Jane Maudsley founder & managing director Little Voices
How to win friends and influence people Learning to understand how people think can be an invaluable way to ensure your franchise is tailored toward each customer’s psychology
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hat is the single biggest skill that you can learn to impact your business? I've been thinking about this a lot. Well I have had time: I recently fell down the stairs for the second time this year and fractured my coccyx. It’s very painful and I certainly don’t recommend it just to get some time for reflection. But ironically the fall has had a massive business impact as it’s given me the opportunity to get some quality thinking time and work on – rather than in – my business. In my opinion, the single biggest factor that can impact your business is – drum roll – psychology. It's the simple science of understanding what drives people. It's about recognising the power of influence, putting yourself in other people’s shoes and looking at your product offering from their point of view. When I talk to parents, they often come and try Little Voices because I place myself in their shoes and get to know the problems they need solving for their children, not talk about what Little Voices is and what it does for most children. When I’m speaking at a school I have
really learnt about that school, what it offers and what it doesn’t offer and what might fill the gaps that it has. This ensures Little Voices is appealing to them. It is a totally genuine approach to building a long-lasting relationship. No one regrets making a purchase if it is something they really needed and really benefited them. You might think this is enlightening. You might think this is irrelevant to you. You might think you do this already. I certainly thought I did but having read other people’s thoughts on this topic it is apparent that you need to not just know about this but practise this skill constantly. Be committed to learning more about others and how you can influence them. I’m a big believer in the idea that to understand someone you must walk a mile in their shoes. So you need to learn more about your buyer's psychology, put yourself in their shoes and view your franchise from their point of view. It’s about being totally objective, brutally honest and realistic: you need to look at your product, your offer DECEMBER 2017 | elitefranchise
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11/12/2017 15:47