John Ray Archives - Page 55 of 69

Julie Zweig, MD

February 16, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Julie Zweig, MD

00:00 /

Julie Zweig, MD (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 432)

Julie Zweig, MD joined host John Ray to discuss her specialties of sleep issues, hormone optimization, wellness, functional medicine, and allergies. Dr. Zweig left a large practice after twenty-one years to open her own practice so she could spend more time with her patients, enabling her to utilize all her areas of expertise and offer more integrated answers for her patients’ health issues. Dr. Zweig discussed the dangers of sleep apnea, how allergies and the gut are related, what functional medicine is, and much more. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Julie Zweig, MD

Julie Zweig, a physician in Alpharetta, is Board Certified in both Ear Nose and Throat Surgery and Sleep Medicine. She also has advanced training in aesthetics, hormone optimization, and Functional Medicine. Dr. Zweig had been practicing with a large group for over 21 years but has recently started her own solo practice.

Dr. Zweig grew up right here in Atlanta Georgia. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, her Medical Degree from Emory University, and her Specialty training at the Eye and Ear Institute in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Dr. Zweig enjoys spending quality time with her husband David and has three children. When she is not with her patients, Dr. Zweig loves to hike with her two very energetic Standard Poodles. She also loves Horseback riding and traveling. Unfortunately, she just lost the last of her 15 chickens.

Dr. Zweig is one of only a few Integrative Sleep and ENT physicians in the entire country, and to her knowledge, the only one in the southeast.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

Why did you leave your big practice that you were with for 21 years?
Tell us a little bit about your practice and what you offer?
Tell us why you got interested in Sleep Medicine
How does it work when a patient comes in to see you for snoring or a sleep problem?
How do you treat Snoring and Sleep Problems?
I understand you have expertise in hormone optimization. Why Hormones… what are they? How do they help with sleep?
Can you explain what Functional Medicine is and how it related to Sleep and ENT?
What happens during a Wellness appointment?
There are quite a few Ear nose and throat and sleep physicians in the area as well as functional medicine doctors. Can you tell us how you are unique?
How can people find out more about your practice, both the more traditional side as well as the Wellness side

North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked from scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.

Golden Retrievers, the Need for Approval, and Pricing

February 16, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Golden Retrievers, the Need for Approval, and Pricing

00:00 /

Golden Retrievers, the Need for Approval, and Pricing

The need for approval is hardwired in all of us as humans. You might call it a “golden retriever tendency,” and unless we’re always aware of it, it can get mixed up–to our detriment–with how we approach pricing and the clients we accept. The Price and Value Journey is presented by John Ray and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

TRANSCRIPT

John Ray: [00:00:00] And hello again, everyone. I’m John Ray on The Price and Value Journey. My wife and I have a Golden Retriever who is in constant need of chest rubs. Yes, chest rubs. I’m convinced he’s got an alarm clock in his head, which measures intervals between pettings because he’ll appear seemingly out of nowhere ready for his fix.

John Ray: [00:00:24] I won’t even get into the Dachshund in our home who has an advanced case of separation anxiety. We’ve got a cat, on the other hand, who, while happy to be part of the tribe, is quick to go her own way. She’s okay to be petted and she likes to play, but only on her terms and in her good time. She receives enough contact from us to be a satisfied cat.

John Ray: [00:00:50] If you’re a professional services provider, one of your most vulnerable acts is to price your services. There are moments like when you slide that proposal across the table that it feels like you’ve got a price tag right on your forehead. Will this person with the shopping cart stop, pick you up, and take you home? Or will they just leave you laying there?

John Ray: [00:01:16] The need for approval is hardwired in us humans. We are all seeking validation for who we are and what we do. As professional services providers, we often let that need for approval overpower our good sense when it comes to pricing and the clients we take on. We’ll take on clients at a low price because the subconscious need we have to scratch the itch of affirmation can be overwhelming.

John Ray: [00:01:45] To be successful in professional services, you must become comfortable with the idea that you’re not the best fit for everyone who comes your way. You must almost thrive on a certain number of rejections because, you know, if you’re communicating your value well, that those rejections are a sign that your pricing is where it should be.

John Ray: [00:02:09] You must internalize the idea that sending a poor fit client on to someone else is better both for that client and for you. Their needs will be better handled by someone else, and you won’t have a piece of business which will exasperate you in time. You must be self-aware enough to know when your hardwired need for affirmation is getting in the way of running a successful practice.

John Ray: [00:02:36] If our Golden Retriever was a professional services provider with his own firm, he’d price his services so that none of his proposals ever got rejected. He’d have a lot of clients and would carry an aura of success, but he’d be pricing too low, working too hard for too little money, and probably wouldn’t even know it. If he did understand what he was doing, he would still be happy because his need for affirmation would be fulfilled.

John Ray: [00:03:04] Our cat, on the other hand, wouldn’t have as many clients. The clients she did have, however, would be great fits for her service capabilities. They’d be paying fees which reflect the value she delivers, and all concerned would be content. In practice, we’d all rather be the cat, right? But to get there, we must be cognizant of our innate Golden Retriever tendencies which constrain our professional services practice.

John Ray: [00:03:37] I’m John Ray on The Price and Value Journey. If you’d like to know more, go to johnray.co. Or get in touch with me directly, john@johnray.co.

About The Price and Value Journey

The title of this show describes the journey all professional services providers are on: building a services practice by seeking to convince the world of the value we offer, helping clients achieve the outcomes they desire, and trying to do all that at pricing which reflects the value we deliver.

If you feel like you’re working too hard for too little money in your solo or small firm practice, this show is for you. Even if you’re reasonably happy with your practice, you’ll hear ways to improve both your bottom line as well as the mindset you bring to your business.

The show is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® and can be found on all the major podcast apps. The complete show archive is here.

John Ray, Host of The Price and Value Journey

John Ray The Price and Value Journey — **John Ray, Host of “The Price and Value Journey”**

John Ray is the host of The Price and Value Journey.

John owns Ray Business Advisors, a business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneur and small professional services firms on their pricing. John is passionate about the power of pricing for business owners, as changing pricing is the fastest way to change the profitability of a business. His clients are professionals who are selling their “grey matter,” such as attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, consultants, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

In his other business, John is a Studio Owner, Producer, and Show Host with Business RadioX®, and works with business owners who want to do their own podcast. As a veteran B2B services provider, John’s special sauce is coaching B2B professionals to use a podcast to build relationships in a non-salesy way which translate into revenue.

John is the host of North Fulton Business Radio, Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Radio, Nashville Business Radio, Alpharetta Tech Talk, and Business Leaders Radio. house shows which feature a wide range of business leaders and companies. John has hosted and/or produced over 1,100 podcast episodes.

Connect with John Ray:

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter

Business RadioX®: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Becca Goldsberry, Southwestern Coaching

February 14, 2022 by John Ray

Business Leaders Radio

Becca Goldsberry, Southwestern Coaching

00:00 /

Becca Goldsberry, Southwestern Coaching

Becca Goldsberry with Southwestern Coaching joined host John Ray to address why a coach can be indispensable for a business owner or executive as they strive for their professional and personal goals. Becca discussed the role of a coach in providing accountability, the value of coaching at all stages of a career, success stories, how she works with clients, and much more. Business Leaders Radio is produced virtually from the Business RadioX® studios in Atlanta.

Southwestern Coaching, a division of Southwestern Consulting

Southwestern Consulting’s story actually begins with another member of the Southwestern Family of Companies—Southwestern Advantage. Established in 1855 in Nashville, Tennessee, The Southwestern Publishing House published and sold Bibles door-to-door, allowing young people to not only learn the sales profession at an early age, but also to earn money to pay for a college education. Southwestern Advantage was developed out of that model, and today, Advantage continues to thrive as the Family of Companies’ core entity, with college-aged entrepreneurs around the world selling and promoting educational study systems.

One of those savvy entrepreneurs, Dustin Hillis, saw the opportunity to take the skills he learned in Advantage and teach them to other sales professionals and leaders, elevating the perception of sales to a true relationship-building profession. Thus, Southwestern Consulting was born. Co-founder and CEO, Hillis, along with other top-producing Southwestern Advantage alumni founded the company on the principles of sales and leadership coaching, establishing the first division, Southwestern Coaching. In the coming years, those principles would be expanded to the newer divisions, elevating events with high-quality, engaging speakers, and empowering people to reach their true potential.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Becca Goldsberry, Elite Sales and Leadership Coach, Southwestern Coaching

Becca is an Elite Sales and Leadership Coach and an expert at recruiting, lead generation, and business development. She has led a large organization with over 300 team members. As a leader, she is recognized as a top recruiter and loves developing team members to help them achieve their goals and dreams.
She has worked with her family’s five businesses, which included a 65-year-old excavation company, a lake management and treatment company, and a farm management company. While working with the family businesses, she helped develop a family foundation, sat on numerous boards, and helped with business plans and strategies on how to incorporate the third and fourth generations.

Becca worked as a family therapist and school counselor for six years prior before moving into sales. While in sales, Becca has held sales positions focusing on new business development, territory management, recruitment, and retention.

Becca graduated from the University of Louisville with a master’s in social work and an undergraduate degree from Concordia University.

• Was in the Top 50, out of over 10,000 sales associates
• Former top producer in business development by increasing new business sales by over 170%
• Experienced merchandiser for several large Fortune 500 companies including the world’s largest retailer
• Former certified corporate trainer and trained hundreds of new consultants

You can find Becca volunteering her time raising money for cancer research, The Junior League of Indianapolis, volunteering with Church charities, traveling around the world when she can with her husband and kids, cooking up awesome meals for her family and friends to have some quality time together. Becca is an avid parrot head and you can find her at Jimmy Buffett’s concerts when they come into town.

Becca’s mission and purpose is to help others see their greatest potential and pursue their dreams. She is committed to helping people to believe in their ultimate potential in life and inspires them to live a life of excellence, joy and success.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

Questions and Topics

What is a coach, why should people in business or salespeople have a coach?
The Power of Perspective
How do you maintain perseverance and focus?
Becca’s passion for helping clients find their why, purpose, and passion for what they do.
How connecting your vision with your day-to-day activities makes you unstoppable
The importance of daily motivation
The various ways Southwestern Consulting can serve companies.

Business Leaders Radio is hosted by John Ray and produced virtually from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta. The show can be found on all the major podcast apps and a full archive can be found here.

There’s Value in Consistency

February 14, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

There's Value in Consistency

00:00 /

There’s Value in Consistency

Clients and prospects value consistency. There’s not much of a revelation in that statement. What’s interesting, though, is that clients and prospects value consistency so highly that it can show up in odd or even negative ways. Here’s a story to illustrate the point. The Price and Value Journey is presented by John Ray and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

TRANSCRIPT

John Ray: [00:00:06] And hello again. I’m John Ray on the Price and Value Journey. Consistency is important, even when it’s negative. Consistency is a trait we must cultivate as professional services providers because it’s so important to our clients. It’s so important for us to be consistent, as consistent as we possibly can in the work that we do on their behalf and just showing up and doing so on a regular basis. Not only though, with our work, but in what we ask of our clients to help bring about their transformation.

John Ray: [00:01:02] I joke with some of my clients that when they hire me, I’m their mother, and I will bug them about what’s needed and what we need to have to keep everything moving along. Consistency is so important that even when the issues are negative, the client values that consistency.

John Ray: [00:01:38] Years and years ago, as it seems, I was a securities analyst with a major regional investment firm. My clients were institutional funds, and I regularly made trips to see them, to update them on the various bank stocks, because that’s the industry I covered, that they were owned and that they were interested in. I remember being in Boston visiting a fund manager, and we were in his office talking. And we were well into the meeting when his secretary opened the door, rushed in with a note, and someone was on the phone for him.

John Ray: [00:03:00] He looked at the note and he said, “Sorry, John. Just a minute. I really need to take this call.” He took the call and listened. He didn’t say much. He just said, “Yes. Yes. Okay. Yes. Thank you,” and concluded the call. And he looked at me, and apologized, and he said, “This is someone whose call I always take. So, thank you for allowing me to do that. It’s not that he’s always correct. In fact, he’s never right. He’s never right about any of the calls or predictions that he makes. Period. But there’s value in that. So, remember that, John, there’s value in consistency.”

John Ray: [00:04:19] So, even when the situation or the circumstances aren’t favorable, there’s value in consistency. Clients value consistency.

About The Price and Value Journey

The show is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® and can be found on all the major podcast apps. The complete show archive is here.

John Ray, Host of The Price and Value Journey

John Ray is the host of The Price and Value Journey.

Connect with John Ray:

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter

Business RadioX®: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

George Westinghouse and the Value Equation

February 11, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

George Westinghouse and the Value Equation

00:00 /

George Westinghouse and the Value Equation

The Current War is a movie based on the competition between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse to determine whose vision of the electrical power delivery system in the United States would be implemented. In the movie, the character of George Westinghouse offers a compelling description of the value equation, which he used to his advantage. It’s a lesson for us as professional services providers. The Price and Value Journey is presented by John Ray and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

TRANSCRIPT

John Ray: [00:00:00] I’m John Ray on the Price and Value Journey. I recently heard some words from George Westinghouse on the value equation. Well, it was probably not George Westinghouse himself, but actually the words put in his mouth. You see, I was watching a movie called The Current War, a movie which tells the story of the race between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse to sell their competing visions of an electrical grid in the late 1800s. Edison pushed his original vision of direct current, while Westinghouse championed alternating current. Westinghouse’s vision won as alternating current was much more effective and less costly to distribute over long distances.

John Ray: [00:00:55] At one point in this movie, Westinghouse says, “The value of something isn’t what someone’s willing to pay, but the value of something is what it contributes.” This statement is the value equation at work. When a client assesses your service or product, they are judging the contribution your services will make to their business and their life. For them to buy, they must perceive that the benefits they will receive, whether in money earned, time saved, pleasure derived or something else is more than the price they pay. The only person who can determine this value is the client. It’s their perception, their determination of that contribution.

John Ray: [00:01:46] As depicted in the movie, Westinghouse used the value equation to his advantage. After Edison reneged on paying the talented inventor, Nikola Tesla, a promised $50,000, Tesla quit and Westinghouse pounced. He offered Tesla a royalty of $2.50 per AC horsepower, which would amount to much more than the flat $50,000. Tesla accepted and Westinghouse’ vision was on its way to realization.

John Ray: [00:02:22] The actual history is a bit more complicated, but the movie illustrates the point quite well. All Edison saw is that $50,000 was an immense amount of money. His ego kept him from seeing Tesla’s value. Tesla has no perceived value to Edison. Westinghouse, on the other hand, saw that the long-term contribution Tesla could make to his company dwarfed even a royalty payment like the one he proposed. The value which was at stake was immense. The opportunity to build the electrical grid for the entire United States.

John Ray: [00:03:06] That’s the value equation at work, Westinghouse and Hollywood style. It’s utilized by the buyer in every transaction. I’m John Ray on the Price and Value Journey. If you’d like to connect with me, go to Johnray.co or email me John@JohnRay.co.

About The Price and Value Journey

The show is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® and can be found on all the major podcast apps. The complete show archive is here.

John Ray, Host of The Price and Value Journey

John Ray is the host of The Price and Value Journey.

Connect with John Ray:

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter

Business RadioX®: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Ignore The Pricing Advice of Friends and Family

February 9, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Ignore The Pricing Advice of Friends and Family

00:00 /

Ignore The Pricing Advice of Friends and Family

Friends and family may assist you in your professional services practice in a lot of ways, like referring clients, for example. Accept that help and be thankful, but ignore their pricing advice. They mean well, but what they tell you, if implemented, could be damaging to your business. The Price and Value Journey is presented by John Ray and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

TRANSCRIPT

Hi,. I’m John Ray on the Price and Value Journey. If you want bad advice on pricing your services, go ask your friends and family. I’m deliberately overstating the case here, but not by much. One problem with friends and family is that they are well-meaning and they want you to succeed. And because they want you to succeed, they give you advice. And they may fall for that common misunderstanding that a lot of folks have that cutting your prices actually attracts buyers.

Now, price cutting may work sometimes for a can of green beans, let’s say, but you’re not a can of green beans. Discounting professional services transmits a signal of inferiority to potential buyers, leaving them scratching their heads and wondering what’s wrong. Now, in some cases, you might be giving the friends and family discount, in which case they don’t have any sense of value delivered relative to the price you charge. And it’s why I’m not a fan of friends and family discounts – at least. One reason.

Then, there are those so-called friends who are wallowing in their own business misery, they’re not charging enough for their own services and they don’t think anyone else can, either. And since they are struggling, they don’t want anyone else to get up out of the mud, either. These folks aren’t really your friends, but that’s another topic altogether.

If you want to get a better sense of how to price your services, ask someone who had no connection to you otherwise before they hired you, who has paid full price. Ask them what they’ve gained because of your intervention. Is it more time? Less stress? Then, ask them what their life now looks like with the time they gained and the stress they’ve unburdened. What’s all that worth to them? How are you pricing relative to that value you’ve delivered?

Further, if you dare ask someone who turned you down while they did so. You’ll be surprised to find, in a lot of cases, that they thought your price was too good to be true relative to the service offering you proposed.

Your friends and family may want you to succeed, but they won’t tell you all these things. So, ignore their pricing advice. I’m John Ray on the Price and Value Journey. If you want to connect with me directly, go to my website, JohnRay.co or send me an email, John@JohnRay.co.

About The Price and Value Journey

The show is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® and can be found on all the major podcast apps. The complete show archive is here.

John Ray, Host of The Price and Value Journey

John Ray is the host of The Price and Value Journey.

Connect with John Ray:

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter

Business RadioX®: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Brian Falony, Inovautus Consulting

February 8, 2022 by John Ray

Business Leaders Radio

Brian Falony, Inovautus Consulting

00:00 /

Brian Falony, Inovautus Consulting

Brian Falony with Inovautus Consulting joined host John Ray to discuss marketing for accounting firms. Brian has extensive marketing experience with multiple accounting firms, and he shared his thoughts about how accounting firms can excel by updating their marketing perspective and processes. He and John discussed how marketing in the accounting industry has evolved, the role of marketing in talent acquisition and succession, why he’s active in the Association for Accounting Marketing, his work with Inovautus, and much more. Business Leaders Radio is produced virtually from the Business RadioX® studios in Atlanta.

Inovautus Consulting

Inovautus helps firms assess their marketing and business development strategy, customize practical growth plans and guide the execution of those plans through leadership, coaching and training services.

The Inovautus Consulting Complete Professional Advisor™ offers accounting and advisory professionals the comprehensive set of programs they need to grow their practice while still providing their clients with top-quality service.
In collaboration with the Association for Accounting Marketing, the Inovautus Consulting Growth Outlook Survey takes an annual pulse check on the state of marketing and growth across the accounting firm profession.

The name Inovautus is a creative combination of the English word innovate, and the Latin word autus, which means growth. The mission of the company is to help firms grow faster and in the right direction.

They proudly represent and provide for a full range of accounting firms and work hard to stay on top of trends, while integrating best practices with practical application. All their business development consultants have worked inside accounting firms as marketing professionals with a seat at the leadership table.

Company website |LinkedIn | Facebook

Brian Falony, Inovautus Consulting

Brian Falony is a Consultant with Inovautus Consulting. He works with clients to develop a strong market identity and brand as well as create marketing plans and strategies tailored to the client’s specific needs and capabilities. He also helps clients improve lead generation and conversion.

He has over 30 years of experience in accounting marketing. Prior to joining Inovautus, he led the marketing functions for two of the top 50 CPA firms in the U.S. and has consulted with firms across North America on improving their marketing programs. In 2013, he was inducted into the Association for Accounting Marketing Hall of Fame.

Questions and Topics

Tell us your story
What led you to choose to work at Innovatus?
What are some of the differences in marketing from the larger firms to the smaller firms?
Do you hear objections to updating marketing to include social media?
What short-term things can firms do to realize results from their marketing?
What elements does a firm need to have to take the next step in their marketing?
Talk about the shift towards being an advisory firm and what’s required to do that
Tell us about the Association for Accounting Marketing
Tell us about what Inovautus offers

Pricing and Urgency

February 7, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Pricing and Urgency

00:00 /

Pricing and Urgency

Some clients feel little urgency to engage with you, or maybe they just want samples of what you offer. Others want the transformation you will bring them today, assuming they can’t get it yesterday! Your pricing should reflect the speed of the solutions you deliver. A story on pricing and urgency in this episode. The Price and Value Journey is presented by John Ray and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

TRANSCRIPT

And hello again. I’m John Ray on the Price and Value Journey. Recently, I saw a truck with a homemade sign on the back, which said, “I only have second gear. Go around.” It got me thinking about pricing and urgency. Now, this guy had decided there was no compelling need to fix his transmission and his pickup truck. His urgency factor is not just zero, it seems to be less than zero. He’d rather drive over to the hardware store in second gear, of course, and purchase stick on letters to alert drivers who come up behind him. He’s clearly not ready or willing to pay for a new transmission.

The degree of urgency a client possesses for your solution to their problem is a client value. Your pricing should reflect that value whatever it is. If you’re a bookkeeper, for example, there are some clients who want their financials faster than others. There are some who want monthly numbers. Some are content with quarterly. Some clients are satisfied to ride around in second gear using your services to get their financials done yearly just in time for tax return preparation.

If you’re a business or leadership coach, you’ll have clients who call you up exasperated with their situation, and they want a deep dive into your solution as fast as they can get it. There are also some clients, who maybe for budget reasons, are okay with incrementally, over time, enjoying the results you’ll help them retrieve.

Then, there are clients who just want to read your book, or maybe come to a workshop or absorb whatever you post on your blog or social media. They’re content to ride around in second gear, and that’s okay, by the way. Some of those folks will decide at some point that they want to move their business faster, and they will call you to get that new transmission.

Whatever your service’s discipline, your value conversation with a client should always include questions which help gauge urgency. The pricing options you offer, in turn, should reflect the speed of your solutions. And John Ray on the Price and Value Journey. If you like to connect with me further, go to JohnRay.co or email me at John@JohnRay.co.

About The Price and Value Journey

The show is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® and can be found on all the major podcast apps. The complete show archive is here.

John Ray, Host of The Price and Value Journey

John Ray is the host of The Price and Value Journey.

Connect with John Ray:

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter

Business RadioX®: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

How are You Really Doing?

February 4, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

How are You Really Doing?

00:00 /

How are You Really Doing?

“How are you really doing?” I offer a story on how asking this question of a client yielded unexpected answers. This client’s responses disrupted my agenda for the conversation, but led to ways to provide extraordinary value I might not have known without digging deeper. The Price and Value Journey is presented by John Ray and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

TRANSCRIPT

And hello again, I’m John Ray on the Price and Value Journey. How are you really doing? Chick-Fil-A employees are known for responding with “My pleasure” to the thank you they receive when they hand over the food. It said that Chick-Fil-A founder, Truett Cathy, got the idea from the Ritz Carlton and made the practice standard at his company.

Recently, I was at a Chick-Fil-A, I received my order, and somewhat absentmindedly responded with, “Awesome! Have a great day,” instead of “Thank you.” Our server responded with, “My pleasure,” a response which while fulfilled the company mandate didn’t quite fit the situation. The server’s mistake is hardly isolated. I’ve done it several times myself and more than several times actually responding with the rote script, if you will, which all of us use in our daily lives without thinking too much about it.

So, what would it look like in a conversation with a client or anyone else, for that matter, if you turn that script on its head? What would happen if the conversation started this way?

You: How’s it going today?
Client: Okay. How about you?
You: Great. And how are you really doing?

I did that not long ago, and I could sense that something wasn’t right with this client and I said, “Okay, you’re doing fine. But how’s it really going with you right now?” This client proceeded to tell me how personally dragged down they were with their practice, how they lost enthusiasm for waking up and diving into the day.

My intentions for the conversation suddenly shifted. “Why do you think you feel this way?” I responded. Quite some time later, we ended up in a much different place than I could have originally envisioned when the conversation started. While my agenda was disrupted, the conversation achieved what the client needed at the time – a safe space to unload some emotional baggage.

As advisers, we have our education, certifications and experience. We think what we’re paid for is to have answers. Sure, that’s true, but that’s a baseline. All advisors are supposed to have the answers. The differentiator for you as an adviser is often the questions you’re willing to ask. Sometimes, those questions are uncomfortable or may seem out of context. Sometimes, they don’t fit your script. Yet, the right questions give us the insights we need to understand the problems our clients or prospects have, which are most urgent for them.

Effective questions deepen relationships. Deeper relationships in turn, create more value for you as the professional services adviser. Effective questions will often reveal a few problems, which we can’t solve. That’s what happened in my redirected client conversation. Just having the freedom to express frustrations openly, though, helped relieve some of the stress this individual was carrying around, which they felt they couldn’t share.

Knowledge and answers are our stock in trade is professional services advisers, yet often it’s the quality of the questions which are even more vital. I’m John Ray on the Price and Value Journey. If you’d like to know more, go to JohnRay.co or email me directly, John@JohnRay.co.

About The Price and Value Journey

The title of this show describes the journey all professional services providers are on: building a services practice by seeking to convince the world of the value we offer, helping clients achieve the outcomes they desire and trying to do all that at pricing which reflects the value we deliver.

The show is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® and can be found on all the major podcast apps. The complete show archive is here.