Business-Building Action from Terry Brock
The other day I was having a great Skype video catch-up with a good buddy of mine over in England, Simon Hazeldine. Simon is a well-known expert on selling and marketing not only in the UK but around Europe and other parts of the world.
Simon said something casually in our catch-up video call that I found amazing. In the sales books of yore (you remember those, right?) it was often advocated that job applicants or salespeople (they are both selling!) establish rapport by making small talk. From that small talk it was often recommended that the job candidate or salesperson ask something like, “So, tell me a little about your business and what you do here. What types of customers do you have?” The idea is to get more information about the company so you could better tailor your presentation to their needs.
Good question yesterday. Worst question today.
If someone were sitting in front of a hiring manager or buyer in a corporation and heard that type of question today they would rightly be justified in terminating the interview and encouraging the potential new hire or salesperson to get to know the 21st Century!
You probably can guess where this is going and you would be right — partially. Yes, we need to do our due diligence on Google and other online sources. However, today we have to go even more in-depth.
Yes, this means we need to tap into social media — particularly services like LinkedIn and Facebook where you can learn more about someone. You not only want to know about their business, but you really want to know more about the person. Find out about their beliefs, their education, their hobbies, etc. This way you’ll be able to stand out from the crowd by showing 1) You have taken the time to get to know them and their company and 2) You have invested time and effort (perhaps money) to go beyond the basics.
In a hotly competitive business climate, you need all the advantages you can get. The question which was admirable years ago, is now a sign that you don’t know and/or don’t care about the person. Remember the old adage that “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” as it is still true today.
What Simon Hazeldine said in our casual Skype video catch-up call is profound. Think about how you can go more in-depth in those quality relationships that matter. Develop systems for doing more than just a quick Google search. Something like Harvey Mackay’s “Mackay 66” to get to know someone can assist a lot.
Get the competitive advantage you need. Go beyond the basics and yes, stop asking questions from yesterday and deepen the relationship and rapport with others. It just makes good business sense today.
Terry Brock works with organizations to bring about positive change in marketing, selling and social media. He is a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame and a Certified Speaking Professional. To find out how he can help your company, drop an email to Terry@TerryBrock.com or visit his website at www.TerryBrock.com. Copyright © 2012, Terry L. Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
