Thursday, October 13, 2005

Questions That Make You Squirm - What To Say

You're just starting out in your new business and somebody asks you "How long you been in business?" or "How many staff do you have?" You know - the types of questions that make you squirm. You don't want to lie, but how can you be honest without actually having to answer? Sometimes, it is not in your best interests to say, "Oh, I just started last week!" or "I don't have any staff - there's only me."

I cover this in my marketing program, and because it is a much asked question, I thought I'd share some tips on handling these awkward questions...

First, think of all the embarrassing questions you're likely to be asked and prepare your answers now. Make a list. That way, if and when you ever face one of these questions, you will be able to answer smoothly and honestly without skipping a beat. Whatever you do, never lie! Honesty really IS the best policy at all times!

"How long have you been in business?" Or variations of this question. If you just started last week, you don't have to be specific and answer "last week". Whatever business you are in, chances are you've had years of experience prior branching out on your own. So you'd answer something like, "Oh, I have been doing ...X... for about 5 years now and prior that I did ...X..." You haven't lied - okay, you haven't exactly answered the question but you HAVE told them how many years experience you have and that is REALLY what they want to know.

"How many people do you have working for you?" Or variations of this question. Another tricky one, and how you answer depends on what line of business you are in. You might be a small business consultancy, a Virtual Assistant, or a Mobile Hairdresser! Here is one example of how you can answer this question without actually answering it. "I'm able to keep my costs and overheads down by keeping it small and hiring out when I need to, which is how I'm able to keep my prices low for you. I have a team of experts I can call on for specific projects and can fit the right person to the right job all the time rather than just some of the time." Or you could say something like "I can reassure that I have enough people in order to provide 7 day a week service and meet all our deadlines."

If you're asked for specific contacts like your Accounts Department, for example, just say you are the project leader and if they have any problems they go through you to sort it out. There is nothing to stop you having a few different email addresses which all divert to your own personal address. So if your one-person business is called XYZ Consultants, set up an Accts@XYZ.com and Operations@XYZ.com. This gives the impression that you are larger. It also helps you keep your emails in order for the various facets of your business.

"Do you work for many other companies?" Or similar questions about your number of clients. They're fishing for your experience here. Again, if you have worked in your line of business before, you are not lying by using those experiences. Mention you have established confidentiality agreements with your clients and are unable to give details, suffice to say that you have experience in this line of work and can assure them of professional experienced service at all times.

Terri Levine
http://www.coachinstitute.com
http://www.terrilevine.com

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