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We’ve been told how important
it is to be an expert. We should
stand out in our field by using
content to market our business.
And that is true. Being able
to showcase your level of
knowledge is one of the best
ways to gain awareness and
exposure.
There is a side of expertise that
can actually be harmful to your
business. What is it?
It’s when you know your
business so well that you fail to
do adequate discovery. Here’s
an example. You get a referral
from a friend. They tell you a
little bit about the prospect.
Now, because you know your
business so well you give some
thought to the need – as it’s
been told to you – and measure
it against what your company
does.
You walk into the sales meeting
believing you know what they
need and how you can help.
AND while you might ask some
questions to lay the foundation,
you don’t do a full discovery.
After your few questions are
answered you launch into what
you can do for them.
Your next step is to create a
proposal. And this is where the
problem shows itself. They are
shocked at the price. They don’t
understand why it is so high and
think you are trying to gouge
them.
What just happened?
I’ll tell you! You didn’t do your
regular, reliable discovery. So
you missed out on some critical
information – namely their
budget.
When Being An Expert is Dangerous
By Diane Helbig
SOAR TO SUCCESS
/
S
eptember
2016
/
Core Business Strategy