You’ve connected with someone new and really want to create a long-term business relationship. You’ve got that feeling that this one could REALLY go the distance. This one could be THE one.
But you don’t want to hover. You don’t want to seem desperate or overly eager. Then again, you don’t want to let it go for TOO long….
What do you do?
Sounds like a question for a dating coach, right?
Here at the The Pitch Queen we’re ALL about relationships. We’re not talking about the kind of relationships that lead to marriage and kids. But with a good business relationship, there are some pretty striking similarities and parallels.
If you want that long-term business relationship bliss, just like in love, you’ve got to stay the course. It’s about making honest and genuine connections. It’s not about a quick fix for a fast sale.
If you treat your prospects like they’re your future best friends, good things will come back to you.
You’ll create personal connections and genuine relationships. These are the relationships that go the distance in business and in life.
But how do you even start? Are there rules? Things to say and to not say? Is there a “three day rule” in terms of when to call after a “date”?
It really CAN seem as confusing as modern-day dating.
But here’s the thing: it doesn’t have to be hard. You don’t have to follow iron-clad rules, just common-sense guidelines. All you have be is genuine, passionate, and consistent.
Sounds pretty easy, right?
How does all of this work in the real world, then? Let’s jump right in!
When you’re truly interested in knowing someone, you’re going to pay attention when they talk. You’re going to listen. And let THEM talk.
I know you’re passionate about what you do and you’re gnashing at the bit to tell them all about it. But here’s where you need to slow down. Take a moment. And let them tell you what’s going on in their world. And NOT just with respect to what you’re selling them.
Let them tell you about their life. What they enjoy doing when they’re not working. What are their big dreams, hobbies, and passions? It doesn’t have to be all about business.
I was on a call recently with a potential new client, a lady looking to kick her CPA practice into high gear and explode her income potential. Did I start the conversation hitting her with the hard sell, telling her all of the marvelous ways that our program would get her to her goal in record time?
Of course not! For the first ten minutes of the call, we talked about what she did this past weekend.
She told me that she and her family spent time on the lake. We talked about the how much joy and peace being on the water brings her, and how having a dock to go along with her family’s boat would be the icing on the cake.
It made me remember a prior conversation where she said one of the reasons she wanted to make more money was so that she could build a dock.
Letting her talk about her passions and entertain her dreams was the thing that helped her see the true value in my program. If she signed up, spent three months learning how to leverage her business, and made more money, that dream of a brand-new deck could come true.
The sale didn’t come from me telling her how mind-blowing our program is. It came from letting her share her story and talk about her dreams.
After that she started to see the value for herself.
These are the kind of magical things that happen when you listen to the important details. Pay attention to what the other person is saying. Figure out what’s important to them, because they’re basically telling you what they want to hear!
When you listen to what’s important to them, you’ll know exactly what to say and how to say it.
Let’s say you’ve been talking to a lot of prospects lately. You want to remember everyone’s special details and nuances. And honestly, it’s getting a little bit too much for one person’s brain to hold.
How do you keep all those crucial details straight? How do you remember who is about to have their baby, who’s kid is about to graduate from Harvard, or who is headed to Africa next month?
So how do you remember the highlights, keep in contact, and build these relationships one step at a time without feeling like you’ve taken on a part-time job?
It’s an old-school trick that’s never stopped working. Grab your paper and pencils and take notes.
No matter how photographic your memory is, I’m willing to bet that you can’t remember everything. Neither can I. That’s why I have dozens of notebooks. (True story!)
Details are important to your clients. Genuinely remembering those details is what will set you apart from the rest of the world.
When you take a genuine interest in people and remember the tidbits and sidebars they share about themselves, they won’t forget.
You don’t have to be everywhere at once, hovering in Facebook groups and lurking around trade shows 24/7. You only have to be consistent. Have a plan to show up, stay on the radar, and be there on a regular basis.
It might sound like just “one more thing” to do. But trust me, when you’re on their radar with regularity, you’re going to be the one they remember when it comes time for the sale.
So how do you work this consistency into your already crazy life?
Set aside a block of time to talk with your clients and prospects. Depending on your business relationship and your clientele, it might be once every week, every other week, or every month. Choose what’s best for your business and your people and make a plan.
Here are my top 3 ways to follow up and keep a business relationship connected:
1) Email: Once a week, every other week, or once a month. Send an email just to check in. Don’t talk about what you’re selling. They already know. Just say hello. Ask how things are going. Share something non-business that they’d appreciate. No pitches, no sales.
2) Text message: Again, this is not about selling. Share something you know they’d love. Ask how their trip to Australia was or how their last half-marathon went. Make it short, sweet, and personal.
AND finally (my Millennial friends, take note!)
3) Pick up the phone. I know it sounds archaic. I know that the world seems to turn on texts, Facebook messages, and pings. All the more reason to set yourself apart, step up, and dare to be different. There’s nothing like a phone call to really make it personal.
My challenge is to get out of your comfort zone. Start dialing and get a real conversation started. Because that’s where the gold is.
When it comes to it, just remember this: Email and texting is not a dialogue. It’s a monologue. And it’s second-best to a true conversation.
Finally, once you’ve got a plan in place, schedule it. Put it on the calendar. Make it real. Block out a chunk of time and make it happen.
Let’s say you want to follow up with prospects every Monday. Block off two hours to text, email, or call your list of prospects. First Monday of the month, send an email. Second Monday of the month, send a text message. Then rinse and repeat.
And every time you text or email, make a phone call, too. (And another added benefit of the phone call: they get to see your missed call. They get to hear your voice message. That’s not one but TWO more ways to show up on their radar with no extra effort for you!)
So what do you talk, text, or email about? Glad you asked! Remember those notes that you took? Get them out and put them to work for you!
Look at that list of special contacts. Write out each person’s name and write down five important details for each one.
Maybe one of your clients is pregnant. Write down the due date or the baby names she’s brought up. You might have a client about to head off to Africa. Write down their departure date and the sites they seemed especially excited to visit.
When it comes time to reach out, remember the details. Share tidbits and insights you come across related to their interests and passions. Ask how they’re feeling, how their kids or fur babies are doing, or how their trip to Italy was.
Let them know you remember the things that matter to them. Do it with honesty and consistency. And you will LOVE the results.
Remember this bit of wisdom from speaker Patricia Fripp: “Relationships count. And you don’t close a sale. You open a relationship.”
Making a rock-solid business relationship is not a quick fix. It’s going to take time, guaranteed. But if you keep following up, staying consistent, and doing it with passion and integrity, you’re going to be really glad that you did.
It’s not about getting a sale. It’s about building a business relationship that will take you and the client a lot farther than a one-time ring on the register. It’ll engender a lifetime of loyalty, referrals, and mutually beneficial perks for everyone involved.
Take the time. Make it happen. Let go of the outcome. And let those long-term relationships blossom and grow!
Ready cultivate that business relationship and take it to a WHOLE new level?
Check out this guide from The Pitch Queen called “Rules Of Engagement: How To Keep The Fire Burning For Long-Term Business Relationship Bliss.” It’ll help you get focused, get organized, and make the crucial steps of relationship-building a part of your everyday life (without taking over your life)! Get it right HERE!
