Relationship Marketing

I created a whole web page with information about relationship marketing but I thought I'd expound on some of the thoughts I shared in that page.

It never ceases to amaze me how many times I end up getting business as a result of relationships I have cultivated over the years. In many cases, those relationships were not officially about business when they started, but they develop over time into great business relationships. In some cases, I never do business directly with the person I met at an event, but they refer me to someone who becomes a terrific long term client.

The important thing to remember is that you never know if the conversation you are having at any point in time is going to turn into business later. Here are some tips for maximizing relationship marketing (these are in addition to the ones on the web page!):

1. Always be prepared. Have those business cards and your 30 second "elevator speech" ready. be ready to talk about what you do at any time.

2. Remember that you are a walking billboard for your business. Whether or not it's fair or right, people are judging you every day. They judge you by how you look, how you talk, how you present yourself overall. Within a few minutes people make a determination about whether or not they think you are trustworthy. What determination are people making about you?

3. Treat people with respect. This is related to what I just said, but I think it is important enough to emphasize. As a small business owner, you are your business. If you treat people well, they will assume that you will treat them well in business, and they will be willing to refer friends and family to you. If you are rude and disrespectful, no matter how good your prices or service may be, they will not want to do business with you and they certainly will not refer those they care about to you.

4. Listen more than you speak. The key to developing positive relationships that lead to good business really is listening. That doesn't mean being quiet while you wait for your turn to speak in the conversation, but really listening. Hear what the other person needs, and respond appropriately.

5. Refer people to other businesses. If you want others to make referrals to you, you should be doing the same thing. Communicate the referrals you have made to the business owner. That will let them know who to expect to come calling, but it will also make them more inclined to do business with you and to refer others to you.