Blog from Maribeth Kuzmeski of Red Zone Marketing

What makes successful people so, well, successful?
It’s tempting to think that those at the top of the ladder know something the rest of us mere mortals don’t—and at a time when we’re all desperate to hold onto jobs, clients, and market shares, the quest for that missing ingredient takes on new gravity. But that “special something” you’ve been searching for isn’t an uncanny ability to predict the market’s future, a membership with MENSA or a top secret business formula.

Quite simply, what sets you apartfrom the competition is your ability to connect.

Whether you’re a salesperson, an entrepreneur, or an executive, your ultimate job is to bring in clients and keep them. Those are the basics. Problem is, the competition is increasingly brutal.
No matter what you sell, someone somewhere is selling it cheaper and faster than you can. So how do you differentiate yourself? Well, it’s less about what you do (think business school best practices) than how you do it—and with whom. After all, the world is full of very intelligent people who have never achieved great levels of success.

How good you are or aren’t at building quality relationships has a measurable impact on your ultimate success. If you are able to truly connect with feeling, purpose, and honesty, you will experience faster closes, smoother client and customer interactions, and lots of long term business. On top of that, you’ll become known as a great leader.

That sounds great, you might be thinking. But I’m not exactly dripping with charisma. I’m not sure I have the social skills I’d need to do all of that!

Ah…not to worry! With the right tools, strategies, and tactics, you can change the way you develop
relationships and forge a network of colleagues and contacts who will stick with you through thick and thin—and best of all, voluntarily recommend your services to others.

Make the right connections—even if you’re not a “people person.” Anyone can become an effective connector. If you love to meet new people and enjoy being the center of attention, that’s great. If not—that’s ok, too. Connecting is actually less about being gregarious and more about your awareness of the relationships you are forming. To maximize the value of your interaction first figure out to whom you’re relating to, and how you’re doing it.

And there’s no need to become best friends with every single person you meet. Instead, think about the people with whom it’s important for you to become well acquainted with in order to create
loyal clients, further your career, and build a successful business. Consider categories like clients and vendors, or specific individuals within categories. Then jot down some ideas for reaching out to each of these people. It’s a great first step. So what’s the next step? Next, I’ll share with you– Tips for Reaching Out!

www.redzonemarketing.com

Maribeth Kuzmeski, is the author of the new book, The Connectors: How the World’s Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life (Wiley, September 2009, ISBN: 978-0-4704881-8-8, $22.95)