Jonny VenvellLast week we were lucky enough to welcome drummer and SNP Communications expert Will Vara to our offices in Moorgate, London to talk to our members about how to communicate with clients.
You can find a full recording of his talk below.
0.00 Introduction
Will introduces himself and the topic of the discussion – how to communicate with clients.
7.59 The Triangle
Will summarises the triangle – a technique developed by Aristotle for structuring communication – whether written or verbal. Whatever you do when you’re communicating over the phone or by email, make sure there are three key takeaways:
- Tell them what you’re going to tell them
- Tell them
- Tell them what you’ve told them
Will then gave a mini workshop with Rachel from Encore Brazilian group, Alvorada and came up with three important takeaways for any client they talk to. After the session, Will and Rachel decided Alvorado could be marketed as:
- Professional
- Adaptable
- Experienced
20.49 Active Listening
Will: Active listing is clearing your head of everything else and solely focusing on what someone is saying. So when you actively listen you have no questions going on in your head, no other thoughts, you are fully present in the conversation. It’s really hard to do.
You are seeking understanding constantly. You are a journalist in every situation.
Use playbacks. Repeat what the client has said back to them followed by an open question.
When you ask questions, don’t go into what you want to hear, but what they want to talk about.
If you use active listening your clients will love you.
29.27 Objection handling
When you’re chatting to clients, you might encounter some objections like:
- You’re not quite what I’m after
- Price was too much
Will says, if you hear that, there’s something else that’s the real objection. Instead of focusing on what they’ve said, you should get to the root of the problem but asking the client:
If we could solve [initial problem], what else is getting in the way of us playing a gig for you?
Question from the floor: Should you call a client after a wedding?
Will: After you’ve played a gig that feels like a one-off, call them up get their feedback, and say “if anything else comes up – get in touch”. You are running a business.
Once you’re in the door, you’re in and it’s up to you whether you want to leave or not.
It’s up to you to follow up.
Encore Drinks
We hold Encore Drinks events in our office in Moorgate London every quarter to allow our members to come and network with each other, learn from leading industry professionals, and chat with the Encore team.
Our next event will be in autumn 2018, keep your eyes peeled on your inbox for details nearer the time!