It's not about you, it's about them...

When it comes to growing your business, the previous statement is obviously not correct – you’re growing your business for your own benefit.? That said, the focus of your growth strategy should be informed by what your clients need, and where or how you can help.

Unless you are lucky enough to have never been in a competitive pitch, you need to know a couple of things:?

a)???? Why did your clients choose you, instead of the other agencies you were up against?

b)??? What did you do during the project that went above and beyond the expectations of the client??

Once you know these things, you have an idea about where you may be different.? These become the reasons for someone to work with you, the added value that you bring to the table.? Being able to deliver on the brief is a given, everyone included on the pitch has demonstrated an ability to do that.?? What will win the project is where your 'value-add' aligns to the specific needs of the client in question, and unless you know what your value-add is how can you have that conversation?

JFK once said “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”, and the same should be said about business and client relationships.? Until you know what you can do for your prospects, your focus is on yourself.? Your conversation is all about how you see them as an ideal fit for you, how they are similar to previous clients, how their needs are not unique.? That makes your life easy, but it doesn’t make them feel special, listened to, or cherished.

"Enough about me, let's talk about you....what do you think about me?"

Bette Midler

If you went on a date and spent the entire night talking about yourself, your past relationships, why you think you're brilliant, and didn't once ask about them, do you think you’d get another date?

Understanding why your current clients chose you, why they’ve stayed with you, what you do to make them feel special, listened to, even cherished, will enable you to tell future prospects where they can expect to get ‘more’ than what the brief is asking for.? If you don’t make it about you, you may be the one that’s right for them.