How
to Create a Defining
Statement and Why!
By Gerry Rose - Business Consultant and President of
Integrity Networking Solutions
The defining statement, by definition, is the key that
starts your business bus. It has everything to do with
getting your business going. It gets you in front of new
customers, keeps you in front of existing clients, and gets
your telephone to ring off the hook retrieving referrals.
The goal
of the defining statement is to tear down the walls between
you and your prospects. The defining statement is an
attraction statement that is all about the customer. When I
tell you that I am an author, speaker, coach, and consultant
- that is all about me. Those words can build walls between
my prospects and me. When I say, “I work with people in
business who want to attract the right prospects and
generate more referrals,” it is all about the potential
client - you. It is also clear and concise. When the
defining statement is communicated the response is simple,
“How do you do that?” or “Tell me more!” Business people
want to know how you will help them. They want you to tell
them “their story,” not your story.
The way to
create a defining statement is painless. First, describe
your target market. As in the example above, the target
market is people in business. There are always two results
joined by and. The two results from the example above are
attract the right prospects and generate more referrals.
Another derivative of the defining statement is to have two
target markets. Such an example could be, ”I work with
people who want to start a business and business owners who
want to grow their business.” The two target markets are
people and business owners. Can you find the two results in
the example above?
Once you
have your defining statement, you will now answer the
question “What do you do?” with your defining statement.
Never again will you answer by stating the industry you work
in (coaching, consulting, realtor, etc.) The defining
statement breaks down the walls between you and the
prospect. When using a statement that is all about the
prospect (and not about you,) prospects will now ask you to
tell them your story by asking you to tell them how you do
what it is you do. When you can lead with a statement that
is all about the client, followed by stories that are all
about the client (or their contemporaries,) you will see the
flood gates for new business open to you.
When we go
to a networking event, a family social, or other interactive
activities where people will ask us, ”What we do?” we always
want to present ourselves in a memorable/repeatable way that
is conversational. As example, if I where attending a
birthday party for a friend in my local community and met a
realtor, most realtors when introducing themselves will say,
“I sell real estate.” Saying, “I sell real estate” is all
about the realtor. The other problem with that answer is
that everyone knows at least one realtor.
Do you
want to meet another, get to know this new realtor, and
possibly refer business? Most would answer ‘no.” However,
when someone says to me “I work with people who want to find
the right home and to sell real estate for the best price” I
say, “Tell me more!” This statement is also all about the
prospect rather than about the realtor. Even though I
acquainted with many realtors, I would now be interested in
knowing how this person is different from the others because
of the defining statement. When someone presents themselves
as different they may also describe a new way to solve an
existing problem that could peek the listener’s interest.
A defining statement properly built and employed will get
your referral system rocking. As I can help, I can be
reached at 760-43904623,
www.integritysd.com
