If I Help You, Would You Help Me?

There’s an old saying that if you wanna get, you gotta give. One way to build rapport with people is to do something for them. Even when you follow it by asking them to do something for you in return, most people are focused on what you can do for them.

Eric Worre’s “If I, would you?” line is a simple way to show that you’re willing to give your prospect a fair trade of your service for theirs. The “If I” part allows you to lead with something you’ll do for them, which grabs their attention. The “would you” part is a casual way of asking — not commanding or begging — them for something in exchange. Most people will say yes to your question just to avoid being the one who wants something for nothing.

There is a catch, however. Just because you know how to use this technique doesn’t mean you should use it to simply pitch your product. Most people can see the dollar signs in your eyes when you approach them that way. Instead, use the “If I, would you?” method to provide something of value to the prospect. The difference is that a pitch mainly benefits you, and may not be something the prospect wants (yet). Something valuable to the prospect is something that they do want. For example:

“We do have limited seating. If I put you on my guest list, Craig, would you absolutely be able to show up?”

“If I could put you on a short presentation call that will explain everything, plus a Q&A at the end, would you be able to dial in?”

“If I could show you how to discount a few thousand dollars off your hospital bill, would you check out my website?”

In the above examples, notice how there was no asking the prospect to buy something, no demanding anything, and no asking for unreturned favors. Just one person giving something of value in exchange for something of value. It’s a win for you, and a win for the prospect.

Make a nice day!