Meet Bob and Jill.
Bob obviously wants to make the most out of you regardless of what you really need. He does the hard sell, pushing you into a product or service that makes him the most commission.
Jill, on the other hand takes the time to understand you, what you really need and then acts in your best interest – recommending something that fits your requirements, maybe at a lower price or even suggesting you go to a competitor who has a better product.
Who would you rather buy from? And who would you go back to when looking for the next solution?
Obviously Jill.
Jill knows the value of becoming the trusted advisor. Someone who has your best interest at heart at all times.
Jill deeply cares about her clients. She goes out of her way to help. Goes the extra mile. Her clients reciprocate by trusting her implicitly.
Jill doesn’t have to “sell”. She creates her own circle of influence and her clients keep coming back and “buying”.
Jay Abraham, one of the world’s greatest modern marketers, calls this the Strategy of Pre-eminence.
Put simply it means placing your client’s interest above your own. Advising rather than selling. Winning your client’s trust. Building a deep connection. Making you their trusted partner and friend.
Surprisingly and sadly very few businesses truly understand this concept and do this. But if they did, the rewards would be substantial. Not just financially, but emotionally.
When you practice the strategy of pre-eminence you feel great about yourself. You enjoy your work, get more referrals (after all, we want to refer on our trusted friends) and build a sustainable long term business.
I can tell you from personal experience it works gang-busters. Our philosophy is to always look out for our client’s best interest. Many a time I’ve steered a prospect to another provider (even a competitor) if I believed we couldn’t help. People appreciate honesty and will come back when the time is right.
So go on. If you’re not already doing it, try it. You will be delighted with the results.
