There are only 5 words you need to know in order to sell and recruit more long-term customers and business partners. Now, if you’re  like most people that I consult with,  you may not believe me when I tell you, but bear with me a moment.

First here are the the five words:

"How Can I Help You?"

In a consultation with a woman named Cindy, she asked me what she should say to convert more of the leads that came in through her online prospecting and lead generation.

I told her what works for me like gangbusters was, "How can I help you?"

"That’s what the last guy I spoke with told me", Cindy snapped, "How is it possible that all I need to ask is ‘how can I help you’?"

She gave this example to support her disbelief.

"If I were a principal and a teacher came in for an interview, why would I ask him or her, ‘how can I help you’?"

Isn’t That What You Want To Know?

I told her not to look at is as an employee/employer relationship, but as a patient/doctor relationship, where your primary concern is making sure that you understand the whole issue before you start prescribing.

In Cindy’s example where she’s the principal, she’s assuming she knows why the teacher is there.

I can understand… it should be obvious they are there to contend for the teaching position, right?

And if a lead calls you from your marketing efforts or as a referral to a specific product/service, why would you have to ask, "how can I help you", right?

Consider Bryan’s point-of-view

I use all of my experiences as an Internet entrepreneur, coach and speaker, as training for my subscribers. After one training, Bryan suggested this:

"Even as in an employer::employee interview, wouldn’t you like to know if the goals of your interviewee are in line with the vision and mission of the school?"

You wouldn’t just want to hire just any Joe or Jane looking for a job would you? Why not take the same care with selecting your clients, customers, and recruits?

When you enter  the conversation without an ulterior motive (please buy this… sign up for my…, buy my…, etc.) you’ll be more open to making sure you’re creating a mutually beneficial relationship.

You’ll want to know exactly, specifically, and precisely what this person is looking for.  Only then can you make a trustworthy recommendation about how you can help the prospective client, or aeven if your business, product, or service can help them.

Your "pitch" (if  you decide to make one) should be based on what they tell you their needs are, not your bank account looks like.

I’ve actually declined sponsoring potential distributors and servicing clients based on how they answer the question, "How can I help you?" and I’ll give you ans  example.

Sorry I Can’t Help You…

As a desperate networker a few years ago, I never thought I’d turn away anyone with a few thousand bucks burning a hole in their pocket. I’ve been a witness on many an occasion that when someone is hot and heavy to solve a problem , they are likely to sign on with the first person with a pen and a rep agreement that they bump into.

I’d be crazy to pass up on such low hanging fruit right?

However, when  I was no longer a desperate networker, I was a clued into an attraction marketing master… The very reason I was even talking to this guy was because of the’  lead gettin’ automated lead generation system I worked so diligently to set up.

And what does he say when I asked him the 5 magic words?

Well, I’m looking for something I can basically "Set and Forget!"

And, oh yeah his budget was (insert unreasonably low amount here), the time he was willing to invest was (insert unrealistic amount here) and he wanted to make (insert very large number here) in (never-gonna-happen) time frame.

Sorry, buddy, totally outside my expertise. Although it is totally doable on a  tight budget with enough creativity and enough time, it wasn’t a project I was interested in taking on.

I’d be teaching him something I wasn’t doing… and I wasn’t willing to learn, so that I could teach him, either.

I served him, my current and future business partners, clients and customers better by turning him on to someone else who could help him.

A Question With No Wrong Answer?

You see, when you ask an open ended question like "How can I help you?" you are removing all of the pressure off yourself. You are removing any concern of not knowing what to say.

All you’re doing is gauging the gap between where they are and their predetermined desire for themselves. As their consultant and trusted adviser you simply share possible solutions to to see if you can help to bridge the gap.

But, does that mean there’s no wrong answer? Although there is no wrong answer, you must realize your products/services or  your solution may not always fit what your prospective clients, customers and business partners are looking for.

See another example of when to pass on a sale here>>

When you drop the need to make someone want what you have by telling them how supercalafragilistic it is,  you’ll start listening for whether or not they even have the types of problems you can (and are willing to) solve.

You are empowering your potential prospect with the confidence that you are all about helping them, and at the same time, adding more "umph" to your offer, should you decide to make one.

You’ll talk with less people yet convert at a much higher rate. You’ll also enjoy higher paying customers, happy clients, and loyal business partners when you raise your standards beyond just prospecting anyone who who can fog a mirror.

But Don’t Take My Word For It

Could you imagine walking in to your doctor’s office and he already has a prescription written before he even examining you ? How would you feel?

Now imagine receiving a recommendation after completing a 100 question survey that is reviewed by an unknown expert? Which would you trust?

Which professional would you recommend to a friend?

Ask the very next person you speak with how you can help them. Ask your website visitors in a poll. Ask your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, "How can I help you?", and notice the results.

You’ll be surprised at how many sales opportunities present themselves when you discover needs before you offer a solution.

To helping the best,

Malika Duke

P.S. How can I help you? Have a Internet marketing, prospecting course or eBook that left you with more questions than anwers ? Joining the Savvy Business Mastermind will help you gain clarity and get on the fast track to attracting raving fans, loyal reps and unsolicited referrals! Join today before the price increases.