By Terry Brock
As we begin a New Year, it is more important than ever to spend time on establishing, nurturing and building relationships. Here are some key principles that can help as you endeavor to build those relationships.
Keep Building Relationships Whatever The Economy
Now more important than ever, this is critical for your success. Find out what the other person needs. Think not just outside the box, but think outside yourself! Focus on their needs. Too many people focus only on their own needs. Successful people focus on and help solve the problems of others.
As we begin the New Year and make resolutions, don’t just make resolutions — track what you’ve done. Lots of people will make resolutions this time of year. That is good. However, lots of people also fail to achieve their resolutions for a number of reasons. Track yours and measure your results. This will separate you from the crowd.
Apply this to relationship building by tracking who you’ve met, their interests and more. Get and use a database for names and contact information. Use it daily. It will be your greatest resource if you work for yourself or someone else.
By the way, if you or someone you know is in the market for a job, here’s a video you need to watch. This short (less than 7 minutes) video will help you with some successful job-hunting tips from one of the experts in the human resource field, Tom Dimmick of DK Search in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania.
https://www.terrybrock.com/2008/12/job-search-tips/
When I was talking with Tom Dimmick about the job market he told me, as a professional Executive Search recruiter, that about 85% of all jobs are placed not through newspapers but because of relationships. It is imperative to build those relationships and nurture them. This means if you are comfortable in your job, take the time now to nourish those relationships. An old Arab proverb says, Dig your well before you’re thirsty. This is very good advice for all of us today whether employed or looking for that next position.
Categorize Contacts Into Priorities
You have limited resources. Many have much less resources now so it is even more important to focus. Focus your time. Focus your energy and effort on those areas which will yield the maximum results for you.
If you try to be all things to all people you’ll fail. Bill Cosby said it very well a while back when he said, (I’m paraphrasing here), I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is to try to please everybody. Focus on those relationships which are most likely to generate serious results for you.
Deploy The Best Technologies
Technologies like Smartphones, laptop computers and more can help you help others more. Recently I acquired a new tool which has already saved me enormous amounts of time and helped me to be more productive. It is the sheet-fed scanner from Fujitsu called the ScanSnap S300M. This one is the Mac flavor (they have one for Windows called S300) and it is amazing. I’ve used scanners for years and found them very helpful. This one, however, is incredibly faster and much better organized than others I have used. The low price of $300 means that it has paid for itself many times over with increased savings in time and the ability to find paper. Instead of spending time looking for lost papers I now know they are safely stored in folders on my computer.
Check out this video I just finished to see the ScanSnap S300M in action:
https://www.terrybrock.com/2008/12/s300m/
Tools like this can help with Relationship Marketing. To be effective in Relationship Marketing, you need to show others that you really care. Fortunately, since not enough people really do care about others today, you have an advantage already. Take time to refine your systems so you can have quality time with important people who matter.
Watch this column for some of the best and latest technologies which will help you in building relationships and getting results in business. I’m heading to the Consumer Electronics Show and will be there for you gathering important information to help you build relationships and build profitability. Stay tuned!
As you head into the New Year and want to get your business moving stronger, focus on how to help others. Focus on their pain and how you can solve that for them. Use the right principles and tools and you’ll never fail.
Happy Holidays!
Terry
Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses market more effectively, leveraging technology. He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their days using time-honored rules and practical technology tools. He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.
