The 5 W's of Connection: #1 - WHY

Business is all about connections and building relationships that turn into opportunities. These opportunities come in the form of referrals to new customers, meeting new people in your industry, and giving you the chance to share your ideas and experiences with fellow business owners.

There is an art to creating powerful connections and sometimes, by skipping a few simple steps, you can easily miss the mark on what could have been a successful connection.

Here is an example:

I was speaking about Sales & Marketing at an event a few years ago and before it got started, I was mingling and introducing myself to a few people in the room. One gentleman introduced himself to me and when I asked what kind of work he does, he proceeded to go into specific technical detail (for 13 minutes to be exact!) about all of the day to day tasks, spreadsheets, databases, and surveys that come across his desk on a daily basis.

The time came for me to start my presentation to the group. The first point I made was how important it is to focus first on the WHY of your business when communicating with new people (ie the problem you solve), and how the WHAT (technical details) can be addressed later. I spoke about clarity in our marketing and how your first impression should be about how you can help people.

Immediately after the talk, this gentleman came back to me and expressed that he felt like he had ‘messed up’ our initial introduction and asked if he could have a re-do. Right on the spot, I coached him to communicate so that I could understand his WHY and how it could help me or someone I know. His new introduction went something like this:

Bob: Hello, I’m Bob and I own a market research firm that conducts research for new businesses to make sure there is a demand for them before they open their doors.

Daria: Hi Bob, I’m Daria. So nice to meet you. What an important business offering. I actually know three people that I should introduce you to who would find your service very helpful.

The moral of the story is, when ‘Bob’ spent one minute telling me the WHY of his business and the main problem he solved, I immediately had a much better time understanding how he fits in my market in order to potentially send him referrals.

If you struggle to communicate your WHY to potential customers, I’d love to support you! Hello, I’m Daria. I support business owners and professionals to clarify your WHY in business so you can communicate more impactfully with those who should be buying from you. (see how easy that was?)