Friday, September 16, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Relationships are never constant
The relationships we have with others are vital. They are vital not only for our heath and well being but also for our profession as sales people. A sincere desire to connect to others with an attitude of service rather than a selfish motive will strengthen your relationships.
"Relationships are never constant. Relationships are either growing closer together in mutual trust or they are moving further apart."
So how do we develop such a relationship? With a sincere desire to;
- Listen with compassion and understanding
- Serve without selfishness
- Do what we say we will
- Stay in touch
Communication is key. And listening is a very important part of communication. Listen and have the patience to paraphrase what the other parties concerns or needs are and seek agreement from them as to what they exactly need, want or desire. Listen more than talk. Get details. Paint a picture. Stop thinking about what the next thing is that your going to say. Step out of your comfort zone in critical conversations that may be difficult for you to address.
Love people. Have sympathy and compassion for what their situation or problem is. When they know you can be trusted and your not seeking to satisfy your own selfishness they will begin to trust you. Be humble. People can see right through self centered arrogant people. If you are self centered then do some inner reflection on your significance in the universe and grand scheme of things. The problem is that most self centered people are too busy thinking about themselves to do such reflection. They are blind to their own selfishness.
Be careful what you commit. If you say you will do something make sure that you do everything possible to do it. If for some reason it is not possible make sure you take the time to explain early. Don't forget what you said you would do. Write it down. Set a reminder. Say what you do and do what you say!
Stay in touch because you care about them and not for any specific reason except because you love people and you value their relationship.
"Relationships are never constant. Relationships are either growing closer together in mutual trust or they are moving further apart."
So how do we develop such a relationship? With a sincere desire to;
- Listen with compassion and understanding
- Serve without selfishness
- Do what we say we will
- Stay in touch
Communication is key. And listening is a very important part of communication. Listen and have the patience to paraphrase what the other parties concerns or needs are and seek agreement from them as to what they exactly need, want or desire. Listen more than talk. Get details. Paint a picture. Stop thinking about what the next thing is that your going to say. Step out of your comfort zone in critical conversations that may be difficult for you to address.
Love people. Have sympathy and compassion for what their situation or problem is. When they know you can be trusted and your not seeking to satisfy your own selfishness they will begin to trust you. Be humble. People can see right through self centered arrogant people. If you are self centered then do some inner reflection on your significance in the universe and grand scheme of things. The problem is that most self centered people are too busy thinking about themselves to do such reflection. They are blind to their own selfishness.
Be careful what you commit. If you say you will do something make sure that you do everything possible to do it. If for some reason it is not possible make sure you take the time to explain early. Don't forget what you said you would do. Write it down. Set a reminder. Say what you do and do what you say!
Stay in touch because you care about them and not for any specific reason except because you love people and you value their relationship.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Internet Half Truths
The problem with half truths is you don't know which half you have a hold of. And the world appears to be full of them. Especially on the internet. Here are just 7 of many.
1) Internet Experts
Many on the internet are now an expert and they have reinvented themselves into something or someone they would like to be without paying the price. Who is the person behind the picture. What is their background?
2) Internet Marketing to Get Rich
Get rich schemes on the internet are some of the biggest half truths. You can easily tell when they show you their bank account growing but they never show their expenses. I don't care how much is coming in. I want to see the bottom line. How much did you spend on Google Ad-words to drive that income.
3) Friend Requests
Social media friend requests when the truth is they don't have time to be your friend or build a relationship. They have something to sell. Why do they call them friend requests? Why would I trust any of your recommendations? I don't even know you. Facebook needs a "Net-worker Request"
4) Automated Twitter Replies
Automated adds and replies from a Twitter account in order to build traffic. I find Twitter very useful to find useful links to useful information quickly. Information that I may not have found by myself. So as soon as I find out the other half of the truth about the person and get spammed then I remove them.
5) Dating Profiles
Dating site profiles. Of course who is going to mention that they are really a slob or they are rude to waiters and an arrogant, self centered, controlling jerk, on their profile. And you can bet that the pictures are the best shots ever taken and may even be dated. Remember the vacation brochure that set your expectations? Now remember the vacation? Don't get me wrong. I know many honest people that put up honest profiles.
6) Authors
Everyone is an author now. This is the information age. I am very careful what I read unless it is fiction. It could be a book full of Half Truths!
7) Salespeople are Liars
The misconception that every Salesperson is just trying to sell you something and that they only tell Half Truths.
So what? We all do it. All sales and marketing and advertising is a Half Truth. You have to entice in order to even get a chance to tell "The Rest of the Story".
No you don't. And what I have learned in my 35 years in Sales and Marketing is that if you are representing a product or service that you cannot lay out all the facts then maybe you should find another product or service to sell.
Many companies advertise ethically. But the world is changing into a world where ethics do not matter. Many individuals and companies do not have a foundation of right or wrong and only care about themselves. They may act like they are listening to your needs but are really thinking about the next thing to do or say to persuade you to buy what they are selling.
This hurts us all. And in the long run means less business. Everyone is chasing viral marketing. Referrals come from meeting the needs of the customer. We can disclose all the facts and still show the customer how the product will meet needs.
Your customer will appreciate you for it. Will be pleased with their purchase. And may even tell their friends or give you a referral.
1) Internet Experts
Many on the internet are now an expert and they have reinvented themselves into something or someone they would like to be without paying the price. Who is the person behind the picture. What is their background?
2) Internet Marketing to Get Rich
Get rich schemes on the internet are some of the biggest half truths. You can easily tell when they show you their bank account growing but they never show their expenses. I don't care how much is coming in. I want to see the bottom line. How much did you spend on Google Ad-words to drive that income.
3) Friend Requests
Social media friend requests when the truth is they don't have time to be your friend or build a relationship. They have something to sell. Why do they call them friend requests? Why would I trust any of your recommendations? I don't even know you. Facebook needs a "Net-worker Request"
4) Automated Twitter Replies
Automated adds and replies from a Twitter account in order to build traffic. I find Twitter very useful to find useful links to useful information quickly. Information that I may not have found by myself. So as soon as I find out the other half of the truth about the person and get spammed then I remove them.
5) Dating Profiles
Dating site profiles. Of course who is going to mention that they are really a slob or they are rude to waiters and an arrogant, self centered, controlling jerk, on their profile. And you can bet that the pictures are the best shots ever taken and may even be dated. Remember the vacation brochure that set your expectations? Now remember the vacation? Don't get me wrong. I know many honest people that put up honest profiles.
6) Authors
Everyone is an author now. This is the information age. I am very careful what I read unless it is fiction. It could be a book full of Half Truths!
7) Salespeople are Liars
The misconception that every Salesperson is just trying to sell you something and that they only tell Half Truths.
So what? We all do it. All sales and marketing and advertising is a Half Truth. You have to entice in order to even get a chance to tell "The Rest of the Story".
No you don't. And what I have learned in my 35 years in Sales and Marketing is that if you are representing a product or service that you cannot lay out all the facts then maybe you should find another product or service to sell.
Many companies advertise ethically. But the world is changing into a world where ethics do not matter. Many individuals and companies do not have a foundation of right or wrong and only care about themselves. They may act like they are listening to your needs but are really thinking about the next thing to do or say to persuade you to buy what they are selling.
This hurts us all. And in the long run means less business. Everyone is chasing viral marketing. Referrals come from meeting the needs of the customer. We can disclose all the facts and still show the customer how the product will meet needs.
Your customer will appreciate you for it. Will be pleased with their purchase. And may even tell their friends or give you a referral.
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