GET CONNECTED:
This months
theme is about connecting. Let's face it we're all going through our stuff these days about the stock market crisis and the global financial crisis. It tends to bring up deep rooted fears, feelings of insecurity, fear about abandonment, loss, lack, not being good enough, you name it and our "stuff" is coming up. So if that's the case then, then be sure to take extra time for those you work with or do business with.You're not alone now, others are going through change, fear, worry, doubt and are wondering about life and it's meaning.
So now more than ever is a good time to connect to those you do business with or work with. Plan a meeting, a coffee, a lunch if you're feeling extravagant, but the bottom line is to connect.
I find this time of year...near year end a great time to meet clients and talk about plans for 2009.
Find out what motivates your client, what drives them, what they think about, get to know them on a deeper more meaningful level so that when spending and the economy bounces back (and it will) you have vastly improved the relationships you have with your clients. In fact by taking the time now to get to know them, and help them I guarantee that when things do bounce back in the marketplace you'll be the first place they buy from.
I was attending prayer services this morning and saw a good friend and associate. Sure enough his business is going through challenges and life isn't all that great for him just now. So I put my arm around him and said, I could relate, business was a bit more challenging for me too. I let him know that if ever he wanted to chat, go for coffee and just connect, that I am all ears.
We left knowing that our bond is closer and can become more so. You see...in tough times, people need to connect more, have a sense of closeness, community, to be able to count on our fellow man and woman.
So if you are not connecting to those business colleagues that matter, you may be missing the boat. But connect out of sincerity, out of a sense of love and compassion to your clients. They say what you give comes back, so if you can give without expectation of receiving back immediate dividends then you're business has a built in "insurance" plan for the future.
You can insure that the good things you do for your clients and team you work with will come back tenfold later on.
I remember during the SARS crisis that hit Toronto my coaching business had pretty well gone out the door. No one was spending. To make matters worse, the 2nd Gulf War had just started and people in Toronto were just a little too panicky.
When discussing my business with my mentor back then, he suggested I offer my services for free. This way I could stay in front of my clients, keep in action and also be remembered as guy who went that extra mile.
You know, it worked. I did free coaching. It didn't pay off right away, but it did later on after the effects of SARS had disappeared.
My clients were happy, they stayed with me and even commented that it was nice to get the coaching at a time that they too were facing challenges.
You see, when it comes down to it...what matters isn't the money you make, but the lives you impact. That's the real currency that no one talks about on the news. It's the lives you touch, it's the positive feelings you generate. Studies show that us human beings buy goods and services base on feeling and emotion. Wouldn't it behoove you to sell that way? To generate good vibes and feelings for your team at work or the clients you serve?
I was just at a friends wedding too this past weekend...and was there with my High School buddies...and we felt a connection, a closeness and a sense of all was right in the world...Why? Well...because we were together, celebrating, honouring our friendships and honouring the newly married couple.
That is what life is all about. It's about experiencing the "Sacred" special moments. If you don't think that that is true for your clients, then I have news for you...take time out to ask them and check in on them. Generate new conversations, plan for 2009, link them up with someone else that can benefit from what they do. Plan to help a charity together at Christmas time...but just get "Connected" to your clients...and watch the magic happen in your business.
Take the slow time perhaps in your business to now connect more profoundly with your clients. Work to get close to your team at work or your clients and be darn sure, to give back now, because it will pay off down the road. It's when the economy does bounce back that your business will soar.
It's about positioning too. Ask yourself how you want to be viewed in the marketplace? What's the legacy you want to be known for in your life and in your business? How high do you want to go?
Then get in action and give back your time, your sense of compassion and understanding to your clients.
If you have any comments on this post or want coaching or to brainstorm on some ideas, I personally will offer you 30 minutes free coaching. It will be a phone session only, but it's my gift to you. Just email me for your free session at thecoach@smallbusinessbigideas.com
All the best.
David
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