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I have started quite a few businesses over the years. Most of them have been extremely successful, but there are one or two that will just file under Learning Experience. But learning is always part of owning a business. There is just so much to know. That's why starting your business with Northwest Registered Agent can be a way to boost yourself up the learning curve. Northwest Registered Agent has been helping small business owners and entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses for nearly 30 years. They are the largest registered agent and LLC service in the US with over 1500 corporate guides. Real people who know your local laws and can help you and your business every step of the way. Northwest is your one stop business resource. Learn how to build a professional website, what annual filings your business needs to stay in good standing, and simple explanations of complicated business laws. Build your business identity fast with Northwest Registered Agent and get access to thousands of free resources, forms and step by step guides without even creating an account with Northwest, privacy is automatic. They never sell your data and all services are handled in house because privacy by default is their pledge to all customers. Don't wait. Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Visit northwestregisteredagent.com helpwantedfree and start building something amazing. Get more with Northwest registered agent@northwestregisteredagent.com helpwantedfree Some of my best employees have come from recommendations from Jason. But what happens when you don't have a Jason or Jason doesn't have someone to recommend? That's when you have to turn to hiring platforms where it can feel impossible to get your ad in front of the right candidates. If you're looking to build your own amazing team, Indeed is the platform I'd recommend. Stop struggling to get your job, post even seen on other sites. Get matched with and hire quality candidates who can drive the results you need. Join the 3.3 million doll million employers worldwide that use Indeed to connect with quality talent that fits their needs. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, more results. Now with Indeed Sponsored Jobs and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves@ Indeed.com podcast. Just go to Indeed.com podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com podcast terms and conditions apply. Hiring do it the Right Way with Indeed.
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This is Help Wanted, the show that makes your work work for you. I'm Jason Pfeiffer Editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine.
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And I'm money expert Nicole Lapin. On Tuesdays, Jason and answer the helpline and help callers solve their work problems.
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And on Thursdays, I give you one way to improve your work and build a career or company you love.
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And it starts now.
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You want to build trust quickly. Maybe you're in a sales meeting or on a first date or at a networking event. You want someone to think highly of you because that's what leads to deals, relationships, and opportunities. So you want to present yourself to whoever you're talking to as the perfect fit for them. But here's what I've learned. When you try to do that. When you present yourself as perfect, people grow skeptical. But when you admit your limitations to them, they trust you more. It is counterintuitive, but so important. So today I'm going to show you how it works, starting with how I use this tactic in my own business to drive sales. So let's back up. When I first got into keynote speaking, which is a thing that I do, companies hire me to give a keynote talk in front of a crowd, you know, their employees or customers or whatever. Anyway, when I first got into that business, I had this recurring experience. So I sell a specific talk. I help individuals and organizations become more adaptable. But sometimes event organizers would reach out and ask for something else instead. They might want a speaker to come talk about corporate culture or the impact of AI or energy or whatever, many other subjects that I just don't specialize in. And in response, here is what I would always do. I would try to sell myself to them anyway. I would say I'm a great fit. I would try to prove how thoughtful I am on these subjects or how my usual talk could still apply to their needs. And in turn, well, I actually never heard from those clients again. And then I started to take a different approach. I told them that I am not a fit. To be honest, I would say I don't have the expertise that you are looking for. I know that goes against my own interests, but my top priority is making sure that you get the right person for your event, even if it is not me. That's what I would say. And when I said that, one of two things tended to happen. Either, number one, the client would thank me for my honesty and then ask me more questions about what I do speak about. And sometimes they would hire me instead of what they were originally looking for. Or here's the second thing that could happen. I would recommend some other speakers who I know that are Better fits than me. And then those speakers would get hired, which created a lot of goodwill in my network. And the client who was grateful for my help would often come back to me the next year and hire me. This worked so well that I went even further. Now, whenever I genuinely am a fit for an event, I still point out some way that I am not a fit. For example, I was recently hired to speak for a credit union association. So I told the organizers on the phone, I said, look, I just want to be upfront. I don't know much about credit unions, so I'm not going to be the most fluent on that subject. And in turn, they said something to me like, you know, that's actually perfect because we want someone with fresh eyes and we love that you're an outsider. It was great. I got the job and it went awesome. You know, this is an interesting phenomenon, isn't it? When I tried to be what people wanted, they did not hire me. But when I was upfront about my limitations, they did hire me. And I wondered, does this happen in other areas of life? Then I thought about restaurants. Have you ever asked a waiter for their opinion about the food? Sometimes they'll say everything on the menu is amazing. And when they say that, I mean, I feel. I don't know about you, but I feel like their opinion becomes worthless. In fact, it makes me wonder if the menu is good at all. But other times they will say, you know, that dish isn't so great. I'd really recommend this dish over here instead. And that person immediately becomes trustworthy. Why? Because if they're willing to tell me what is not good, then I am more trusting. When they say what is good, their honesty about limitations makes their recommendation more credible. So what is going on here? I believe that it is this. People don't prioritize perfect fits. They prioritize trust. If they're hiring someone or considering dating someone or even ordering food from someone, they are primarily looking for someone who will be straight with them. That is more important them than almost any other qualification. Or at least it is the deciding factor between a yes or a no. When you are upfront about what you cannot do, you accomplish several things all at the same time. You show an understanding of someone's needs. You demonstrate that you care more about their success than your own immediate gain. And most importantly, you separate yourself from everyone else who's just trying to sell this is the courage to be honest. Now, will you lose some opportunities by being honest? Yes, you will. But let's be real. Those opportunities wouldn't have worked out anyway. And the trust that you build by being upfront leads to better opportunities, ones where you can actually deliver exceptional value. So the next time that you're trying to build trust with someone new, resist the urge to be their perfect solution. Instead, be honest about where you excel and where you don't. Show them that you care more about them getting what they need than you getting what you want. When you do that, you don't just build trust. You become the person that other people want to trust with everything. Help Wanted is a production of Money News Network. Help Wanted is hosted by me, Jason
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Pfeiffer and me, Nicole Lapman. Our executive producer is Morgan Lavoie. Do you want some help? Email our helpline@helpwantedoneynewsnetwork.com for the chance to have some of your questions answered on the show. And follow us on Instagram, Instagram, MoneyNews and TikTokoneyNewsNetwork for exclusive content and to see our beautiful faces. Maybe a little dance?
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Oh, I didn't sign up for that.
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All right, well, talk to you soon.