Use Emoticons

		Tuesday, 21 April 09 - 12:44 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 5: Build Relationships

Emoticons are emotional messages you can communicate with keyboard characters. These are very handy when using email. It is difficult to read a person's tone in an email, but a clever smiley on the end can let the other person know you aren't miffed.

If you still aren't sure how they work, take a look at this and turn your head to the left:

:-)

It's a face with 2 eyes, a nose and a smile. Still can't see it? Turn your monitor clockwise 90 degrees. Just kidding ;-)

There are lots more on wikipedia.

How could you use emoticons? Have a splendid day! :-)

Get Other People's Cards

		Friday, 03 April 09 - 02:54 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 5: Build Relationships

If you really want to work with someone don't just give them your card, get theirs. If you have their information you control your own destiny and do not have to rely on their organizational skills to contact you. If they don't have a card then write down their information with the pen you always carry.

If you won't ask someone for their card, how can you ask them for their business?

Give Out Your Business Card

		Monday, 30 March 09 - 11:07 AM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 5: Build Relationships

Don't be caught without your business card. You should have your cards with you everywhere you go. You never know when you are going to make that special connection with someone.

Sometimes I think I don't need my cards where I am going and inevitably I strike up a conversation with someone and go scrambling for a pen. Better safe than sorry so take you cards everywhere you go. You'll thank me later.

How has being in the right place at the right time helped your business? How could being prepared with your contact info on your business card help you next time?

Don't Give Out Your Business Card

		Friday, 27 March 09 - 07:51 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 5: Build Relationships

Have you ever been to a networking event and there is a guy going around the room handing out his card. He'll come up to you, say hi, ask your name and hand you a card.

Don't be that guy.

Relationships are not built on business cards. Cards are a handy way to share vital contact info without writing everything down. BUT the relationship comes before the card. If you are in a room of 100 people networking making 2 or 3 good connections is much more valuable than handing out 100 cards to strangers.

Do you know the people you give your card too?

Drive Nice

		Wednesday, 04 March 09 - 12:24 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 5: Build Relationships

It amazes me when a car covered with advertising cuts me off. I don't know about you, but I am less likely to call "Jerry's Plumbing" after they just ran me into a ditch. So if you have advertising on your car, or you just want to be an upstanding citizen, drive nice.

Are you a considerate driver? Do you have advertising on your vehicle? Why or why not?

Transformative marketing tools

		Friday, 27 February 09 - 12:56 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 5: Build Relationships

Yesterday I said you should go for transformational instead of transactional marketing. So how do you turn your transactions into transformational experiences? Here are some interactive tools you can use to change the relationship:

• Surveys
• Blogs
• Comment lines
• Asking questions
• Shaking hands
• Inquiring about topics beyond the business at hand

What tools do you use to interact with your customers in a two way communication?

Transformative versus transactional marketing

		Thursday, 26 February 09 - 12:48 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 5: Build Relationships

A common approach to business is to think of interactions with customers as being this for that, quid pro quo, I scratch your back you scratch mine. This may get you some short term sales, but it goes nowhere in developing a relationship with your customers.

To thrive, your interactions with customers must be transformational. Sure you may be providing a product, but how can that product affect other areas of their life? How can you provide that extra bit of service that makes the product better? How can you allow your company to be transformed through the interaction?

I bet I got you on that last question. For interactions to be transformational you have to allow yourself to be changed too. Each interaction is an opportunity to learn from your customers and do better next time.

Transactional means no one changes, transformational means both parties change.

How do you allow customers to interact with you? Are your relationships transactional or transformational? What tools could you use to become more transformational?

Your Customers are Smarter than You Think

		Thursday, 19 February 09 - 11:41 AM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 5: Build Relationships

Your customers know a lot more than you think. Treat them like they are intelligent decision making adults. Respect for their time and intellect goes a long way.

Does your advertising talk down to your customers?

Help Your Customers Even If Your Manager Freaks

		Wednesday, 18 February 09 - 12:15 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 5: Build Relationships

While working for the retail king of customer service Nordstrom, I had the chance to go the extra mile for a customer. I left my department in suits to use the little boys room and on the way back a lady asked me about a shirt on a mannequin. Long story short I spent about 45 minutes tracking down 3 of the shirts and gift wrapping them for the woman.

I let my coworker in suits know that I was helping a customer and would be back, but when my department manager found out she reprimanded me for being gone so long even though there was not one customer in our department the whole time. I'm still not sure why my manager didn't get it, but I did and so I did what I thought was right for the customer. Two months later the manager was gone and I was still there.

Is it better for your career to really help customers or to listen to managers that don't get it?

Start Conversations

		Tuesday, 17 February 09 - 12:09 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 5: Build Relationships

Markets are conversations. Your job is to get people talking about your product and sharing it with their communities. The Internet allows people to congregate and communicate on a massive scale.

Make yourself easy to find and talk about. If you have a good product you will do well, if you are relying on fancy marketing campaigns and slogans for a crappy product you are in trouble.

How easy is it for your customers to talk about you?

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