About the Author:

It’s really not a secret but many salespeople and entrepreneurs, even job-seekers overlook the fact that you must always continue to build relationships with prospects, clients and your network. Opportunities arise most unexpectedly. So unless you have a good relationship, these will never materialize.

In hard core sales, it is customary to go knock on unknown doors. But in our social media or networking world, all you have to do is send a tweet, an in-mail, email, phone or walk up to someone and ask, “What’s new?” Two words bring the opportunity to change a lackluster month into a wonderful forecast for future sales. Approaching business development in a friendly manner makes all the difference. This is where your marketing/communication strategy takes hold for positive word of mouth to travel quickly.

Just this week, I promised myself (set a goal) to make 5 contacts per day in regard to my upcoming book, HIRED! Over the years, I met Deans of Universities, media connections, and career oriented people. Re-connecting with them produced goodwill for an upcoming conference, an opportunity to speak at another conference, a possible television interview, a book signing, and set meetings. As these progress, I will attract many sales.

But the biggest news was that I reconnected with a contact who was once interested in translating my first book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results” into Chinese. I used the advice above to check back by asking, “What’s new?”

When the question was returned and I answered, I immediately heard, “Please put me in touch with your new publisher and I will translate both titles into Chinese. I’m so glad you connected with me again!” Had I not re-connected the possibility of translation would have remained dormant. Now, there is a big opportunity ahead, given China is the leading entrepreneurial country at this point in time.

Take the leadership position to remain in touch with everyone and work for a common win. Working to build relationships will lead to a very Smooth Sale!

Surveys repeatedly name “too much e-mail” and “too little time” as two of the biggest stumbling blocks to accomplishing your work and enjoying your life. The two go hand-in-hand, for sure, but the question is whether you are the victim or the culprit!  In my experience, the answer is usually “Both!”  One of my favorite definitions of “organization” is “controlling the things you can control, so you can cope with the things you can’t.”  While you do have limited control over the e-mail you receive, you have total control over how you mange it.  Consider these possibilities:

When Sending E-Mail:

1. Use the e-mail subject line to clearly describe the purpose of your e-mail. For example, “Proposed Itinerary for Chicago 12/15/10 – CONFIRM by 6/18/10.”
2. Include only one subject per email message. This eliminates the possibility of the receiver reacting to the first issue, and missing the second, and it makes filing and retrieval much simpler.
3. If your e-mail requires action quickly, put URGENT or DECISION in the subject line, or use the “urgent” notation provided by your e-mail program.  (Caution:  Don’t overuse, or you will be like boy in the old fable who cried “wolf” too many times!)
4. When replying to e-mail, attach enough of the old message for the recipient to remember the content of the original e-mail, but delete unnecessary information or duplication.
5. If you are composing a lengthy or complicated e-mail, create the e-mail in your word processing program and then copy to your e-mail.  If you have an e-mail glitch during the sending process, you can easily retrieve your message!
6. Avoid sending e-mail attachments whenever possible. Receivers are becoming more reluctant to open attachments due to the increasing prevalence of viruses that can come through attachments. (One precaution is to send an e-mail alerting the receiver that you are sending a file in a subsequent e-mail.)
7. Avoid communicating other people’s e-mail addresses without their permission, e.g.:

• When sending an e-mail to multiple addresses, put your e-mail in the “To” line and the recipients in the “BCC” line.
• When forwarding an e-mail, delete the addresses automatically included in the body of the forwarded e-mail.

Organizing Your E-Mail:

1. “Clutter is Postponed Decisions®” applies to your electronic In Box as well as your physical desktop. When you open your e-mail In Box, apply The File-Act-Toss System® to each e-mail.
2. Apply the 2-minute rule whenever possible. If you can take the necessary action in 2 minutes, do it immediately.  It will take longer to file and retrieve again than to “just do it!”

10.  When you first open an e-mail, apply The Art of Wastebasketry® question “What is the worst possible thing that could happen if I toss this?” If you can live with your answer, delete and work happily ever after!

11.  If the e-mail requires no action, but you want to keep it, file it in electronic folders for future reference.  Possibilities include:

• Name of person
• Name of project
• Topic – e.g., “Statistics” “Humor”

12.  If you receive an e-mail with a subject line that doesn’t reflect the actual content, most e-mail programs will allow you to rename it so it will be easier to find later.

13.  Don’t be hesitant to print out e-mails and file in paper files for future reference if that works for you.

14.  Store in folders for future action, such as:

1. Print out (Helpful when you don’t have access to printer)
2. Name of person (Note you can have a Reference File and an Action File for the same person. Reference is for items completed; Action for items yet to be completed.)

15.  In Microsoft Outlook, you can turn e-mails into tasks. Left click on an e-mail and drag it to a task folder and drop it, a task window will pop open with the e-mail appended to it.  Write in the task; assign a priority, and a due date.  Click Save.  Now you can delete the original e-mail.

16.  Change the subject line to reflect action required. For example, change “re:re:re: Annual Meeting” to “Call travel agent re: Chicago trip.”

17.  Make a habit of regularly purging (or at least archiving) your e-mail. (It’s one of the ways I make use of time on airplanes when I’m too tired to think creatively!)

Maximizing Your E-Mail Program:

18.  Invest time to understand how your e-mail program works using the “Help” menu with your e-mail program or from self-help books.

19.  One of the best investments I ever made was hiring a consultant to work with me a few hours to learn how to use the “Rules” feature in my e-mail program to send messages directly into folders.

Think Outside your In Box

20.  Your “In Box” is not a filing cabinet, a to-do list, a calendar, an address book, or a bookmark list – or a depository for postponed decisions. In other words, your goal is to “Keep your In Box empty!”  Consider using a Web 2.0 program such as iPEP (www.iPEPonline.com) to manage your work.  You can send email directly to the program and it’s instantly keyword searchable!

Happy e-mailing!

About the Author:

Upon viewing a relatively new television show about doctors, I recognized it left me in a state of not really caring about any of the characters or ever watching it again. The only characters building relationships were two young patients who were attracted to each other. There was little chemistry between the doctors, the doctors and their patients, or the cast and their viewing audience!
When you sell, it is important to recognize all of the markets from whom you must get the go-ahead signal. In the case of television shows, the script writers and actors also must keep in mind the people who are able, with one click of the remote, to turn the show on and turn the show off.

On the other end of the spectrum is the wildly popular show, Grey’s Anatomy. Advertisers are the fourth and a huge audience for this television series. It’s apparent the show is highly acclaimed just by all of the advertisers they have added into their coveted hour. This show not only plays but it sings to all of its audiences and has become an enormous success.

Business development is dependent upon your current mindset. When you step back to analyze everyone you must sell to and how to do it effectively for your greatest success (including positive word of mouth and referrals) you will grow your sales by leaps and bounds. Take the time to determine who your real prospects are, what needs they commonly have and how you can market to them. Effectively communicating your business services will land more prospects in your sales funnel.

Building relationships with your prospects will dramatically grow your sales, repeat business, referrals and testimonials. Soon you will be viewed as the expert and easily lead your customers to purchasing more. You will be closing more sales exponentially. This is our model for the Smooth Sale!