The metaphor of the suitcase (Part 1)
What would you say to a person pulling a suitcase?
I live on a street just like the ones you see on postcards of San Francisco. In this street, with a 30% slope, there are over 40 Airbnb accommodations. Everyday, I see tourists pulling their suitcases to get to their housing.
Imagine facing one of these tourists asking for a service, a coin you need or a direction to get somewhere ... What is his answer going to be? Probably that he cannot help you.
Now imagine that you approach this tourist to help him pull his suitcase, how will he welcome you? Obviously, he will thank you.
The metaphor of the "suitcase" or how to do prospection
In the end, this person pulling his suitcase is the entrepreneur who needs to go forward with his problems:
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If we are looking for a job and that we approach the entrepreneur to tell him about our problems when he is pulling his suitcase, it is obvious that we are not going anywhere.
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Similarly, if we approach him with our product portfolio, we have no chance to sell him anything since his only problem is his heavy suitcase.
To succeed in our direct approach, the only way to approach the entrepreneur is to offer him some help.
Find the"suitcase" of our interlocutors
To succeed with the direct approach, we need to find the critical issues of our interlocutors, their most urgent need, and then help them solve it. Sell ourselves or sell, starts with focusing on each other and not on oneself.
Understanding the interlocutor, his environment and his problems BEFORE contacting him for his urgent needs: This is the art of prospecting.
Pascal Faucon - The metaphor of the suitcase (Part 1)
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Oil & Gas Senior Program Director | Deliver On-Time & Budget with Zero Safety or Quality Incidents | Problems can often be turned into Opportunities
8 年Thanks Pascal, A very masterful lead-in to what promises to be a worthwhile series. Looking forward to Parts 2 +, so I'm following you.
Strategic Advisor - BoD Member - Consultant
8 年thank you Pascal. Sometimes we oversee most obvious approaches. Common sense underrated, I would say. Looking for more, so following you from now on. all the best t