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Monday, July 27, 2009

Marketing Strategy 6: Relationships that Count

Part 1: Relationships that Count

In a Nutshell:

Relationships can make or break a deal. A good relationship has to be earned early on if it is to be beneficial.

I don't have a problem making friends. In fact, rarely does anyone believe me when I explain that I am, in fact, by nature a shy person. It isn't something people think when they meet me, because I have worked very hard to overcome this difficulty. Ways in which I have done this involve attempting to get people to laugh as soon as it is humanly possible. Laughing is always an ice-breaker. Or, if that fails, I launch into a series of questions. People won’t worry about whether or not you are shy if they are busy answering questions about themselves and what they do.

Therefore, when my husband began his business years ago, I was the person to meet, greet and otherwise tell anyone standing still long enough about his construction and remodeling business in order to obtain leads. The majority of our customers were friends, and when we finished their homes or remodeling projects, we were still friends. That was a testament to my husband’s integrity, timeliness, and talent. He received repeat business and from this our company grew. There were several key elements in his business dealings, and many of these points are listed below.

Needless to say relationships are the key in any business. There are seminars that experts charge hundreds of dollars that will ultimately tell you the same thing. You’ve heard the old adage, it isn’t what you know it is who you know. Unfortunately, the people you need to know in publishing are the hardest to get to know. Publishers are protected by their staff and rightly so. Any great company leader is only as good as his staff. I typically surround myself with like-minded people and those I trust to get the job done. The same is true with the selection of author’s manuscripts I choose to publish. People think that publishers tend to go with someone that has a track record. While true, it isn’t always the case. Publishers look for authors who are willing to market themselves and who have a strong social networking presence. Networking is relationship building.

Ask Paula Stevenson who approached me at a state conference with the words, “What if I told you I had the secret for getting your children to tell you everything, all the time.” As a mother of five, she peaked my interest. I quipped, “I have four that tell me more than I care to know, but there is one that doesn’t.” Three sample chapters later, Paula Stevenson was the proud owner of a contract with Media Angels, Inc. Her book, co-authored with her daughter, Sky, “Secret Code Time: Creating an Unbreakable Bond between Parent and Child,” will launch in September, 2009.

The rule book has changed...next...

2 comments:

  1. Not only do relationships make or break a business deal but they are the key to just about everything in life. How we relate to others will make or break our marriages, friendships, business life, education and even our prayer life! And the key to every relationship is communication skill.

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