Relationships with Strangers & Friends: Business or Not!
Many of us have heard the phrase “Being Passionate with What We Do” or something
similar that suggests if you are not passionate, then you are not good enough or worthy of doing a certain job or a task. There is more to it than simply saying you are passionate for something with dramatics in your tone, extreme body language or acting it out such as “Fake it, Til ya Make it!” to be accepted by a group or an organization. Many realize sex sells so women use this method to the fullest. Sadly, they later object to how the world views them and discriminates against them. This portion of the statement will be discussed on another article as how women manipulate but later play the victim card. For the purpose of this article, we will stay focused on simply being real, professional, sincere and diligent regardless of the relationship we want to build.
Dealing with people you wish to have a relationship with is not something you should take
lightly. Whether you are building a business relationship, a friendship, or a life-long one, soon or later they will notice the insincerity or the falsehood of the behavior. Especially if you are
dealing with a sophisticated client. Always go for the truth. He or she did not did not obtain that position or status just because of someone else’s money. They most likely earned it. Remember your actions speak louder than words. That will say much more about your character than anything else. Being proficient, sincere, on time and competent in what you do are key. Not your sex or the color of your skin nor your cultural background. Put you cell on low or vibrate and away. They have given you their time, the least you can do is to reciprocate. Clearly emergency matters will supersede but if it’s a pattern, then you will most likely do it on regular bases like a habit. Not good.
Take some simple tips from Claudia a network expert briefly explaining some of your
responsibilities. Apply it to your daily life, at work with friends and make sure you set
boundaries and stay solid with those boundaries to suggest you expect the same kind of treatment you are offering them. Self-respect is a good indicator of self-confidence. No hypnosis audio-video hypnosis training of repeating “I have self-respect”, “I have self-confidence” will NOT do the trick. You must go through the process, evaluate, possibly change your methods and re-engage and reassess again.
Strangers and Friends: One of the things that I love about business is connecting with high caliber people:
It makes the art of business enjoyable and naturally inspires me towards
higher levels of excellence. Being around excellent people helps me raise my game. When
possible, I want to connect and do business with a person I like, respect and have a relationship
with.
I prefer to be relationship-focused rather than money-focused. In my experience, that is the natural order for good business to get done. As John Rockefeller stated, “A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship.” Here are four things that will help you live in the world of connections rather than mere contacts:
- Approach With Value: It is amazing how many meetings I have experienced with someone
approaching me only thinking about how I can help them. Sometimes I wonder if I have a sign that says “Free Business Coaching” on my forehead. Always approach a person thinking through how you can be valuable to them. This will require you to research as much as you can about them. If you lack ideas, then the meeting is not worthwhile. You will be there violating good manners. Be sure you are able to articulate how you want to bring real value. - Connect With Respect: Think through the details of your connection. Treat the event as a
special opportunity which communicates your respect for their time. What do you believe the person’s time is worth? Find a restaurant that communicates that cost. Pick up the tab, think through the details, be a professional. - Listen Intently: Sharing only about yourself has nothing to do with making a connection with a stranger. Hearing their story and passion builds trust and understanding. Do this from the heart, not as a mere technique. If you don’t care about learning about the person, do not waste their time. Connecting means being curious and intrigued by who the person is. Show sincerity and listen intently.
- Propose Concrete Next Steps: There may be a myriad of ideas to pursue. What one next step makes sense to test the relationship and build further trust? Just like courtship, you do not ask someone to marry you after the first date. You seek a second date. What does that look like? Perhaps you can focus on one project to do together. Make it tangible and ensure someone has ownership of the task.
Connecting goes beyond transacting. It is building a relationship with a person for mutual benefit and pleasure. To truly be effective, you must have knowledge or answers to offer others that impact their lives or business directly. Constant growth will be the enabler for meaningful connections and ultimately growing your influence and business. Make a difference in people’s lives. Think through how you have been approached in the past. Your guard is up when it has been awkward, imposing or without a feeling of trust. There are thousands of people that want to do business with you. The art of connecting lies with who you are and how you approach relationships.
Source: By Claudia Phillips.
(Page no longer available)
http://bnetworking.co.uk/?p=1360&goback=%2Egde_4175624_member_5826465572707135492#%21
