Business-Building Action From Terry Brock

I’ve been writing these columns for quite a while. I remember 10 years ago this month the world was in a frenetic tizzy (technical term!) about the Y2K or Year 2000 problems. Many thought the world was going to (literally) come to an end. Many thought all computers would crash, stoplights would cease operating and pandemonium would reign over the planet.

I remember writing a column where I said, “Don’t worry. If we made it through disco in the 70’s, we’ll make it through this.” Well, we got through disco (and Nixon, Ford and Carter!) in the 70’s and survived. We also made it through the Y2K scare as many of the “chicken littles” shamelessly stole away to hide under the reality of the Earth still here with hardly any noticeable change.

Of course, many said it was because they made the necessary adjustments that we survived. Well, I’m not an IT expert so I can’t speculate with any certainty about what would have happened. What I can say as a marketer is that many people needlessly worried about something that didn’t happen.

The past 10 years have seen tragedies and calamities that we could not have imagined in 1999. From the economic recession in the early 2000’s to today’s Great Recession we have gone through a lot. We still remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001 and are still paying the price for that.

So what is the message to you and me as small business owners today? What lessons can we learn that will help us as we face the 2nd decade of the 21st Century?

Here are a few lessons that come to mind for me. See if you can relate:

Don’t Be Alarmed. Be Prepared. The wise approach to Y2K was to take necessary precautions and reasonable steps to make sure you didn’t have a loss of all data. In addition to that the more-important advice was to remain calm. Those who were extreme alarmists had to hang their head in shame because things really didn’t get that bad. For the future, we are going to face uncertain times. Duh! We always have through history! However, by being prepared for whatever is going to happen — and remaining calm — you are in a much better position to face the future.

Focus On Customers. This is truer today than ever. Help customers and prospects with their pain and you’ll help yourself. Focus on how you can help others relieve their pain and you’ll have a great opportunity to address your own.

Become More Skeptical. Yes, I believe we should question authority and be skeptical of all the “claims of disaster” of the moment. By being skeptical, not cynical, we force our brains to search for better alternatives and answers. It is the American way to question authority and demand straight talking and straight thinking. In times like these we need that more than ever! One of my heroes, H.L. Mencken said it well when he reminded us, “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

Live Your Life To The Fullest. No matter what happens in the big picture, the successful are those who have the best skills, the right kind of knowledge and can apply it in ways that are valuable to others. Constantly upgrade your market-valuable skills. Learn how to serve others and you’ll live your life to the fullest.

Today we have a host of new problems. I guarantee you (yes, I can make this kind of claim) that there will be problems in the future. However, I can also point to history that certain people survived and prospered when they applied the right principles for living.

These principles of character, discipline, genuine care for others, keeping your word, going the extra mile and others will serve you not only for the next 10 years but for the rest of our lives.

Special: Be sure to listen to the accompanying audio file below!  5:33 in length it is a great way to get more information and listen on your MP3 player of choice.  You can listen to it in streaming audio or download as MP3 to listen on your favorite player.

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc. Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results. He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com. Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock

 

 Y2K Remembered - Lessons For Us Today [5:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (79)

Business Building Actions From Terry Brock

If you’re facing a problem of way too much business (work with me here) then I’ve got just the solution for you!  I’ve noticed many businesses doing these steps below and it is a sure-fire way to get prospects annoyed and drive them away.

It must be something some companies want because they do it so often.  Maybe you can relate from being on the receiving end of some of these tactics.

Five Ways You Can Annoy The Daylights Out Of Your Prospects:

1. Bother Prospects Incessantly With Notices Selling Your Stuff. Don’t worry about listening to the needs of potential buyers.  Hey, you know it all after all, don’t you?  Just approach someone when you see them initially and start talking all about you, your stuff and how you have what they need (even if you haven’t listened to them).  Besides, you know more about what they need than they do, right?
2. Blare Loud Music When They Visit Your Website.  You should automatically play blaring loud music when people come to your website.  They should think of nothing but your stuff.  Don’t they know that you have really cool audio and want to blare it at them?  Why else would they come to your site?  After all, they probably don’t have any other websites to visit.
3. Drive Them Crazy With Fancy Technology.  You should automatically start a video when they arrive at your page with someone yelling at them about how cool your stuff is.  Don’t worry that they might be in a situation where they don’t want to hear sound from their computer just yet.  Besides, your message is so much more important than anything they are doing, right?  Have someone appear to walk on the screen from thin air and start yakking away.  Oh, and here’s another good thing— do it each time they visit so they get the same annoying message every time!  That will surely drive them crazy!
4. Always Ask For Their Name And Email Just To See Something.  Don’t give away anything for free which could build your reputation and credibility.  Instead, force them to put in a name and email just to get your silly little report (which is a sales report anyway, right?). Besides, your prospects are too dumb to put in a fake name and bogus email address, right?
5. Annoy Them In Person. Be annoying when you meet people in person by always forcing your card on them.  And you should never ask them what they do. After all, they’re more interested in YOU than they are in their own stuff, right?

Yep!  These are sure-fire ways to destroy a good customer experience before it even starts.  You have more business than you can handle today anyway, right?  And besides, YOU know more about what to do and can’t afford to listen to anyone, right?

Of course, if you might need more business, maybe you should do the exact opposite of what I listed above in these five steps!

PDF Converter Professional From Nuance: Great Tool For PDF Files

PDF (Portable Document Format) files are a mainstay of business today.  You could spend a lot for some programs to create one or you could go with one of the best alternatives.  PDF Converter 6 is now available from Nuance.

This software allows you to scan directly to PDF from your scanner. This is something we’ve had before with other tools and it is nice to have it from Nuance.

You can also create a PDF from Excel, Word and PowerPoint files.  Then you can change them back into those formats as needed.

I find that I use it to read PDF files and use the yellow highlighter and built-in pencil to circle important words and concepts.  I also use the Notepad to add notes of my own.

This is a good tool for salespeople and others who need to reference a magazine article or web page with personal annotations.

You can see a video interview I had with Michael Angelo, the product manager of PDF Convertor 6, at http://tinyurl.com/ygq994b.  This is one you’ll enjoy.  It is right here on this Blog so click on the link and you’ll see it.

The product sells for $99.00 and there is an enterprise version which is available for $149.00.  For more information visit www.nuance.com or www.BetterPDF.com

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock

Business-Building Actions From Terry Brock

“Great ability develops and reveals itself increasingly with every new assignment.”  Baltasar Gracian

We live in a world that wants everything now — or yesterday.  We have little patience and seem to be constantly in a hurry.  Just look at “rush” hour traffic and listen to the horns blaring away.

[Bonus!  Listen to the podcast for an expanded version of this article.  Just click on the "Play" button below!]

Nature has a way of achieving greatness over time.  The myth of the “overnight success” is told often with how it often takes 10 years to become that “overnight success.  This is something that successful people know — and the unsuccessful attribute to a mysterious thing they call “luck.”

This applies directly in Relationship Marketing.  To build quality, value-for-value relationships in business requires consistent performance over time.  You build trust in a relationship by seeing performance over time.  A relationship which takes years to build can be damaged or destroyed with one terrible misstep.

The same principle is true in knowledge acquisition.  To master a new skill requires time, money and effort (TME).  Most people give up too easily.  They aren’t willing to pay the price to achieve their goals.  If you ask average people if they want to be rich, you’ll usually get an enthusiastic, positive response.  However, if you detail what is needed to accomplish riches, average people back off and are not willing to pay the price.

Last night I was talking with a friend of mine who is physician working in emergency care rooms.  He told me that to become a medical doctor who is board certified requires not only four years of undergraduate school and four years of medical school but internship and an additional four years of residency.  Oh, and by the way, when you’re in residency, you get paid barely minimum wage.  Not many people would be willing to work for minimum wage for four years after going through medical school.  Yet, this is part of the price emergency room physicians have to pay to achieve their goals.

In business and in your personal life success requires persistence and doing the right thing in the right way over time.  Don’t try to do everything at once.  It takes practice.  It takes a lot of patience.

In Relationship Marketing this means being willing to be “pleasantly persistent” in what you want.  Start in small, meaningful ways to establish and build value-for-value relationships and then proceed forward.  Remember that not all people will embrace value-for-value principles.  Many people only see the short term and try to take all they can.  Ultimately these people hurt themselves.  Behaving in short-term mode causes more and more people to distance themselves from the takers.

Taking the long-term view pays off.  This means we have to keep the goal in mind and constantly aim for it.  Don’t be surprised when setbacks happen. Hey, that’s just the way things work.  When those inevitable disappointments and setbacks happen, you can gain control of the situation with an attitude of, “Oh, so this is a current setback?  What can I learn from this?”  See each setback as an excellent learning experience to become an even better person.

George Leonard wrote a marvelous book years ago called “Mastery.”  In that book he talked about the importance of continuing forward and enjoying the plateaus of life.  Sometimes you’ll try hard and just can’t seem to break through to accomplish what you want.  In those moments, don’t allow the frustrations to overwhelm you.  Instead, step back and see the big picture.  Know your goals and what you ultimately want to accomplish.  Be willing to pay the price in terms of time, money and effort.  Celebrate the small incremental successes as they materialize.

And here’s your challenge for today:  Do something specific today which will help you towards those long-term goals in Relationship Marketing.  It might be to write a note (yes, handwritten!) to that important customer or prospect.  It might be to make a quick “How’s it Going” call that is devoid of any sales talk and just connects with the person.  Do something today to establish, build and maintain quality relationships.  This is what matters in business and in life.

It is in the gradual, step-by-step methodology that we grow and accomplish meaningful success.  Use time as your partner to continue forward — unstoppable in your goals and success.

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock

 

 Gradualism-Leverage Time to Build Relationship Marketing [8:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (125)

With all the hype about social networking and social media it is easy to lose track of what is most important. That is connecting with people.

Recently I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Anne Bachrach, The Accountability Coach. Click here to visit her website. In this interview we were able to cover a wide variety of topics about social media, the skills you need to get ahead today and what business and social media are all about.

Listen to the audio podcast and enjoy.  This is not your average “Social Media” presentation.  We go much further dealing with the practical, business nature of how to use it, how to determine the right amount of time and more.  This is one you want to hear!  It goes in-depth on a number of items that will benefit you.  Length is 30:45 so you might want to download this one to your MP3 player of choice to listen to while working out, driving or in other ways.  You can listen to the audio via streaming or via download.  See the icon below to do that.

I look forward to hearing from you. If you’d like to leave a comment on this page, please do so in the comments.  Your opinions can help many others as they learn about you and your ideas.

For more information, contact Terry at www.TerryBrock.com or send an email to Terry@TerryBrock.com.

Enjoy!

 

 Practical Social Media for Business [30:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (117)

Advice For Today From Ben Franklin –
Surviving Any Economy

Business-Building Ideas From Terry L. Brock

We’re hearing about the economy, job losses, etc., etc. on a daily basis. One day the stock market is up, the next day we hear the pundits tell us things are dismal. This roller-coaster ride of economic news can be quite depressing and make us distraught — if we let it.

You can’t take the ostrich approach. Funny, I don’t hear people spouting that trite “We’ve heard there is a recession but we’re not going to be part of it” any more today. I’ve never believed that taking the ostrich approach is the way to success. I also firmly believe that being depressed is not the answer.

So what is the solution?

Well, I gained some wisdom and insight from a great book I read again yesterday. You might have read it also. If you haven’t, write this down immediately to buy it today. It is called, “The Way to Wealth,” by that sage philosopher and wise man Benjamin Franklin. Yep! That Founding Father of the US had a lot of wisdom. His words are truer today than ever. I think ole Ben has some profoundly accurate advice in this “Twitter-Facebook-YouTube and all-things-social-media” obsessed world which can help us.

Ben Franklin created a character he called “Father Abraham” who listened to a crowd and then dispensed wisdom.

The crowd asked, “Pray, Father Abraham, what think you of the times? Won’t these heavy taxes quite ruin the country? How shall we be ever able to pay them? What would you advise us to [do]?”

“Father Abraham” agreed that the taxes were high. However, he said we have many others, and much more grievous to some of us. “We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride and four times as much by our folly.” In other words, yes the taxes were then, and are today, onerous and should be abated. However, as bad as the taxes — and the economy — we inflict ourselves with even greater pain by our own idleness, pride and folly.

You’ve got to read (or re-read) this very short book by Ben Franklin. He goes on to have “Father Abraham” tell us that most of our problems are our own doing. We have to work hard and not engage in being idle. We have to avoid laziness and embrace leisure (read the book for his definition of the important difference).

When I read that, I was taken aback by the wisdom of this great Founding Father. It was as if he were speaking to me directly — and smiling with that charming, legendary Ben Franklin grin.

Yes, times are tough. Yes, we recognize — and are aware of – what is going on. We don’t take the ostrich approach. However, in the midst of that, we know that our success is largely up to us. Yes, taxes are high and should be lower. Yes, there are specific steps that should be taken in the broad macroeconomic and political picture.

But all of these are insignificant compared to what you and I can do today in our own businesses and our personal lives. Pick up the phone (remember that?) and call that client you haven’t chatted with for a while. Just say hello and don’t try to sell anything. Be there and reconnect with them. This is what Relationship Marketing is all about. Find out the problems they are going through and help them.

I’ve seen smart, well-meaning businesspeople become obsessed with the nightly cable news and politics. If that same amount of time, money and effort had been devoted to reading good books (like Ben Franklin’s!!) perhaps they would have generated more income regardless of the crisis of the moment.

Take charge of your life and your business during tough times. Don’t be obsessed with the news of the moment. Don’t shut it all out either. Focus on what matters — building quality, profitable business relationships. Focus on Relationship Marketing.

Find the pain your prospects and clients are going through and come up with unique, creative ways to help them. This will be the way to get out of any problem. To paraphrase Jim Ziegler, a noted sales trainer in the auto industry whom I recently interviewed, “There is no problem in business you can’t sell your way out of.” Focus on doing what you can, with what you’ve got, right where you are (as Teddy Roosevelt advised us long ago).

This is a best way to take matters into your own hands.

And for starters, bounce over to your favorite online bookstore and purchase The Way of Wealth by Benjamin Franklin. It is a very short read and one that can change your life as it has millions of others through the years.

Sure, times are more challenging. But that will actually help us become better if we handle it right.

Somehow I can see Ben Franklin, beaming with a big toothy grin and giving us a “thumbs-up” signal!

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc. Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results. He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com. Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock

Business-Building Ideas From Terry L. Brock

Building quality, profitable relationships in business is much like farming.  I call it Relationship Farming.  Like the farmer who keeps us all alive (thank you, real world farmers!) you have to study the soil (know what is happening in the world and environment of your customers), plant the seeds (send your message in a positive, respectful way), nurture the plants and they grow (provide continued benefits), allow for ample moisture and fertilizer (keep providing what the customer needs), and be around for harvest (have systems in place to process sales).  Then when all the work is finished it is time to begin for next year!  In business this means, as the legendary Yogi Berra told us long ago, “It ain’t over till it’s over!”  In business, it is never over and that is good news.

But how do you keep those wonderful, delightful people who pay our bills (call them customers, clients, members, guests —- whatever —- they are the people who pay our bills!) happy?

Keep creating experiences that make customers say “WOW!” when they deal with you.

Winston Marsh is a marketing guru from Australia who has shown us for years how to “Make ‘em say WOW!” in his marketing.  He says we have to focus on how to create experiences so that customers are dazzled with what happens to them.

This might seem like a lot of work.  Fortunately it is and it isn’t.  By that I mean that it does require serious thinking and planning.  See the customers’ experiences from their point of view.  What do they have to deal with in your business?  In the market you serve, what are the major problems people encounter?  Why are they buying from you?  What problems are they seeking to solve?

Once you’ve nailed that very important first part, you want to sit down with your people and lay out your plans.  Even if “your people” is “me, myself and I” you need serious planning.  Where can you make experiences pleasant and easy for customers?  What can you do to ease their pain?

Recently I had the chance to experience positive customer service at a conference I attended.  It is called FreedomFest and is put on by Dr. Mark Skousen.  He is a professor of Economics at Columbia University.  You wouldn’t think of “good customer service” normally when you think of a university professor.  Yet, Dr. Skousen and his excellent team of people make this event a very positive experience for his market every July in Las Vegas.

The speakers addressed a wide variety of topics (something important to those attending), they were some of the tops in their respective fields anywhere in the world (knowledge and credibility are vital for those attending FreedomFest), and the price was right (always important).  There were ample breaks and time to network with others.  The exhibit hall provided many vendors who could help customers.  This, by the way, helped both vendors and paying attendees.

Then for the finale, there was a wonderful banquet with really good food (often unusual in hotel settings), a great, fun, live band and a chance to cement relationships that were established during the event.  It really was a WOW! experience for those in attendance.  I heard that from many attendees.

So, what can you do in your business to create that WOW! experience?  Here are a few ideas to get you started, and to use as a check-up on what you’re doing now:

1. See the world through your customers’ eyes.  What is causing them pain?  Where are they hurting?  What can you do to help relieve the pain? Don’t just assume you know, talk with them and listen. Find out from them what is going on and what they want solved.
2. Do the hard work of thinking.  Yes, it is hard work as you struggle with options.  Mark Skousen spent many hours, days and weeks with his team formulating just the right concepts to make FreedomFest outstanding for those attending — a typically difficult market to please.
3. Provide important “extras.”  Find key areas that add that wonderful new dimension that brings a smile.  Not so much huge, expensive additions but little, important-to-the-customer touches that keep bringing them back.
4. Automate as much as possible.  Make the systems around your business fine-tuned and bullet-proof.  Yes, use technology but think in terms of systems and developing better systems all the time.
5. Constantly review and revisit what you’re doing on how to tweak and make it even better.

Be so focused on their problems that they would complain if you weren’t around to help them!  Make it your goal to become indispensable in the minds of your customers.  That is what Relationship Farming requires and that is the benefit for your long-term business.

Bonus Tip: Create multiple WOWs.  Most any business can do at least one WOW.  Find multiple ways to create those WOW moments for customers (at least three) and you’ll find you have won customers over for a long time. This is what Relationship Farming is all about.

Relationship Farming.  Yes, it takes work.  But the benefits are outstanding for your customers — and for you.

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock.

Business-Building Thoughts From Terry Brock

I often work with businesses who are interested in the fast rise of Social Media and how it is making an impact on their businesses. They don’t want to spend too much time on these new forms of Social Media, but they also don’t want to be left in the dark.

Recently I shared concepts from the late, great Peter Drucker that can act as a filter for decision-making. If you filter your use of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or any other business activity through this you will be on the right track.

Drucker’s advice here?

The purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer.

That simple phrase sums it up. If what you’re doing doesn’t accomplish either or both of these, it is not worthwhile. Remember the emphasis has to be on “customers” — this means those who are actually paying you money. If they aren’t paying you money, they are not customers. If they have a strong probability of becoming customers that is good. But remember, the emphasis has to be on those paying the bills.

This morning I was talking with a friend who has her MBA from Harvard. We were discussing the fact that she has been on Twitter for about six months now. I asked her what specific business results she has seen from that. She indicated that she had a lot of “followers” (people on Twitter who subscribe to her posts). However, she couldn’t point to any specific business that has come through — yet!

This doesn’t mean that time spent on Twitter is a waste. Far from it. Usually it is like advertising. You don’t always see a direct result immediately. If you’re not there regularly, you could lose business as people don’t know about you. People don’t usually buy on their first exposure to new ideas. It takes time.

I suggested that a business needs to develop a set of “measurable deliverables.” This is where the hard thinking comes into play.

A good tool can be one that was very popular years ago and is still valid today. Management By Objectives, or MBO for short. It was used and taught by people like George Odiorne, George Morrisey and initially introduced by Peter Drucker in 1954. Managing your business (and your life) by objectives has a lot of advantages.

This is a great way to know if Twitter, Facebook, etc. are accomplishing their goals. You, as a leader of yourself and your people, have to think through what deliverables you can measure. In a squishy world of “need to be seen” we have to think hard about what will help to attract and retain customers. You might measure the number of “tweets” sent, the number of followers, the number who visited a site you referenced, the number who purchased an offer, etc. Work with your people to determine realistic goals. This practice eliminates a lot of confusion and bonds everyone to accomplishing the same goals.

Measure what is important. Evaluate by performance within those goals. This will help clarify the business purposes of Twitter and other Social Media sites. Hey, it’s an important way to evaluate any business activity.

Important Point: One of the criticisms of MBO (by people like J. Edwards Deming) was that it failed to take into account a changing environment. This is a reasonable and understandable objection. Of course, the way around this is to build into any MBO system regular, periodic evaluations that allow for changing external circumstances. In other words, “Hey, things are different now and we need to adjust.” Make sure the adjustments are based on real, unchangeable external factors and not just a lazy way to justify missing the goals. Again, this is where wise leadership and judgment are needed.

Twitter is a great tool for communicating. However, it can also be a great time-waster. Do the hard work — the thinking — first. Determine how you’re going to measure success. Filter results through Drucker’s “attract and retain a customer” prism. Use the methodology of MBO to set realistic, stretch goals that help you and your team achieve results.

This system will work in this economy and any economy in the future. MBO is a great way to plan and live your life. MBO is a great way to run your business. Remember to temper it with reviews adapted for changing circumstances and you have a winning combination.

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc. Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com. Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock.

 

 Manage Deliverables For Success [6:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (171)

Here is a special treat for you.  I recently had an interview with my friend and colleague, Michael Tipper.  Michael is a genius who helps many people learn about how to increase productivity in business and tap into the strong powers of their mind.

In this interview, Michael interviewed me over Skype from his home in England while I was at my home in Orlando, Florida.  In this interview you’ll discover:

* The Mindset necessary to use technology

* Specific tools to get you organized and jump-start your productivity quickly

* The Three Essential Elements you need in your life every day (!) for maximum effectiveness

* How to think about making technology work for you and your business.

This interview is packed with loads of tips.  The 42:30 that you’ll spend will be a good investment of your time to learn and discover great things you can do.

Let me know if you have questions or would like more information on how to implement this with your group or in your own life. I regularly speak to business groups around the world to help them move to the next level of productivity and profitability.  Discover the latest in technology tools which can help you and your people.

Listen to the interview then drop a note at the bottom of this Blog so others can benefit from your insights.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Now, on with the interview!

 

 Productivity and Technology [42:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (134)

Business-Building Ideas From Terry Brock

“The only way to have a friend is to be one.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

It seems everyone is trying to get more business today —- now more than ever.  Yes, we in small businesses are constantly working the phones, pounding the streets and doing what we can to generate new business regularly.  Today it is heightened because of the state of the economy.

Many people try the direct approach to get business.  They approach someone they don’t know and ask for business.  And yes, that can work sometimes.  There is a place for this cold calling — for some.  However, you might have found, as I have found, that most business comes as a result of building quality, supportive, mutually beneficial relationships.

This business comes not so much from the “front door” of walking in and saying “Hi, I’m wonderful.  Do business in with me.”  It normally comes from the “back door” as you come into a person you have had some reason to know before.  They know you through an association, or a relationship with a trusted confidant who recommended you to them.

This is how business grows best in most cases.  Here are some specifics that can help as you build your business.

1.    Non-Business Alliances To Get Business.  Get to know likely buyers through associations and areas of common interest.  People are more likely to open up to you because you share a similar belief or interest. If you go to the same church, synagogue or mosque they are more likely to open up to you.  If you have children in the same school they feel they know you and want to be around you.  Never neglect the importance of these old fashioned, tried-and-true “social networking” sites.  They came along a long time before Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other “social networking” sites on the Internet. Bonus: People in your non-business alliances might not do business with you themselves but can recommend you to others they know who can become customers.

2.    Recommendations And Referrals.  Don’t forget the importance of referrals and recommendations. When someone gets a referral from a trusted confidant, it is like gold.  I recently had a recommendation from someone in my MasterMind group to help with book editing.  This person who was recommended turned out to be highly competent and extremely helpful to me in the editing of my book.  He also helped me in getting it through publishing.  What a delight to know the person both in my MasterMind group and the referral.  It saved me lots of time.  My MasterMind group member got some favors from the editor and, of course, the editor got new business he wouldn’t have had before.  Personal referrals are vital in building your business.

3.    Video.  Video is a high-tech way of getting in through the “back door.”  People have a chance to get to know you.  Well, they kinda’ know you.  They don’t really know all about you — but they feel they do.  Think of the people who watch a TV personality and feel they know them even though they’ve never met.  There is something magical about video.  It generates a certain level of celebrity status.  I know I’ve generated a lot of business as a result of video on my website.  People hear the messages I leave and then respond because the message resonates with them.  If you’re not on video now, this is something you should do in today’s world.

Think about how you react when a pushy salesperson calls on the phone trying to sell you something that you don’t need.  It is offensive and a time waster for both parties.   A much better approach is to get to know people and network with them.  By the word network, I mean to find the connections between a lot of people.  The more people you have in your network — people you know well — the more you’ll be able to be the connector who helps people get to know each other.  Ultimately this will position you as the person who is the “go to” person who knows everybody.  Take responsibility to act as and think of yourself as the “host” to meet people and connect them with others.  It changes the way the world views you and results in more business for you.

The time, money and effort you put into building your network and having access to the “back door” builds your likelihood of being known and desired by serious prospects who can use your products and services.  This is the essence of Relationship Marketing.

Important Point.  Bear in mind that Relationship Marketing, like building any quality relationship, takes time.  It is seldom done overnight.  It will require an investment of TME (Time, Money, Effort) and yes, there will be a lot of people you meet who just don’t share your values.  However, in the long-run —- the run where the best last — you will want to be with people who are serious about building quality relationships and understand the vital principles of “Value For Value” in Relationship Marketing.

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock.

Business-Building Thoughts And Musings From Terry Brock

Yesterday I was presenting to a group in Memphis, Tennessee.  I love that city with its Southern charm and all the benefits it offers. The best part of Memphis is the wonderful people who always impress me as genuine and down-to-earth.

As I was getting ready to present, I spoke to a Vice President of Customer Relationships at a local bank.  I asked her how her bank was doing in the midst of the economy.  Like many small banks, hers was doing well although they are feeling the challenges of the economy today.

What caught my attention more than anything was her comment about how she, working with customers with bank loans, reacted to those who were behind in their payments.  She indicated that many of her bank customers would stay in touch with her and explain their situation even when times were tough.  She told me that when a bank customer calls and explains what is happening and how they are working to make the payments and keep their commitments to the bank (that’s what a loan is all about — commitment), she wanted to help them.

She told me she also had a few customers who were behind in their payments who were trying to hide from her.  She would make repeated calls and they would never return her calls.  Imagine that!  People trying to avoid a collections call!

It was interesting to hear her say — and I saw the fire in her eyes on this one — “… I don’t care if we have to foreclose on their property.  If they won’t even return a call and talk to me, I don’t have any reason to help them.”

WOW!

Relationship Marketing is about a lot more than just reaching and helping customers.  It relates to your entire supply team (as Steve Epner would say).  It is imperative to maintain good relationships not only with customers but also with suppliers, partners and other stakeholders in your business.  This is particularly true in tough economic times.

Relationship Marketing is not just a “smile and a shoeshine” (to borrow from Willie Loman in The Death of a Salesman).  Relationship Marketing is about finding the needs of others and listening to them.  Yes, it is also about returning calls and being decent.  You’ve got to think of the other person and where he or she is coming from.

This banker I spoke with demonstrated that she cared for her customers.  She wanted to help them and she does.  However, when someone refuses to exhibit even the basics of human decency — i.e. returning a phone call — it is only human to feel slighted and approach them at a different level.

Maintaining relationships during difficult times is most important.  Hey, it’s most important all the time and during difficult times it makes the difference between keeping your house and moving to the curb!

Relationship Marketing requires drawing closer to all those in our supply team and finding their areas of need.  By helping them succeed we amazingly help ourselves to get ahead.  Find creative, interesting ways to stay in touch with important people in your supply team.  Yes, stay in touch with customers but also stay close to others who can make or break your business.

During tough times, make it a point to listen to others.  Hear what they have to say and how they feel. This can pay off in any economy.

Today, having the right attitude and care for all in your supply team can even help you keep you house!

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock.