Every time you speak to anyone you represent your business. In any business it is the relationships you form as a result of that conversation that can impact on the level of success or failure in the business. That ideal client, that contact who introduces you to someone, that chance meeting all contribute to your success and it often boils down to what happens in the first few seconds.** You either click or you do not. The first words you say to that person; the greeting, the handshake the tone of your voices the kind of eye contact you make or the little piece of warmth that connects you to the person all matter. It can be as little as that that shifts your business into a higher gear or onto a new path OR NOT. What we call that is Rapport and it is the key stone of any relationship business or otherwise. It’s not a chance thing. It’s a skill that can be learned***
At this stage I want to remind you that we are on E in our alphabetic order of blogs and the E word of this blog is one that I have broken down in order to change its meaning.
Eventually.
Eventually usually means that after a whole pile of prevaricating you get around to something. Often in business, because you were busy there are things that get left and then once you do it (whatever it is) you say to yourself ‘I wish I had done that sooner’ or ‘I could have done that in the first place.’ In terms of business relationships I’ve found myself saying something like that on more than one occasion. I wish I had made that call, sent that mail. If we break the word Eventually down it becomes three words. Event you ally. An event, a moment at which you make a connection, an alliance that is mutually beneficial. This can happen after you’ve met a person a few times (an eventually moment) or it can be an immediate click and connect and what happens next is up to you.
If I stop and really look at those pivotal moments in my business life I notice that there is a thread in how I contribute to the success of these events.
So here is what I suggest:
- Be really open to these kinds of coincidences. The more of them you recognise the more valuable they become – and the more of them there seem to be. I am on upstarts because of just such a chance interaction – on twitter – so realise they don’t have to be one to one meetings
- Be prepared for them. Have a description of what you do and how you do it that rolls off your tongue in 50 words or so and use itto communicate the message.
- Bring your business cards everywhere and use them like confetti.
- Be proactive. Foster the opportunity. Offer to buy the person a coffee, or connect on LinkedIn or agree a time for a chat but do not let the event / encounter end without making a proper connection.
- Most important arrange the next meeting before you part ways.
- Be grateful when these events happen (Gratitude) I believe that keeps the positivity wheel rolling.
And then what You ask me?
Then be brave enough to ask for what you want from the relationship and give, as much as you can in return so the relationship in never one sided.
Eventually, when you start to get used to these connections happening you realise that it is in your control to make things happen. And here is the really important action you can do.
Write a list of the people or businesses that you want as a customer 12 of them – one a month for the next year. Then figure out how you might get an introduction to the person or to the appropriate decision maker in the company. If you focus on the task those coincidences start to happen. You meet the right person and so on.
So instead of waiting for Eventually Make it an event where you Ally.