“We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak.”
Epicetus usually gets credit for this saying. He was a Greek Stoic philosopher. Alive in the first century AD.
Sometimes the pre-Socratic philosopher Zeno is given the hat tip. Which means we’re now talking 450BC.
No matter the origins… it’s been around for a flippen’ long time.
It’s been picked up and given emphasis throughout the centuries.
We still hear it repeated in one way or another today. Even if those precise words aren’t used.
It carries with it a fair chunk of wisdom.
Which boils down to: Listen more than you speak.
If only it was applied to online ~~flame wars~~ discussions. Then there might be more productive outcomes.
And with us freelancers…
If this wisdom isn’t given due attention… you’ll find it a hard slog with your clients.
You see:
Clients talk with you because they have a problem. They’re hoping you can solve it.
Many an over-confident freelancer had a client discovery call that went something like this:
Client: “We’re looking for 4 blog posts a month.”
Freelancer: “Sure. I can write blog posts. I’ll send you a proposal shortly”.
Something missing? 🤔
Seeing I started with quotes from Greek philosophers…
Let’s call on Socrates… and his famous method…
Which at its heart is about: questions.
Questions unearth things. They get to the heart of problems. And help clarify the best course of action.
Jumping straight to an “I know the answer and will deliver you X” kind of response….
Is likely going to deliver something completely inappropriate for solving the actual problem.
And your client may not be the happiest about that.
It’s wasted time and opportunity — for everyone.
But simply add some probing questions. And the outcome can be just the opposite.
The most important question to ask is:
“Tell me about the problem you have.”
Then shut up and listen — Epicetus-style.
Take it all in. Hear.
Truly hear the heart of the problem.
You’re listening for the pain.
Like a doctor… only when you understand the pain can you prescribe the medicine.
It’s also why…
The approach of asking questions like this is called: diagnostic selling.
You’re helping diagnose the problem. Then offering your solution.
You’d of course ask at least a couple more questions to delve into things more. To help confirm if you think you can help them.
And for those of you afraid of selling…
This really is the no-selling way to sell.
There’s nothing pushy. It’s about matching a real problem with the solution you offer.
It gives you that nice warm feeling… that you’ve truly heard what your client is saying.
They’ll be happy they’ve been heard. And that you’re constructively working with them to offer a solution.
Sadly, many freelancers let the side down by rushing too quickly to offer solutions… in an “I know best” fashion.
I’ve been guilty of that when I had my training wheels on.
But now this process is fun. And kinda cool.
Because you get to be the detective… uncovering the true problems.
Chances are… those “4 blog posts” they asked for are a symptom of a deeper problem.
Likely there’s an underlying lead-generation issue. So there might be wider things to consider than simply adding a few blog posts.
That’s where you can advise. And offer strategy. Not necessarily doing all the work. But helping them find the solution.
I hope you’ve been listening to all that. Thank you for hearing me out. 😆
Go get ’em tiger!
P.S. If you’re wondering “how can I build my own website quickly and affordably”…
Then I can’t help you with a discovery call to listen to your underlying problem…
But I CAN point you to the affiliate links for the solution that worked for me:
https://a.chrismilham.com/systeme
Ready to build your email list? Go here…
EmailForTheWin.com
Chris Milham