- Courtship: Show your interest in them, shower your prospective client with accolades and show appreciation of their time. At this stage you are pursuing the potential client. You ask them out for dates for coffee, lunch, etc. You listen attentively about what their interests are, what they might like to share about their personal life, what challenges they are having in their business, etc. This is a very important part of the relationship building process. Getting to the next stage is dependent on how well we do here. Then without being overly eager to just offer a solution, ask questions about what has or hasn’t worked for them in the past. This is where you are finding out before you even present a possible solution, whether or not your product or service is a right fit for them. In fact, the first meeting (date) may just be about getting acquainted and building rapport. The second meeting could be more focused and centered on the possibility of one or the other or both using the services/products each has to offer. Depending on the nature of the services it may take an additional meeting (date) to build trust. In other words, respect and patience is key in this stage of the courtship. Being mindful of the time that each person is giving to build this relationship is also important. I would send a personalized note to acknowledge this. What happens next is usually the ASK. Can we do business together? If yes, each proclaims what the other will get as a result of using ones services or product. We promise to be there to guide them, to answer any questions, and to make sure along the way that they are getting everything they expected and need.
THREE STAGES TO A PROFITABLE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP
November 1st, 2009 1 Comment »Appreciation Wins Over Self-Promotion
September 3rd, 2009 1 Comment »Too often I hear people say they don’t have time to send their clients thank you cards or even just “touching base” cards. My response to that is if the client took the time to hand over their hard earned money to me for the services or products I provided then it is an obligation and responsibility to go beyond the “thank you handshake and walk away”. This is especially true if one wants repeat business and referrals from them.
DOES FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN BLOCK YOU FROM SUCCESS?
June 27th, 2009 Leave your comment »Does a feeling of anxiousness come over you before you enter a room full of people you don’t know? Do you get that nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach? How do we learn to acknowledge and accept what we are feeling in the moment so we can be more present?
FOLLOW UP AND STAYING IN TOUCH
June 3rd, 2009 7 Comments »I know I know we’ve all heard it a million times. Follow up and follow through. We’ve heard it ad-nausea, right? It is the #1 thing that we know is sure to grow our businesses. We all have our list from whether we are afraid of the “no” (I’m guilty of that one) to we are afraid of being a pest if we don’t get a response the first time.