Building Your House, One Brick at a Time

Every parent knows the story of the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf, and has probably recited it hundreds of times.  Three brothers go out into the world, build their homes and get ready for the future.  Then, the Big Bad Wolf comes a knockin’, and you know what happens.  Homes of straw and sticks crumble, but the brother who really prepared – built a sturdy foundation – was able to withstand the storm and triumph.

Fairy tales are often built on common truths, and this tale is no exception.  Looking beyond the rhythm and rhyme, it’s a story about business and life: don’t take short cuts, be disciplined, and build a strong foundation of processes and knowledge as the unexpected will happen sooner or later.  When the Big Bad Wolf or another competitor comes knockin’, will your business stand strong or buckle under the storm? 

So, I’m in the automotive industry, which is booming now.  Many industries are doing well.  But sooner or later, a storm will come and you need to be prepared.  One of the most basic bricks we can use to build our professional houses is building out your business and referral network.  Now, us marketing folk frequently talk about the importance of networking and the “how to” of it.  But marketing really is just about being human.  Human beings have a basic need to connect emotionally through relationships, and relationships can only be cultivated over time. You can’t build a relationship if you are sporadic in your marketing or networking, if you only “fit it in” when your phone isn’t ringing.  Building a relationship requires time and investment, perhaps a change in your thinking and actually doing things for others so they in turn will do things for you.  Ultimately, you are building your brand as you market.  In our business, to be successful, you should always be marketing – always be on.  You never know when you will meet someone special who just may change your life.  Marketing can happen every day via the phone, email, a blog and more.  Here are a few suggestions to help you expand your business network, and ultimately gain more trust and more referrals.

1. Get to know your industry well and share information.  Have you read a useful article or tidbit lately?  Share it.  If you want to succeed, become both a humble student and also an expert.  Constantly seek knowledge and spread it. 

2. If someone helps you, send a thank you card or small token of appreciation that shows thought. I’m a big believer in handwritten notes.  E-mails are fine, but personal card takes care and time.  Even if you have said “thanks” in the past, don’t be afraid to say it again.  We have a saying in our family: “Practice an attitude of gratitude.”  I’m sure you have something similar at home too.  If you preach it at home, you certainly can put it into practice at work too.  The currency of business relationships is in the relationship itself. Build it with authentic care. 

3. Take advantage of the opportunity to network inside and outside of your industry.  I was fortunate to attend a major auto industry event this week and rub shoulders with thought leaders from my industry, Google, Facebook and more.  That opportunity was a result of a long term relationship, and I am immensely grateful.  And earlier this year, I networked with CMOs from other verticals – Mattel, Disney and more.  It’s always an investment of time, and sometimes of your pocketbook, but the investment pays dividends.

4. Always carry cards.  Having your business card with you at all times is a given.  But how about carrying a few cards from a business contact that you know and trust from another industry?  It’s an opportunity to help those who help you on a day to day basis. 

5.  Follow up immediately on every referral.  I can’t stress it enough.

6. Volunteer your time and industry expertise for a project outside the scope of your normal business.  Get out there, get uncomfortable and get it done. 

7.  Ask for referrals and cross-sell.  There is always more business than you are getting, and more referrals than you are receiving.  Make sure you share your story and successes with your partners, and ask for the opportunity to do more.

8.  Reach out to dormant accounts.  I’m going to wager that every one of you has at least one – if not more - "dormant" accounts. There may be reasons you’re not getting that referral, but you’ll never know unless you make that call.  You may need to apologize for not keeping in touch, but the relationship may well be redeemable and may have been "lost" purely because someone (or you) forgot to ring them.

Building a strong foundation in the good times will protect you if and when the Big Bad Wolf knocks on your door.  Get started today.

The Looking Glass

“Can't you see?  Life's easy if you consider things from another point of view?” – DB Boulevard

Have you ever had your aura read? 

Up until earlier this week, my answer would have been “no”, but Conventions in the auto industry are anything but conventional.  At one I recently attended, they hosted a lifestyle pavilion where, on your break, you could have your aura read and photographed.  I’m always up for new adventures, so although I was a bit skeptical, I decided to try it. 

It was fascinating.  A rainbow of colors swirls around you in a computer “looking glass” and is photographed.  Then a specialist translates what those colors mean: who you are and what you need across various different categories…. heart, communication, thought processes and more.

Now, I’m not sure if I believe or not in the aura and the reading itself, but what I DO know, is that I opened my mind to not only what I may be projecting, but also to another point of view.  It helped me view the world from a different perspective.

We all have lives outside of the office.  Traffic may be bad on the way in.  Sales can be tough.  You may be overwhelmed because it feels like you have too many people to call back, too many “looky-loos”, too many meetings, accounts to market to or emails to respond to.  So you may try to weed out the ones who are only shopping you and focus on those members or accounts that you know will buy.  You may pay more attention to people or clients that have sent referrals, but you don’t market your other accounts as regularly.  You may delete e-mails without reading them, or maybe pay less attention to something as you feel it doesn’t apply to you or maybe has no effect for you and your life.

 But have you put yourself in the other person’s shoes?

 So, you’re stressed out on the way in, and someone sits down at your desk.  Do they know you are stressed out?  They shouldn’t.  Do you stand up, walk around your desk, shake their hand and pull out the chair for them?  You should.  People pick up on positive energy (and negative too).  Every person you work with – regardless of what industry you are in - should walk away from your desk feeling as if they are the most important person in the world to you.  After all, by the time they actually do come in for an appointment or call you, they want to buy from you.  Whether they’re someone who needs the car (or whatever widget or service you offer) tomorrow, or maybe something tough like a $10,000 Camry – the member wants your service.  How are you responding?  How quickly do you follow up?  Even that $10,000 Camry is a major purchase for most people.  If you were on the edge of your seat, excited about your next car and someone did not call you back for a few days even just to check in, would you still feel important?

That referral opportunity for you is expensive, both financially and from a time perspective.  It’s also expensive when you think about your reputation.  The member who buys from you and believes in you helps generate interest income for you, your company and your partners.  It helps keep companies open, people employed, amazing products and services offered to other consumers and more.  That referral means not only potential for you and your family, but for every employee at your Company and their families.  Are you treating each referral with the importance that it deserves?  Are you visiting your clients on the B2B side?  You mean business for them.  You can help them.  If you don’t follow up with them to thank them for their referral, they sit out there wondering – and trust diminishes.  If you skip marketing for a week, it diminishes their relationship with you… and ultimately their referrals. 

The most successful service and sales people know this intuitively.  They follow up consistently and with a process.  They do not skip marketing visits or networking opportunities, and they respond quickly and graciously to every referral because they know that referral is a critical piece of a much larger picture.  Every referral and success leads to better profitability, a better reputation and a new opportunity, driving more referrals back to YOU.  And that beautiful cycle keeps on going. 

You have a bright future if we all remember we’re connected, and our actions and attitude have a meaningful impact on everyone else.  We may not always see it, but it’s always there.

Aristotle said “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” 
I believe it.  Together, we can make it true.