Marketing is simply salesmanship in advance and salesmanship is all about creating and maintaining principle-centered relationships.
The stronger your relationship is with your clients/patients/customers, the more successful and profitable you are going to be.
Nothing happens until someone sells something.
We are all salespeople – parents, children, pastors, teachers, waitresses, police officers, doctors… makes no difference.
We sell every day; ideas, services, products, ourselves….Everyone has to sell something every day.
We come out of the womb selling. We had to convince our mothers that we were hungry, tired or just wanted attention.
As you were growing up, you had to “sell” your parents to get what you wanted.
You had to sell yourself to your spouse, your boss, your co-workers, your friends, your customers, your students, etc. etc. etc…
Selling is more about Principles than it is about techniques.
Once you understand the Principles, there are a 101 different techniques to selling.
But, one caveat, Never Break the Laws of God or man.
Selling and marketing is all about creating and maintaining principle-centered relationships.
You build and maintain relationships on Trust.
People buy from people they like, and people will like you if they trust you.
I have a simple formula for trust:
Trust = Competence plus Character demonstrated over Time
Competence is talent, ability, skill, and knowledge.
Character is integrity, motive, and intent.
When trust is low, everything slows down in relationships.
Low trust causes suspicion which slows down decisions and communication.
When trust is high, confidence is high, decision-making is fast and communication is effortless.
In other words success is about building sound, trustworthy relationships.
15 Habits to cultivate within yourself and your business that will help you build strong meaningful relations – both personal and business:
1. Be Honest & Authentic. Always be straight with people.
2. Act with Kindness & Courtesy. Be Respectful of everyone; even those who might be “in-your-face” and/or disagree with you. You may have to “fire” a customer one day, but be respectful about it and then move on.
3. Be Transparent – An Educated Customer is the Best Customer. Consistently tell the world what you offer, why you offer it and how it will benefit them.
Tell the complete story about what makes you and your product or service unique. You don’t have to just tell the good, tell some bad as well. Every product or service will not be the right fit for everyone. Admit it right up front. Stating what you can’t do builds trust and alleviates unpleasant problems down the road. I’d rather lose the sale right up front and build a reputation of integrity than lose a client after the sale due to disappointment.
4. Apologize When Wrong. When you screw up, take responsibility, apologize and make some sort of meaningful restitution.
5. Be Loyal – especially to the Absent (never talk badly about anyone behind their back).
6. Deliver Results – One of the best habits you can cultivate in order to accomplish the results your clients/customers/patients expect is to clarify expectations, the next habit.
7. Clarify Expectations – Make sure everyone fully understands, including yourself. Almost all conflicts are a result of violated expectations. Even though most of my business is done with a simple handshake, it is still imperative that the expectations of effort, responsibilities and results are clarified in writing.
8. Be a Student of your Business – Constantly Improve by exposing yourself to new ideas, techniques and people. This allows you to be innovative.
9. Be Honest about Reality. Being self-aware is one of the foundations of ever achieving greatness. You have to know what motivates and de-motivates you. What your strengths and weaknesses are. You must maintain an unwavering faith in your vision or desired end result and that, in the end, you will prevail but at the same time you have to confront and be honest about the facts of current reality.
10. Be Proactive – Take responsibility and hold yourself and others accountable. Learn to “Think Win-Win or No Deal.” Never blame someone else.
11. Listen with the Intent to Understand Rather than Simply to Respond. Ask Smart Questions and listen.
12. Keep your Promises. One of the best ways to accomplish this is under-promise, over-deliver.
13. Extend Trust -Give trust and expect it in return.
14. Actively Seek Complaints – Be open to feedback; That means proactively seek out complaints as an opportunity to build trust.
15. Have an Attitude of Gratitude.
Every TOP salesperson and develops their own style and techniques but they all adhere to the same Principles