Building Your Practice - BUSY is the new stupid

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Let’s dive in for this edition.

Imagine you are in a business networking event. Someone you know (even an existing client of yours) approaches you and asks you “How is business?”

What is your answer?

Most professionals I have asked this question gave me the default response (in some form): “I am busy”!

Did you notice what you have just done?

You directly damaged the growth of your practice.

If your best clients think so highly of you, why aren’t they referring others to you?

Could it be that your own actions are convincing them they shouldn’t?

I was surprised and partly annoyed that professionals gave me this same answer also during the last financial crisis period when we all know that it was NOT so busy for a lot of people. Why?

This edition features bites of advice on how to become less busy and more successful in growing your practice. We discuss it in more detail in one of the episodes of SWITCH ON! my weekly show with THE SWITCH (see here link to this respective session).

And if you’ve missed?more than a week or two, we always archive the shows to my?YouTube page. If you’d like to be notified when the newest episode is available, subscribe to my channel and you’ll receive a notification.

You can learn even more when you watch the episode?here.

YOUTUBE [https://youtu.be/orSzFPnysYM]

Here are some initial thoughts on how you can get less busy and more successful in growing your practice and getting more and better referrals:

Some of us try to demonstrate our importance by showing and expressing how busy we are, and we communicate our "busyness" in a number of ways.

How do you communicate your busyness?

In his now legendary piece, “The Busy Trap”: for the New York Times, Tim Kreider, the author of “We Learn Nothing” wrote and I quote:

“Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance, a hedge against emptiness; obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or trivial or meaningless if you are so busy, completely booked, in demand every hour of the day…”

In the professional industry, it seems that busyness has become a status symbol a sign that you are in demand and thus important.

I assume many of you know what I am talking about.

You could be projecting "I'm so busy" also by the way you talk to others or in how you enunciate your words. It could be by comments you make during meetings or the time you dedicate to others in meetings.

Your busyness might be communicated by constantly taking work home with you, or

not having time for yourself etc.

Does that sound familiar to you?

Do you pass off clients' questions to someone else?

Do you tend to leave clients "on hold" for more than a few seconds?

These are also indirect “I’m busy” signs you send your clients.

I do not want you to get me wrong.

If you are really busy it is perfect!? There is nothing wrong with being busy. To be busy

can mean that your practice is successful.

But, looking busy is a totally different scenario. This definitely has its downfalls and directly

prevent the growth of your practice.

Harsh…but really true!

Did you ever think what the effect you have on your clients when you say ‘I’m busy”?

The ‘Busy’ Trap

The more your clients see you looking busy, the more they may want to protect their own relationship with you. By not making you busier with more referrals, they may, either consciously or unconsciously, want to protect both you and themselves.

They know that if they give you another referral, you will only have more work to do. And, if they were to give you, say, three to five new referrals, not only would your life be made worse, you may not even be able to get to those new people in a timely manner— which would make you feel bad, the referrals feel bad, and your client feel bad.

Moreover, did you know the words “I’m busy” may even expose your existing best clients to be easy targets for your competition? Let me explain.

If you are busy, your clients are concerned about your busyness. Thus, they will prevent themselves from calling you with all kinds of questions with regard to their business.

So-o-o,? if anyone else—is apparently willing to take the time to answer a few questions for them, they may start business relations with them.

What If that someone else is your competition?

They are getting a chance to demonstrate not only competence to your clients but also that they have the time to really work with your clients.

So do you want to get more referrals?

Do you want to learn how to send the message to your clients that you have time for them?

Here's what you can do about it.

Let me share with you 5 practical ideas you can use immediately to ’neutralize’ your

busyness behavior and to attract new clients and grow your practice:

Busyness Blueprint

1. Clear your mind

Before meeting a client or participating in an event, give a few moments of silence to yourself.

Let’s say 10-15 seconds of silence. Why?

By giving this “silence break” you give yourself the sign to simply stop what you are doing, clear your busy mind, and give time for the other person you are about to meet.

Then proceed with your appointment.

This simple action, I practice on a usual basis myself, sends a sign to your brain that you have time and you’ll make time if needed to a new client that will be sending your way. It gives place to accept new referrals for your business.

2. Act in a slow Behaviour

Acting deliberately in a slow behavior will send the message that you appreciate the other person, consider her/him important and are willing to spend extra time with her/him. It will neutralize your busyness behavior.

You can do it easily by, for example, standing up and walking over to the person you are meeting, taking a moment to shake her/his hand while gaining eye contact.

Simple act but powerful.

3. Control the speed of your talk

As mentioned, you could be projecting "I'm so busy" also by the way you talk to others or in how you enunciate your words.

So learn to clearly pronounce and sound out your vowels when you talk with your client.

Your communication will have more emotions, and you'll express yourself with more passion and compassion.

In my experience, in this way, both you and your client will be more emotionally involved in the conversation, and you'll tend to feel more connected with each other.

It will certainly give the conversation more impact and make it feel more complete. This compounds the involvement both - you and your client will feel.

4. Ask Questions and Listen to their answers

I always believed that one of the most effective ways to build good relationships is to be a good listener, and encourage other people to talk about themselves.

This is definitely true when we want to build more business referrals.

If you ask your clients and your relationships sincere questions and you demonstrate your

ability to listen to their answers, you will definitely give them a genuine opportunity to think about you and refer more business to you.

And the last can’t-miss idea - that many professionals miss -

5. Create Unexpected Opportunities to thank your clients

Let your clients know, when they least expect it, that they are important to you. Do it on a consistent basis. For example, as I advised many professionals I mentor - ??simply write and send a personal handwritten card of appreciation once a day/week to one of your clients.

By doing it - you’re sending a message that you’re willing to take the time for them.

Have you ever received a letter of appreciation or a gift that you kept for a long time?

How did you feel when you received it?

How long did you keep it?

These special appreciation gifs in unexpected moments, the fact that you took time to write them and mail specially for them, will force your clients to pay attention to the fact they are important to you and you are willing to dedicate time for them.

It will allow them to become more willing to introduce new referrals to you.

Being Busy ≠ Being Successful

As you can see - You need to start investing more time to harness your client relationships

and you have a giant sales force that will directly impact your revenue and margins by increasing referrals.

Empowering clients to share your services is the easiest way to increase referrals.

With a little practice and time, these ideas will easily flow with every client opportunity.

No one is more inclined to refer you than your clients and no one is going to have more

impact on the number of referrals than YOU!

Remember: our insistence on staying busy can have damaging effects not only on our practice for also on our mental well-being: more stress, exhaustion, burnout, and an inability to focus on the present. But I leave that topic for other experts.

I hope this edition inspires you - to understand the importance of time and that ‘Being busy’ not necessarily mean being successful.

Now it is your time to SWITCH ON and go out of the Busyness trap!

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What do you do to stop being busy and give more attention to your clients?

Please share your comments and input with me, I read every comment personally.

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If you have any specific questions regarding building client relationships, please send us an e-mail and I will be happy to help.

Until the next edition…

SWITCH ON and keep them loyal!

Warmly,

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Until the next edition, SWITCH ON and keep STANDING OUT!

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Itzik is considered the global leading authority on business development, business networking, client relationships, and personal branding. He is a highly sought-after international speaker, trainer, business mentor, & attorney-at-law. He is also the bestselling author of “The Attention Switch” & Founder of THE SWITCH?? , the leading online training, education and done-for-you platform for professionals globally. Itzik teaches, trains, and mentors lawyers, other professionals, and professional firms to attract and win their ideal clients by becoming seen as authorities in their field, creating and maintaining successful and strategic relationships, and learning to SWITCH their relationships to referrals+revenue+results.

See more information: itzikamiel.com | THE SWITCH???or connect with Itzik via: [email protected]

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