Jetpack for your growth.

When I launched my podcast, I had to interview smart minds. I was nervous and unprepared. I treated every conversation like ping-pong. I asked, they answered. Back and forth. Hit and miss. No depth, no insight, no connection. This is how most of us communicate. We talk to reply, not to learn. “Listening is an art that requires attention over talent, spirit over ego, others over self.” - Dean Jackson Your listening and communication skills determine your success in: - Sales - Relationships - Leadership - Life Bottom line: It matters. And we can do better. I’ve improved a lot. It wasn’t easy, but these are 5 frameworks that helped me listen better and transform how I communicate. 1. The Ladder of Inference (Bias). We often make assumptions and jump to conclusions, without checking the facts and logic. This leads to confusion, conflict, and poor decisions. To avoid this, we need to climb DOWN the ladder and question our thinking. This is a dangerous ladder that creates bias and limits us. 2. The Five Whys. A simple way to go deeper. Ask “why” (5 times) until you find the root cause. - It uncovers hidden assumptions and beliefs. - It prevents superficial solutions. - Be curious and open-minded and keep digging. 3. Affective Frame A technique teachers use. When you know why you care, you’ll pay more attention (and listen better). We can lose focus and drift away. Constantly remind yourself of the purpose and value of the conversation. You’ll stay engaged longer. 4. Signal vs. Noise: Signal: The main message or idea. Noise: Anything that distracts, confuses, or weakens the signal. We’re bad at expressing our thoughts. This leads to chaos. - Be clear and concise. - Use simple words and sentences. - Avoid jargon and filler words. This will help the other person focus. Complex questions or vague thoughts lead to messy back and forth. 5. The Pareto Principle. We don’t need to cover every topic every time. Pareto principle tells us that 80% of the outcomes come from 20% of the inputs, actions, or ideas. However, more often than not, we repeat 80% of the things that only produce 20% of the results, instead of the opposite. This happens because the 20% that produces the 80% is the hard work, the tough tasks, the deep, challenging questions. Remember. Time is precious. We only have so much time to communicate and get things done. - Focus on the important work. - Have the difficult conversation. - Ask the hard questions. That’s how you make every conversation count.

Have you ever thought you’d done a great job of communicating only to be shocked at how misunderstood you were? 😲😕   Or, the reverse occurred and you thought you completely understood what your customer told you only to realize there had been a serious disconnect?   And you wondered …   Why is this happening?   Over the years, I’ve seen many clients struggle with this 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 problem.   And it’s always boiled down to one fatal mistake …   The mistake is ending a conversation or presentation by asking if there are any questions.   And, if there are no questions …   Assuming everyone is on the same page …   Confident things will proceed as discussed …   That is … until they don’t!!!   The solution?   Always ask 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 the person/group with whom you’re communicating to share 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 what they heard and what they understood. 🔓   And, when the tables are turned, you do the same.   Most of my clients are astounded to discover that what they thought they’d communicated …   Or what they thought they’d been told …   And what was actually meant were two very different things more than 50% of the time!!   This one easy check offers the opportunity for instant feedback …   And it pays huge dividends down the road.   Because … if there is a disconnect …   This simple technique provides an on-the-spot opportunity to make course corrections before lots of time, money, resources and/or customer goodwill have been wasted. 👍👍     (Illustration: Tynote)    Ring the 🔔 on my profile to follow Linda Goodman for marketing strategy and business development content.   #MarketingStrategy #Sales #Leadership #CEO #Entrepreneurship #EmotionalIntelligence #VirtualCMOonTap