SUccESS mEANS NEvER hAvING TO WATch YOUR BAck- DRAW A lIne In the sAnD.
Be confident enough to draw a line in the sand. Tell people up front what
your business goal is; if you are building a relationship-based firm, let
clients know that. Plant the seeds of a relationship-based business and
that is what you will grow. Establish how you will run your business and
stand firm. Clients need to have 100% confidence in you that you are
working in their best interest, and that your business stands for some-
thing. Do not be afraid to say, “I know you want to come in today to
do business, but it is a holiday, and we are sending our loyal employees
home to spend time with their families.” Of course, the businessperson
wants his clients to have confidence in him, but it is equally important
to have confidence in those clients that they will remain clients, even if
one cannot meet their needs immediately.
- sUCCess MeAns neveR hAvIng
to WAtCh YoUR BACk.
Our firm holds an annual holiday party that 250 people attended this
year. We hosted an outdoor event with wine, food, and mingling clients.
After the party, the group walked across the street to see live theater in
the round. The party was a huge hit; everyone loved it. Every year we
do these events, and they get bigger and bigger which is testimony to
the growth of our business. The most exceptional measure of the year’s
success, however, is feeling exhausted at the end of the evening because
we have hugged so many cherished clients! This is a better barometer to
a business’s success than profit or loss.
You do not have a client until you get a hug, because that is when it is
real. Success means being able to walk anywhere and never having to
check your back. Success means not being afraid to run into someone
with whom you have done business because the client’s needs came
first, therefore, there is never a need to explain or apologize. If you put
250 customers at one venue where they can freely talk to each other, you
had better hope you have done all the right things for the right reasons.
When people can stand around drinking liquid courage and chatting,
the truth is going to come out. You cannot control the conversation, the
environment, or the event. The trust shown to clients to be able to talk to
each other openly also increases their confidence and trust, so that they
share your name with other people.