No one cares about you...

Whether it’s the opening to a presentation:

‘We were founded in’

‘We specialise in’

Or It’s a website:

‘We help’

We offer’

We deliver’

Or worse it’s the start of a meeting:

‘I’ve been working in this sector for’

‘I have lots of good connections'

All of these examples have one thing in common – they’re focused on ourselves. And the person you’re talking to doesn’t care.

In business, the person you’re talking to cares if you understand them, and how you help people/companies like them.

So – it’s time to spin it around, and here’s how you do it.

1. Understand or show you understand

If you’re presenting or it’s your website, demonstrate that you understand the challenges or opportunities the person has, play it back to them, get to their issues, not yours. If you’re talking, ask questions, listen, and check that you understand what someone has said.

2. Tell people how those issues can be solved

Don’t go straight in with ‘what we do fixes that or sorts that’, but go through how it could be fixed, including things you don’t do or aren’t experts in. This shows you understand, and are focused on their success, not yours.

3. Tell people where you think you fit in

How does what you do, solve their problem? Oh and give examples, when have you done it before, where’s the proof – ‘people like you have found’ is a great way to do this.

4. Now tell them a bit about you

Keep it short, keep it relevant and explain your credentials – at this stage you’ve earned it.

Remember, if you want to build trust, you have to remove self-interest. People can see, hear and smell self-interest a mile off.

Do that, and maybe people will care who you are after all...

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