It’s the Little Things
It’s the Little Things
I met Ed Wallace a number of years ago and developed a wonderful relationship with him that continues to this day. Ed wrote a very meaningful book in 2010 titled “Business Relationships that Last.” He has kindly allowed us to use excerpts from this book in our blog. We start the first of a three-part series today with “It’s the Little Things.” You will see the follow-on blogs in the coming weeks. I have found there to be terrific value in this book and feel honored that Ed would allow us share his wisdom with you. I hope you enjoy and it gives you serious food for thought. Ron
It’s the Little Extras!
Little things make big things happen. —John Wooden
Imagine that today is the last day of your sales cycle and you still have not made your monthly quota. This scenario was all too often a reality for me during my early years in sales. Now imagine that you have built such outstanding business relationships that you could contact any number of your clients and ask for their help with your quota shortfall. Imagine a level of mutual trust and commitment so deep that this request will be as easy for you to make as it will be for your clients to understand. And, finally, imagine they not only understand your need but also offer to fulfill it by signing a contract or placing an order earlier than they had planned. My passionate belief after a twenty-five-year career in sales, executive leadership, and now business ownership is that creating business relationships that last is the secret to success. As I reflect on all of the amazing technological advances that have evolved during my career, I find one remarkable, simple constant: business is still driven by people and relationships. Eventually, human beings need to interact with one another in order to work through all of the details associated with their organizations doing business together. Whether it be the use of a product or service or the acquisition of a new business, humans— with all of our knowledge, skills, goals, emotions, biases, and fears—need to collaborate to get things accomplished. Developing business relationships that last with your clients sometimes seems like a lot of extra work, especially if you cannot ensure a predictable return on the investment from all of your efforts. But even though lasting business relationships can seem as elusive as holding on to sand, learning and applying a process to help you “cup them in your hands” makes it much less challenging than you might think.
We will share with you next time the story about Ed’s friend Max.
The Time is Now.