“Business Development.” Ick. The very term sounds dry and cold and heavy. No wonder so many service professionals resist it. “Marketing” isn’t much better. I prefer “Friendmaking” because new business comes from people who know, like, and trust you...
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Making a good impression on a new prospective client can be challenging, especially if you have only a few minutes to build rapport. Typically, an initial meeting begins with small talk. When it’s too generic (“can you believe this weather?”), it...
You can satisfy your clients' expectations as long as you deliver excellent service. But you won't earn their appreciation until you focus on how they feel. To illustrate this point, consider a study published in the Journal of Applied Social...
If you were part of a large organization with a formal leadership development program, you would receive training on the principles that would empower your stewardship of the company’s future.
But as a service professional, you mostly have to...
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While the human race has made significant advancements in the last few centuries, I think we still have a lot of evolving to do. I’m reminded of this whenever I pull up to a stoplight and see the driver next to me texting. "What an idiot,” I think,...
Somewhere in Hollywood, a screenwriter is writing that scene in which the cheating husband gets caught with his pants down and blurts out the classic line, “Honey, wait… it’s not what you think.” And yet, for all its popularity, the cliché response...
If you’re frustrated that your network consists of too few business decision-makers, propose an interview as a way to connect to a new high-caliber contact.
Most of us don’t put a lot of thought into branding. We assume that our key contacts understand what we do well enough to refer or cross-sell when appropriate.
As many of you know, I’ve been blogging roughly once a week for almost seven years now. One of my annual traditions is to use Chris Brogan’s “My Three Words” concept around the New Year. Chris discourages resolutions or extensive strategic planning,...
Star Wars fans of all ages will head into theaters in the coming days to watch Star Wars: Rogue One. I have many favorite moments from this franchise, one of which is Yoda’s advice as he is training an exasperated Luke Skywalker. He tells him, “Do...
