"Challenges are what make life interesting;
overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.
-Joshua J. Marine"
Knowing your “customer”, client, “ambassador to your business”, sphere of influence, prospect or friend -is key to continual networking and relationship building.
Here are three stories I heard recently that will make you smile or smirk in disbelief.
*A organization was pitching UPS for their business and “fed exed” over the materials…
*A group was trying to sell SONY and showed up for their meetings with Dell computers…
*A team was sitting down to meet with people from Visa and when asked to open their wallets, everyone had credit cards from the competition….
You might say-how can this be? Believe me, one cannot make this up. Carelessness and not paying attention to close detail can make or break us.
We can have the most amazing presentation; the most polished presenters and the “state of the art” materials-yet if we forget whom we are talking with, everything else is lost.
Here are topics that I learn about my “network” as we build the relationship over time and it takes time… Go through your database of connections and relationships and see how and where you can build. It is a continual process. First-make sure you make it to this point by not making the above mistakes!
Your Client Personal Profile
Name, Contact information,
When you have searched their name and organization-what comes up and what did you learn? (continually update)
Create a “google alert” for them-so you are always up to date
Birthday
Hobbies/Interests
Favorite foods/restaurants
Vacation interests
Spouse name Kids Pets
Preferred method of communication
College or grad school
Special holidays
Job promotions/moves
Who you refer to them Who they refer you to
How you met
Likes and Dislikes
Prior Job
Anniversary of doing business together
Professional Organizations
Assistant’s name
Know what “motivates” them
The advice and information they have given you
How you have handled any problems that have arisen with their account
What they said when you ask them: “Why do you work with me?”