Business Runs On Relationships. Relationships Take Time.---The truth is, everything runs on relationships. The best salespeople in the world know the most important part of sales is developing a strong relationship, before they ask for a sale. They also protect the relationship. "All things being equal, people do business with people they like. All things not being equal, people do business with people they like."
What's a friend?---A friend is a person you choose to be around, because you like them, because they add value to your life, because you want to. We place no demands on friends, there are no expectations put on friends. Friends never feel trapped, are quick to appologize when they make a mistake and they value your relationship.The level and depth of a friendship/relationship can be measured by the depth of the communication. The more intimate the conversation, the stronger the relationship and visa versa. Helpful, Never Condescending
Partnership---As a business owner, you will do well to look at customers as partners instead of adversaries and then teach your staff to do the same.
Teaching Your Staff---Hiring the right people is most important. They need to be people who like people. It's not a matter of intorvert or extrovert, it's simply people who like people. Since extroverts get their batteries charged by being interacting with people, they generally do better. It's usually a matter of teachability.
Immediate eye contact and personal greeting---Sometimes when you are very busy, you can get overwhelmed by a crowd coming in at once. Make eye contact, smile and acknowledge people as soon as possible. You buy yourself time with communication. You also let them know you care.
Uniform and Name Tag---You and your staff communicate to your customers by your appearance. The name tag says you want them to know you and your name. Many times the staff is expected to wear a uniform and a name tag and the owner wears everyday clothes.
Listen, Then Speak and Never Angry---Make eye contact and place your full attention on your customer. Listen to what they say and repeat back what they said. Make sure they know you care and are listening. When you speak, be clear and never defensive. When people are upset, they are not upset at you, but at the situation they are in. If you did do something, apologize and fix it. It's about the customer and meeting their needs, not you. There is no reason for you to be upset, too. It's your job to carry a bucket of water, not gasoline, when a spark sets off a fire!
Owner Available---Everyone knows that the owner has ultimate authority and responsibility. Restaurant founder and business professor Vince Orza always wants to deal with all complaints personally. He knows that customers know, no one can fix this like the owner.
Build Relationships---If you are with me on business running on relationships, you would have to agree becoming an expert on relationships would be important. The stronger your relationship with your people, the more influence you will have with them and the better you can lead them. John Maxwell teaches that leadership is influence. You influence people through the depth of your relationship with them. You communicate with and influence your customer base, through your relationship with them!
Fix Problems---You need to decide ahead of time how much a customer is worth. You may dedide a customer is worth $200. That means if you have a dispute with a customer, you are willing to NOT haggle with them if the bill is under $200. You consider the long term relationship with the customer as more important than that single transaction.
On the Web---We need a reminder here, that business runs on relationships and relationships take time. The more time you spend with people exchanging dreams and ideas, the tighter the relationship. Your goal is for people to spend time with you on your website.
Allow them to develop a relationship with a real person!--A mistake I see many small companies make is in making their website look like that of a huge company. Some business owners think if their website makes them look like a huge corperation, the more serious they will be taken, In the process their site become void of humanity. People prefer to have relationships with real people, not companies. I am not saying people can't have a relationship with a company, I am saying people would rather get to know a person, an indevidual they can learn to trust. How many times do you hear about a person leaving company "A" and all of their clients follow them over to company "B".
Easy interaction from your web site---Allow people to get to know you on through open transparent writings, audio clips and videos. Then make it very easy for people to make contact with you. Make your personal e-mail address available and your phone number.
Allow them to meet people they will be doing business with---In most cases the owner is not the only person in the company who interacts with the public. Everyone who talks to people at your physical location should also be introduced to the public on your website. A short video clip or a picture and bio is nice.
