In Sandler, we talk about the concept of a clear up-front contract, which is all about clearly communicating expectations at the beginning of an interaction, as well as throughout various stages and transitions. We also talk about the concept of making it all about the other person. Keeping their viewpoint, mindset, and needs in mind can be extremely helpful.
It may or may not be surprising that starting a relationship out with both of those concepts can make a huge difference! One of my clients discovered that a while back with a potential referral partner.
My client had sent out a few emails to people he'd been meaning to reach out to about referral relationships. A couple weeks went by, and he got a phone call from one of them.
As he spoke with the potential referral partner, my client discovered he'd tried to work with three other people in my client's industry, and they'd all burned him. As my client took time to dig in, he discovered exactly what the frustration was. While each of the people were very responsive at first, over time they'd stopped taking calls from his customers.
At the end of the conversation, my client finished up with this: "I understand your relationship with your clients is really important. You've never met me. You may want to meet me in person before sending your customers over to me. If so, I'd be perfectly happy to sit down with you."
He responded, "Do I have to?"
My client said, "It's your call! They're your clients. Obviously, I'll take great care of them if you send them our way."
That's a great example of figuring out what someone's expectations really are. Some people would never refer their clients to you unless they met with you first. Others just want to feel comfortable with you over the phone.
And he also made it all about the other person. If he'd wanted to meet with him, he would have! But he uncovered that the other guy wasn't really interested in meeting, so he didn't push it.
When you meet a new potential client or referral partner, are you setting clear expectations with a good up-front contract? Are you thinking about what's in it for you, or are you making it all about them?
