🎯 Work Smart Wednesday - February 26, 2025
Reaffirming customer decisions, match pacing, and a quote on feelings
Work Smart Wednesday
👋 Hey there!
Here is your fortnightly dose of Work Smart Wednesday.
In these emails I will share with you 3 things to help you work smarter.
I'm writing this edition of Work Smart Wednesday from a cafe in Lomma, Sweden, while I wait for my friend to return from their family dentist. The smell of chai latte and pastry is a warm hug while I string some (hopefully) wise words together. This is the first time writing an edition from my mobile phone, a skill more different than I expected. But I'm relaxed after a week of seeing friends and playing board games - with the occasional client session in the mornings - and I’m ready to rock. Work and life are in balance.
1. 👍 Reaffirm customer decisions
When your work and life are in balance, you find that you seamlessly transition between different speeds for different situations. For most people home life may feel slower, and work often feels a little quicker. But work also needs to have different degrees of speed. Most people struggle with sales because they rush to move forward too fast.
You, the seller, feel ready because you know what to expect next. However, for your customer, this is a new world. They need to adjust, to be reassured they're heading in the right direction, and to know what the path forward looks like.
What does the right pacing look like? In this edition of Work Smart Wednesday I'm going to cover two ways you can set the right pace so you can close more sales.
Firstly, if you're selling via messages it is different to selling via calls.
If you're selling via calls, you are much more able to collect payment while the prospect is on the call with you (if you set everything up properly). The speed is quicker. In which case, apply this advice and ask the question *after* payment is collected.
But, if you're selling via messages that have a delay between replies then don’t just send someone an invoice if they say they want to go ahead. Slow things down for a second.
I know this is counterintuitive and not what most coaches say. I also know it’s super exciting when someone says they want to go ahead with the deal. But with sales it’s not over until it’s over.
So before sending through that link to pay, take a second to help the client be excited and to ask: “What part of us working together are you most looking forward to?”
You ask them this question for two key reasons:
It helps you to understand what parts of your offer are most valuable (so you can continue to improve your offers and marketing), and what quick win you want to prioritise to deliver to your client during onboarding.
Even more importantly, you ask it to help them reaffirm their decision. The question helps the client to feel emotionally and rationally committed as well as financially. The client will reaffirm in their head *why* they are buying, and help them better understand why buying is a good decision. You will see that conversion rates increase, and that early commitment rates are also higher (which will help you deliver better results more easily).
Reassure your client that they have made the right decision.
Don't only do this only once. Reassure your client when they make the initial purchase, reassure them again when you're onboarding them, and reassure them intermittently during their time working with you.
They will be happier, you will help them achieve better results, and you will retain them for longer. The reassurance will help everybody.
2. 🏃 Match pacing
People like and trust people who are similar to them. People buy from people they like and trust.
A relatively easy way to invoke this feeling of similarity (without doing anything sleazy like lying about your hobbies) is to match your client's pacing.
If someone responds to messages in two minutes, then make sure you respond in two minutes. If they take 30 minutes, then you take 30 minutes. If they take two days, then you take two days.
If you respond too quickly you seem desperate or pushy. If you respond too slow you feel flaky or like you provide poor service. By matching pacing with the client you better fit their needs and you build a sense of similarity.
You can do the same on client calls. Try to match the client's number of words per minute. Many AI meeting recorders like Fireflies (which I use) give you stats on how many words you and your client say per minute - you want those numbers to be as close as possible. Your clients will be happier and you will close more sales.
Matching pacing in calls and messages is simple, but not easy. As with most things, this is a skill. Practise. It becomes easier and will serve you for life.
3. 💡 Quote I'm pondering
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” Maya Angelou
Numerous studies confirm that almost everybody buys emotionally. It isn’t enough for the deal to be right - for them to know you can help them - the deal also needs to feel right.
When you help your clients to feel safe, listened to, reassured, you will find that people will be much more likely to want to work with you. They will stay around for longer, they will recommend you, they will return even years after they originally worked with you simply because they remembered how you made them feel.
This is true in life and in business. Help people feel good and good things will happen for you.
Now, my friend has just called and is on his way to join me in my cosy cafe. I’m off to play Carcassonne and be fully present with my friends on our last day together here in Sweden, regular work will wait until tomorrow. Wish me luck.
👋 Want to work together?
When you’re ready, here are 2 ways I can help you:
🔍 Clarity Call - We will discuss your situation and create a step-by-step action plan together so you know exactly what you need to do next for maximum impact.
🧩 Your Work Smart Scorecard - what is holding you back? - Fill in this quick quiz to easily see what your productivity problem is. Clearly identify what you need to focus on to improve your life and business.
That's it! I can't wait to hear what you think. What did you find most useful? What do you want more or less of? Reply to this email now and let me know
Also, if you have anything interesting to share, I want to know about it😊
Have a great week,
John
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