🏃 Match pacing

People like and trust people who are similar to them. People buy from people they like and trust.

A relatively easy way to invoke this feeling of similarity (without doing anything sleazy like lying about your hobbies) is to match your client's pacing.

If someone responds to messages in two minutes, then make sure you respond in two minutes. If they take 30 minutes, then you take 30 minutes. If they take two days, then you take two days.

If you respond too quickly you seem desperate or pushy. If you respond too slow you feel flaky or like you provide poor service. By matching pacing with the client you better fit their needs and you build a sense of similarity.

You can do the same on client calls. Try to match the client's number of words per minute. Many AI meeting recorders like Fireflies (which I use) give you stats on how many words you and your client say per minute - you want those numbers to be as close as possible. Your clients will be happier and you will close more sales.

Matching pacing in calls and messages is simple, but not easy. As with most things, this is a skill. Practise. It becomes easier and will serve you for life.

A screenshot from the fireflies recording dashboard from a session I had this week with my client, Jen. Matching pace is a skill that you can get better at, and getting better at matching pace is worthwhile.

💡 Quote I'm pondering

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” Maya Angelou

Numerous studies confirm that almost everybody buys emotionally. It isn’t enough for the deal to be right - for them to know you can help them - the deal also needs to feel right.

When you help your clients to feel safe, listened to, reassured, you will find that people will be much more likely to want to work with you. They will stay around for longer, they will recommend you, they will return even years after they originally worked with you simply because they remembered how you made them feel.

This is true in life and in business. Help people feel good and good things will happen for you.

Now, my friend has just called and is on his way to join me in my cosy cafe. I’m off to play Carcassonne and be fully present with my friends on our last day together here in Sweden, regular work will wait until tomorrow. Wish me luck.

I shared this in my Work Smart Wednesday newsletter. Want the full set of related insights? You can read them here: https://worksmartwednesday.substack.com/p/work-smart-wednesday-february-26

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