hat would you do in this scenario:
You go out on a first date with someone. Before you even get a chance to sit down, they get down on one knee and ask you to marry them. What would you do?
You would probably run. Unless you’re Anna from Frozen…I can’t believe I just put a Frozen reference in this blog…
Anyways, you would run far away. Do you know why you would run? You would run away because this person hasn’t invested time in taking you through the 3 stages of a relationship.
A lot of businesses do this exact thing to their clients. The second they meet a new prospect they blast them with “Buy Now” or “Schedule A Call”. They sit back and wonder why no one is doing either of those things with them. It’s too much too soon.
In this blog, I’m going to break down each stage of a relationship. I’m going to show you how to take your clients through each three stages of a relationship. Welcome to building relationships in business 101. Class is in session.
Stage 1: Curiosity
Here is where it all begins. When your potential client is in the curiosity stage of a relationship they are looking for someone who can help them do 2 things:
But nowadays, your potential clients are being served thousands upon thousands of pieces of marketing. From YouTube ads to Facebook ads to email blasts, they are always being marketed to. How the hell are you going to cut through all the noise?
If your potential clients were to take in all of those ads, their heads would probably explode. Like legit. Their brains aren’t meant to process that much information. So what does it do? It filters things. It places things into a keep and trash pile.
The only things that your potential client’s brains keep are things that will help them survive & thrive and increase their standing in life. Everything else gets thrown out. Pretty efficient, right?
Now, how does this apply to you? And also, what the hell are you supposed to do with this information? Keep reading, my friend.
When your potential clients are in the curiosity stage, you need to speak to them with empathy. This is your classic “people don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care.”
When you speak to them this way (whether through social media, your website, an email campaign, etc.) they will be more inclined to listen and even move to the next stage of a relationship.
If you can express enough empathy and understanding, it’ll be easy for your potential clients to move to the second stage of a relationship.
Stage 2: Enlightenment
In this stage of a relationship with your potential client, you have piqued their interest and they want to know more. One of the best ways to help them understand more about you is to talk about your process. Tell them how you are going to solve their problem.
It is a proven fact that no one will move into a fog. Anyone and everyone will always say no to confusion. Get rid of the fog. Throw out the confusion. Show them the clarity of your process.
Once you do that, you’ll find a lot of your potential clients ready to become clients in the third and final stage of a relationship.
Stage 3: Commitment
This is where the rubber meets the road. At this point in the relationship, you are on bended knee asking will you buy from me. Your potential client has all the information necessary for them to make a decision and commit to your company. The key thing in this stage of a relationship is to ask for the sale. Be brave. You’ve invested the right amount of time into the relationship.
In Closing
Understanding the three stages of a relationship is crucial for your business. It allows you to know when is the right time to “pop the question”. If you ask too soon for the sale, they’ll run away. If you ask too late, they probably already committed to someone else. Use this new knowledge to your advantage and make your potential clients fall in love with you.
