Do You Engage With Your Clients Using The 4-Helps?
By: Rob Leon
Tags: Sales, Customer Experience, Small Business, Get Your Tech Right, Startup

Do You Engage With Your Clients Using The 4-Helps?

The “4-Helps” is a method to frame client and prospect interactions so that it’s easy for people to follow.

CAN I GET A LITTLE HELP?

It doesn’t matter what role you play in your organization.

It could be sales, service, or support.

How you engage with prospects and clients is critical to your success.

In my business, I’m known to use the phrase “we don’t sell hardware, we sell solutions.”

I usually invoke the phrase when a staff member starts a conversation in Microsoft Teams that goes something like this…

Hey everyone! I just sold a server to client XYZ!

To which I respond with.

Remember, we don’t sell hardware, we sell solutions.

You see, our thoughts determine our words and actions.

So, if your first thought is to sell something or to say that you sold something.

Then, that’s considered starting an interaction on the wrong foot.

Which brings us to the 4-Helps.

THE 4-HELPS

The 4-Helps are a simple process to follow.

They are as follows.

Do you need help?

How can I help?

This is how I can help

Do you want my help?

Let’s take a look at these individually.

DO YOU NEED HELP?

This question no matter what role you play sales, service, support is the foundation.

If the person doesn’t think they have a problem then you don’t have much to go on.

Actually, you have zero to go on.

So move on.

But, if the person does need some help.

The door is open.

HOW CAN I HELP?

This question builds upon the first ask.

How can I help — is not about you, it’s about them.

The person has to want help.

It’s different than knowing you want help.

Most people will jump in here and make an offer.

Whether it’s sales, service, or support.

But it’s premature.

The client or prospect ideally should recognize that they have a problem and what “solved” looks like for them.

THIS IS HOW I CAN HELP

With the first 2 questions answered, you can now design a solution.

How you present this step is really important.

Ideally, you’ll have a process for clients and prospects.

It may be a presentation or a web site.

The key here is to prepare the “How I Can Help” conversation in advance.

This way you’re service offering is clear and concise.

DO YOU WANT MY HELP?

This is what is referred to in the sales world as “the ask”.

There are many ways to do the “the ask”

The key is to “ask well”.

At this point, the client knows they have a problem, they know they need help, and they know that you can help them.

But that doesn’t mean that they know what to do next.

“Do you want my help” is the ask, the close, or shall we say “sealing the deal”

IN THE SERVICE OF HELPING

We’re all in the service business.

Professional Services, Legal Services, Medical Services, Construction Services, you name it.

The “4-Helps” is one way to frame client and prospect interactions so that it’s easy for people to follow.

They make it easy for people to know where they’re at in the conversation.

If you’re looking for a way to streamline your business process consider using the “4-Helps” when improving your workflow.

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