endcoldcallingforever

The ROI is Always in the Relationship!

Tag Archives: business


by Leave a comment

A New Twist on Greedy!

No one likes the taker, the guy who is always looking out for his best interests and asking what you can do for him. He’s greedy with what he can get from the world and thinks little about what he can give others.

Here’s a new twist on greedy…how about a greedy giver! When I say greedy giver I mean the person who is so anxious and enthusiastic to give it becomes somewhat of an addiction.

I network with a greedy giver, Heather. She’s hungry to help others, always on the lookout for ways she can build others up and connect. She has a truly amazing attitude about life and business. As a result, she’s a magnetic person! She gives fully while expecting nothing in return.

Heather makes you want to be a greedy giver and I have an idea on how you can! Set up a greedy giving day once a week. Meet with 5 professionals that you can get to know and help connect to people in your sphere of influence.

Stack your day to make the most of your time. Schedule breakfast with a business professional you know, like and trust. Make the meal all about them. Put them in the spotlight and ask what’s happening in their business. What challenges lie ahead and who they are looking to connect with. Think of someone you can introduce them to, mention the name and how they might help and then follow up on your promise and introduce them. Next you’ll meet with another professional and do the same thing. Your next few meetings will be all about the other person and what you can give them. Follow through on your promises and build outstanding rapport!

Think about the shift in thinking here! When you invite someone to lunch or coffee with the full intention of helping them it sets the tone for an exciting and comfortable interaction. You eliminate any sales talk, put the other at ease and immediately set yourself apart from other sales professionals. The irony is that people will naturally want to reciprocate and your business will grow. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but your investment in giving will reap bountiful rewards tenfold.

Lead with “I’d like to take you to lunch so I can learn more about your business and how I might be able to send you more referrals”. Who would say “no” to that?!

Schedule your greedy giver stack day then post your success stories! Can’t wait to hear them!


by Leave a comment

Have you taken dirty money? My guess is you probably have!

 

How do I know this to be true? Because with full disclosure I’ll admit that I have too, but that’s all changed.

I recently walked away from a $7000.00 deal. That’s right $7000.00 ready to buy an exclusive product we had sourced in my promotions business. So why did I walk away from cold hard cash? Because it was dirty!

Why was it dirty? Because the new client was disrespectful towards my team members, interrupted me when we had conversations and had unreasonable demands in terms of response time. He was suspicious that we would try to “pull a fast one” and send him damaged goods before we even placed the order.

Clearly, we had no connection and a serious lack of trust in the business relationship. If I’m honest, I saw the writing on the wall from the beginning but was excited about developing this new item that would serve his business exceptionally well. All along I ignored my intuition which was yelling at me to run for the hills.

See if you recognize the telltale signs of a dirty money client;
• Late for meetings
• Demanding of your time and energy
• Wants the lowest price for the highest quality solution
• Questions pricing
• Doesn’t pay their bills on time

I find it interesting that the clients who spend $25,000.00, $50,000.00 or $100,000.00 are reasonable, respectful, trustworthy and loyal clients. When we walk away from dirty money it frees us to serve these deserving people at a much higher level.

So the question is would you take dirty money? Would you walk away from an “easy” $7000.00 if that money clashed with your values and ultimately was not a mutually beneficial relationship?

Remember that the ROI is not necessarily in the dollar value but rather is always in the Relationship!


by 5 Comments

Hard selling is hard on everyone!

So here’s the scoop. Most of us are lead to believe that to grow a business you have to spend a fortune on mass media and engage in cold calling. Or worse, you have to be aggressive, pushy or overbearing to have great sales. Nothing could be further from the truth!

You can absolutely build a killer business without ever having to do these things. The reality is that if you connect with and serve people, you can achieve explosive growth in your business. This means no uncomfortable cold calling!

Instead it means creating bonds with clients by giving them your undivided attention when you are on the phone or meeting in person. It means asking great questions about their business goals and objectives and expressing genuine interest. This warm questioning allows your client to be in the spotlight rather than pitching them your history and services. Think back to a time when someone stormed in to your office offering “the best solution” for your business before they even asked what it was you needed! We’ve all been there. It’s an uncomfortable meeting for both parties!

Now imagine that same individual gave you the opportunity to talk about what you really needed, listened intently and took feverish notes. Then, rather than jumping on a solution asked for some time to consider your unique situation and come up with a solution to fit your needs. This approach builds instant credibility and this is how I would encourage you to approach your client interactions.

Not only will you feel more comfortable and confident in selling situations but your client will react by trusting you as a consultant in turn opening up their minds and wallets!


by 1 Comment

It’s NOT About You!

When it comes to building great business relationships, professionals must realize that it’s not about them.  People are only interested in themselves. They like to talk about themselves and its human nature that clients want to know “What’s in it for me?”

The fastest way to build rapport with a client or prospect is to ask them questions about themselves.  This could initially be personal questions to find some common ground while being respectful of people’s privacy and then leading to business related questions.

 

What do your client’s treasure most? • Their children • Their job • Their community work • Their new car • Their upcoming vacation

Find out what your client or prospect is most excited about and ask genuine questions.  Questions will show your client that it’s not all about the money and that you’re a great listener and care about them as a person.

Have you ever had lunch with someone, you asked all the questions and they happily told you their life story. At the end of the meal they told you were a great conversationalist and really interesting?  Well they found you interesting because you first became interested in them.  You gave them an opportunity to be in the spotlight to share their excitement, maybe unload their challenges and you listened with respect and sincerity.

In the end, it’s not about you, it’s not about me, and it’s about our clients, donors and members.   Listening and coming from a place of genuine interest is one of the fundamental roots to building great business relationships!