So often the personal aspects of creating positive,
successful business relationships are overlooked. This is
the technique that all CEO's and corporate giant directors
started out utilizing. They were not born the head of a
major company. They worked to get there, and they started
with themselves.
Multi-national corporate giants, successful entrepreneurial
companies, and all other major conglomerates have one thing
in common. No, it is not money, though this is something
they all seem to have an abundance of. It is something that
you will find if you trace the roots of the business back
to its origins. It all started with one individual who know
how to sell him/herself.
Anyone can sell a product. It's very simple. What you get
is what you see. The prospective buyer can look at it,
touch it, compare it to other similar products, and buy it
if he/she so chooses. The seller simply talks about it to
the customer. A service works the same way. The salesperson
makes a presentation, states the pros of the service, what
it can do for the consumer, and makes the sale.
Selling yourself however, is a little more involved. No two
people are identical in every aspect, so no one really
knows what to expect from them. You cannot sell by
appearance. At the same time, you cannot sell yourself by
experience either. Oh, that will get you a bite, but it
will not hook the fish. One might stretch the truth a bit
about their experience, and the buyer will know that. So
how does one sell him/herself successfully? There are
several different methods when utilized simultaneously will
produce very positive results.
1) First impressions: First impressions do matter.
Actually, this is the most important part of the whole
process of establishing a positive relationship. Regardless
if your meeting is via email, online messenger, or in
person, that first two minutes of your confrontation will
be the most helpful or harmful. Make that initial contact
work! Do not kiss up, be professional, and be courteous.
Act interested in this person in regards to whatever
subject they are most fascinated with. Make it about them,
not you. People want to be impressive. If you act
impressed, but not childish, they will respond positively.
2) Your Client has Priority: You may have two thousand
clients and you may only have five or six. Regardless,
whatever individual you are dealing with at any given
moment needs to feel like they are your most important
client.
3) One Hundred and Ten Percent: Of course, there is no such
concept. You can only give one hundred percent, as that is
all there is. However, you can give one hundred percent of
what the individual is paying for and then give ten percent
for free. If you are, for example, offering to submit ten
websites to a search engine for a client for a fee, do so.
Then, submit an extra one for free, just because you care.
This brings us to the next topic.
4) CARE! If you are in a business where you are only
interested in making money and have no regard for the
quality of your work or the welfare of the client, then
your business is inevitably doomed for failure. You have to
want your client to grow, to excel in his or her own
business, for yours to grow. Remember, word of mouth is one
of the best, and most damaging, forms of marketing. If you
get a reputation for poor quality work, again you are
headed for failure.
5) Availability: Try to be available to the customer at
least a minimum of 8 hours per day, and even in the
evenings if possible. People want to know that they can
reach you at a moments notice without having a long wait.
Waiting makes people irritable and stressed. This, in turn,
puts a lot of stress on a professional relationship.
6) Be Personal: You will get more business out of friends
than you will from business associates. The remedy for this
issue is to make the business associates your friends. Do
not be overwhelmingly intrusive and ask all sorts of
questions at your initial contact. However, if the
associate mentions an aspect of his life, such as his
favorite food, drink, existence of children, etc, make a
mental note. Let us take children for example. Let's say
your associate mentions that he has to leave early to take
his daughter to the doctor for a cough. Take note of that
and next time you speak with them, ask about the daughters
health. Is she okay? Then, associate your life with theirs.
Something like, "She's going to be okay? That is great. I
know what you are going through. My daughter just got over
a stomach virus". You get to know them and they get to know
you. Eventually, a relationship is formed and your business
benefits.
7) Take Notes: Nothing will sell you better than the sudden
realization that you have noticed your associates' life. If
you find out that your associate has a birthday coming up,
send a card and a small gift, such as a box of chocolates,
a beautiful pen, etc. If their child has a recital or a
game in the near future, send a "good luck" card. Do not
go too far and show up at the game; just let them know that
you care enough to send a card. If it is special enough for
your client to mention, then it should be special to you.
Keep up with birthdays, favorite flowers, favorite drinks,
television shows, and anything else that your associate is
interested in.
If an aspiring businessperson can realize that they are the
true product, learn the ins and outs of making themselves
invaluable, the actual product or service they are selling
will be a successful sell.
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Online Investor and Web entrepreneur Althaf Ahmed, native
of Bangalore India, is well versed in the intricacies of
creating a successful web business venture. Althaf takes
great joy in passing on the insider secrets to young web
enthusiasts. Visit Althaf's Website at
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