The Importance of Venturing Out Alone; How To Score New Clients At Bars
No, not Han Solo. Although, I’m sure he’d have a lot to say about “solo” adventures (no pun intended). I’ve been wanting to write this blog for a while, but it took my own “sudden” solo venture to get me prepped.
As I look at the big, pivotal, important, crucial moments in my career (notice I didn’t say life), I can pinpoint these back to times where I ventured out alone.
I had a friend (hey, girl, love you if you’re reading this), ask me a couple of months ago, to show her my PowerPoint “sales” pitch. How I got those big clients. How I “sold” them.I gladly accepted the lunch date and met up with her. She was like, “I don’t need you to give me your actual presentation, I just want to learn more about what you said and what you did to win them over” or something like that. Now, I’m a big believer in the sharing of knowledge.
I’ll tell you ANYTHING and EVERYTHING I did to get where I am, and leave out ZERO details.
I want YOU to be successful too, and I feel like there is space for BOTH of us at the top.
I’ve always felt this. I’m never going to be that person who holds all of my secrets dear and shuts out the people trying to get ahead. I HATE those types, and I never want to be that. However, I knew deep down that THAT presentation was .01% of winning that client.
So, what was it?
Well, let’s take this back a few steps (before I proceed with that story).
Let’s talk about how I got the deets on what should go in a marketing pitch. Well, I had a peer, someone I saw as a “mentor” show me his presentation, and I took rigorous notes. I asked him if it was cool that I use some of his concepts and he said “fine by me, you can find all of this online, info is free.” I mean, this was info he was pitching to clients that were paying him $7K per month, and I was able to “take notes” with no problem? Seemed fishy.
Being in his shoes 6 months later, I finally got it.
90% of the work is done outside of your “presentation” or “pitch” or “email” or “sale”.
When my friend asked to see my presentation, I may have glazed over these key facts.
+It’s all about getting the interview.
+It’s all about getting butts in seats.
+It’s all about the ask.
+It’s all about the follow up.
+It’s all about the “engagement meeting” (as we would call it in finance)
If you’ve “got it”, you’ve got it. You’ve got the deal.
The hard part (or easy part for some) is just getting the meeting.
If you’re personable, you’ll get the deal. Easy.
This amazing gal that asked me these questions, she’s great. She’d get the deal.
BUT
She was asking the wrong question.
Instead of “what was your presentation?” she should’ve been asking, “how did you get that guy to sit down with you, to listen to that presentation?”
Now I’ve gone over this a million times with her (and she’s doing amazing btw) but I want to reiterate it for all of you readers who may have seen me touch on this before…
GO OUT.
GET a glass of $13 wine at a bar (boujee or dive).
Sit. Read. Type. Scroll through Instagram for all I care. Shoot, might as well go on a Tinder date. Anything to get you out of your damn house (excuse my language, I reallllly try not to cuss on my blog- but this is important).
You never know who you’ll meet. You never know who that guy across the way will become in your life, career, etc.
(SIDE NOTE. I met TREVOR (in person) by way of sitting at a bar by myself. His friends and I struck up a convo and they introduced me to him **blessing or a curse, who knows!**!)
I met my biggest client in a dive bar.A DIVE BAR. I was writing a blog on my computer and we struck up a conversation. It wasn’t until 6 months later that THAT convo had ANY REAL meaning in my life. BUT, when it did, I had made a big enough impact in that 20 minute conversation, that he remembered me, valued me, wanted to meet with me, etc.
So, what does this have to do with being alone?
Well, and this might seem like a stretch, but it’s true;
Charm is in person. Charm is random. Charm is impossible to recreate on Tinder, Snap, Insta, or even LinkedIn.
You can sell yourself with the PERFECT RESUME and guess what, no one cares! The value you can provide with an in-depth, captivating conversation is irreplaceable. It’s indescribable. It’s uncapped. There is nothing like it. There is nothing on your phone or computer that will ever BE like it. You have more power, more will, more deceptive intelligence, more VALUE than ever… when you’re staring your subject in the face and speaking your truth. I could put out 100 resumes (and have) and get NOTHING BACK, but give me an afternoon in Urban Farmer and I will PRODUCE.
So, why am I writing this to you, at the beach, alone on my bed at 10PM on a Monday night after doing (literally) zero work today? Let me tell you about my day.
I got up, packed. I left, grabbed Starbucks. I headed to Lincoln City, did a “light” amount of shopping cause it reminds me of those times I used to come with family and it’s kind of necessary when you’re here. I got to the beach house. I unpacked. Took a selfie (it’s part of the job *wink*). Headed to The Pelican Pub. Grabbed my latest marketing book. Enjoyed a meal and the sunset.
Okay, great Chels. Glad you had a boring day. BUT WHAT ELSE?
So, as I sat and enjoyed my dinner, I saw a couple and their 3 year old sitting a table away, one parent, trying to capture a pic or two of the dad and son. I stopped reading, jumped up, and ran to their table.
“Let me get a picture of the three of you!” I said.
“Oh, wow, that would be great!” The mother exclaimed!
The 3 year old was all over the place. I waited and made all these ridiculous gestures (the kind I typically do when shooting professionally) and made sure to get a smiley photo of him looking up. They thanked me and I went back to my table.
Flash back to about an hour before. I was in desperate need of charging my phone and had to run to the car to grab a charger. While rummaging through my console, I found my stack of business cards (they had run dry in my purse, needed a restock). I grabbed about 12 and stuck them in my purse.
Flash forward.
I began reading my book again with my second glass of Pinot Noir. (Don’t judge!)
I saw the family begin to get up and start to head out, I bit my tongue. I was soooooo close to getting up and saying “hey, I’m actually a professional photographer, and if you need family photos while you’re here at the coast, I’m happy to do them,” but I didn’t, I held back.
About 3 minutes later, the mother came up to my table to thank me for taking the photo. I said “no problem!” and handed her my business card, saying the same thing I would’ve said… but she initiated it. She immediately said she would be contacting me tomorrow for photos while they’re at the coast. Wow. Such a simple gesture. I may have a fun photoshoot, a paid gig, or an act of kindness at my fingertips, but the point is, SOMETHING BIG was made out of SOMETHING SMALL. All I was doing was eating alone and being “present” nonetheless.
So, they left, I moved over to the fire, and I met a wonderful older gentlemen. Vet. Talked lots about his kids. It was amazing and I learned a lot of life lessons. He inspired me with some random facts about time and life and marketing and the book I was reading.
A few amazing things happened there too.
I was able to practice my “elevator pitch” once again
I was able to learn something new from a stranger
I left inspired
I gave out another card
I drove back to the beach house and now, am drinking some mediocre table wine left at my house (sorry friends, you’re amazing, but I’m picky), and writing in complete silence by my lonesome. No homeless people screaming outside my window. No insta (no service or wifi or like, you know I’d be on it). No boyfriend. No nothing.
Now, this night was not intended to be a “prospecting” night. I didn’t go out with ANY thoughts of making connections, getting gigs, getting something out of the people around me (AT ALL!). It was just simply me, going out, and being me. Me, being present in the community. Me, being aware of my surroundings. Me, being able to speak when spoken to. Me, being able to make friends and connections. Me, making a dent, even if it’s small.
Now, I don’t know if I’ll ever “pitch” any of these people down the road with my marketing skills and tactics and plans… I don’t. BUT, what I do know is that when and if I do, my success will have NOTHING to do with my presentation and EVERYTHING TO DO with my relations.
So let’s get back to my friend, with amazing intentions of knowing “how I did it”. She was thinking what any normal person would think. HOW did you SELL them? What I would challenge YOU to start thinking is not HOW but WHY. WHY did I sell them? It was personality, relationship, experience, trustworthiness, follow up, communication.
No matter what you’re trying to accomplish, think about the WHY and not the HOW. If you know the WHY, the HOW will come naturally.
People will work with you, hire you, follow you, believe in you… if you show them YOU, your VALUE, and WHY you WANT what you WANT!
It’s simple. AND you can do it.
My only advice is for you to GET OUT ALONE. Own it yourself. Be your own boss. BE HAN SOLO!
