Networking

Effective Business Ideas

Get Connected in Business: Be Interactive

What is the best way to get connected? Being Interactive. This means you get involved and stay involved with people without there having to be a problem or situation that gets you started. You will then know what is happening around you. You will know your bosses’ goals. What concerns your peers and customers have. And if you have people reporting to you, you will know what they are thinking. And at the same time, don’t be shy about your own goals and needs. Make sure other people know what you are thinking and planning. The more you know about your organization and the more people know about your goals, the more successful they and you will be.

Will being interactive mean that you will never be blindsided and start to feel that you don’t know what is going on? No. However, when the unexpected happens you will have a better sense of how urgent the matter is because you will know the priorities of your business. You will know who to work with so it can be resolved with a minimum of fuss and effort. And you will know what is needed and not have to second guess those around you - you will know that you are headed in the right direction and have support and understanding from colleagues and clients.

How to change tactics
How do you make this shift? Try these suggestions and then practice them.
1) Create learning situations with clients and colleagues. Teach what you do and know. Learn what others do and what they need. Update this learning often.
2) Be creative - use the learning to the benefit of all parties. Share ideas, link ideas. Look for best practices, benchmarking, clear roles and responsibilities.

3) Look for barriers to understanding and cooperation. Then work with others to eliminate these as they arise.
4) When going into a new situation, ask of everyone: What do you want to happen? How will we measure our success? Look for understanding, past successful actions - start out right.
5) When completing a task, ask everyone: How could this be better?

Use these suggestions to increase connection and introduce an interactive approach to everything you do.

© Fritz M. Brunner, Ph.D. 2005

Fritz M. Brunner, Ph.D. is a coach and consultant engaged in working with people wanting to excel in life and business. Please visit his web site at http://www.fmbrunner.com or contact him at fritz@fmbrunner.com

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I said, “No.”

What is it about “no” that you don’t understand?

Generations of salespeople have been told that when a prospect tells you “no” it’s really a request for more information.

You may have heard that the “sale” doesn’t really begin until your prospect tells you “no.”

I say, “Baloney.”

Sometimes a “no” means “no.”

Try this on. When your prospects tell you “no”, it’s a good thing especially when you control the “no.”

You’ve heard of “Getting to Yes.”

I believe in getting to “No.”

Let me make an educated guess.

You don’t like hearing the word “no.”

Ever since you were very young you’ve done your best to avoid being told “No.” The word “no” seems so negative.

A “no” in the world of selling is looked upon as a negative.

If your sales process results in a “no”, it’s usually viewed as a setback.

Therefore, most salespeople hate the word “no.”

It doesn’t have to be that way.

I believe that there is a better way to look at a “no.”

I believe that you can shift the emotional response you have to this two letter, little devil.

Think of it this way—-

You don’t really hate to hear ‘No”—

You hate not knowing when a “no” is coming.

If a prospect is going to tell you “no”— when would you rather find out about it— early in the sales cycle, or late in the sales cycle?

Here’s the tip - Attempt to uncover a “no” from your prospect as soon as possible.

Please notice that my coaching instruction was to uncover a “no.”

Avoid creating a “no.”

One of your main objectives as a salesperson is to uncover a “no” that was going to happen anyway.

Let your prospect know that it’s OK if they come to the conclusion that your product or service is not what they’re specifically looking for.

Let them know that it’s OK for them to say, “No, thank you.”

Let them know that you’d prefer a “yes”, and— it’s OK if they tell you “no.”

When you set up this agreement there is a fascinating by-product.

You will stop hearing prospects say “maybe”, or “I need to think it over” as a substitute for… “No.”

This alone will help you reduce the length of your “sales cycle.”

You won’t be chasing after people who have no intention of doing business with you, but are afraid that if they tell you “no” you’ll start selling even harder.

This tip will reduce the stress levels experienced by both parties— guaranteed.

I urge you to find training programs like those provided through BusinessSuccessBuilder.com that will help you say the right things and ask the right questions …so you can uncover a “no” that was going to happen anyway.

To your success.

Copyright 2006 Ike Krieger

Ike Krieger is a business mentor, author and speaker. Ike helps businesspeople say the right thing, at the right time all the time. Find out how to get more clients, more referrals and more sales, and do it with dignity. His “Yes Formula”

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Do your employees and staff really know and understand your core marketing message? How effective are they at sharing that message?

If you really want your business to grow the people in your organization need to be taught the most effective way to network.

You’re pretty good at representing your company. You believe that networking is a powerful business building tool. You understand the value of creating new business relationships. You attend business networking events. You are personable, professional, and you know your stuff.

What happens if you can’t make it to a networking event? What if you want to expand your networking activities but don’t have the time or the energy to do it all yourself?

How effective would your people be if they had to show up in your place and represent your organization? Do they know the right thing to say and the right questions to ask?

Networking is the most powerful form of face to face marketing. What you say can make or break your networking effectiveness. Your ability to get your story across in twenty seconds or less is a vital key to your networking success… and may be just as big a factor in your overall business success.

Banks, credit unions, real estate organizations, financial services and insurance companies, accounting firms, law firms, doctors, dentists, and other professional offices are all made up of people who, at one time or another, are on the frontline in the battle for business success. This networking army includes your employees and associates.

Do you know what your people are saying when asked about your company? Are they trained to deliver a brief and understandable version of your core marketing message? Are they capable of telling others what really sets your business apart from your competition?

In addition, networking is not always confined to a specific meeting or event. When asked about your company when they’re out enjoying an evening of, let’s say, bowling, or the theatre what do members of your organization say?

Do their words portray your company in the most memorable and flattering way, or are they just kind of winging it and saying whatever comes to mind (positive or not)? Saying the wrong thing can leave people cold or, even worse, actually drive business away.

Learning the right thing to say and the right questions to ask is an overlooked area of business preparation. Lack of training in this area can prove costly.

The flip side to the equation is that with a relatively small amount of guidance you can increase your profitability and distinguish yourself clearly from your competition. This is accomplished by a simple shift in the words you use and the words you teach your people to use.

Do you have the time to teach your people the “right thing” to say? For most business owners, sales organizations and professionals the answer is no.

I’ve been providing this most important training for over 20 years.

I’ve developed the Language of Success

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