Ep114: Ask Anyway (Joe Natoli Part 2)

It’s part 2 of our lovely dalliance with guest host, Joe Natoli, and he has a lot to share, including how to say no to non ideal clients, how to (politely) ignore your clients requests, and how to stand for the truth of your work. 

Why is that important for business? 

When clients come to Joe with a defined problem (and a proposed solution), his first step is to politely ignore their request and ask, “what occurred to make you think you needed this solution? Tell me the story that led you to this moment.” That story is at the core of what needs to be solved. 

It is a natural human inclination to have decided on a solution by the time you reach out for help – otherwise, why would you call? But the danger is when you have someone who listens and does what you think you need. It’s important to pause and ask diagnostic questions to discover what the real problem actually is. 

People often don’t know what their actual value is, because no one is asking the right questions and no one is willing to look dumb. Ask the question that is on the tip of your tongue, even if it feels humiliating. Often, the best question is, “have you tried asking?” For instance, if you are writing a proposal and it is hard, you haven’t asked enough questions. 

Learn to say no to things and clients. Stand your ground for the truth. Hold less tightly to the solutions and more tightly to the core truth. 

What story do you want to tell?

So, that's our story... now, we want to hear yours!

Pull up a chair and join the conversation in our Facebook Group: bit.ly/shmsgroup

OR... 

Shoot us an email: talktous@soheresmystory.com

Connect with @SHMSpodcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shmspodcast 

Text the word STORY to 345345 to get access to bonus content and weekly episode delivery.

Want to support us?

Love this podcast?

Please tell your friends, post about us, or take a moment to review us & subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to the podcast!