Since the beginning of time, people have done business with people. They have tried to do business with people they like, know and trust. But sometimes they have to do business with people they don’t like, know or trust – but they will always be on the prowl for a better solution.
We tend to get caught up in the latest fad because – to be perfectly honest – we hope it will deliver incredible results so we won’t have to do what we know we really should do and that’s reach out, ask questions, listen, ask a few more questions, listen closer, then offer a few possible suggestions and solutions.
Word-of-mouth advertising. Buzz. Social networking. Inbound marketing. Art of the conversation. Trust agents. Call it whatever you want, it’s about talking with other people, trying to understand their needs and offering them solutions.
Let’s get past the name, let’s focus on the act. Get out there and take a customer to lunch. Ask them what’s on their mind as we get ready to start a new year. Try to find a way that you can help them succeed – it might be with existing products and services, or it might require something new.
But the bottom line is we all need to succeed if we’re going to survive so let’s work on helping each other succeed.
