Tactics to Build High Octane Relationships to Create Ongoing Presence in front of Potential Buyers

by Tom "Bald Dog" Varjan, Organisational Provocateur

Building a highly successful professional service business largely rests upon breakthrough relationships. Yes, we provide unique services, but at the end of the day it is the quality of the relationship with the buyer upon which long-term success is built.

This is a definition for relationships: relationship is an interaction developed between buyer and seller based on mutual trust, respect, candour and peer-level credibility. This way you are treated as a trusted advisor not as an outsourced labourer. In any other scenario you may be treated as a vendor or supplier, which can undermine the whole concept of breakthrough relationships. Here we discuss some tactics to develop these high-octane relationships.

1. Providing valuable information. The idea is that every time you make contact with a prospect or client, there is a good reason for it, and that contact will improve the client's condition in some shape or form. That is, you provide some useful information. You can keep files on different topics you can use with prospects and clients. Categorise your files like: Marketing, Sales, Customer Satisfaction, Leadership, Team Development, etc.

Save articles from magazines, newspapers and trade publications. Review these files regularly and keep them up to date. I have recently worked with a company where the logic was that they do not share any piece of knowledge until they get paid first. However, if we don't share, nobody will ever know what we know, so nobody would consider us for assignments.

2. Providing important phone numbers. Make sure that key clients can reach you at home as well if necessary. They may use the opportunity one or twice, but they hardly ever overuse it. It can also be a good sign for you regarding the quality of the relationship. When you have the home numbers of some of your clients, that means trust and respect big time.

3. Raising critical issues for clients. Make it clear to them that the reason your raise these issues is not about expanding the scope of the project, but in your professional opinion that particular area need some extra attention. And if clients ask you to handle them, first recommend alternatives, but if clients insist, then create a new project with new objectives. By this stage your fee is hardly ever an issue. This scenario refers to value-based fees. Using Per Diem fees may be perceived just as a strategy to sell more hours.

4. Recommending resources besides yourself. Yes, it would be great to capture every opportunity with a client, but it may just not be cost-effective. Keep a list of other reliable resources you can use. Optionally you can create a finder's fee arrangement with those resources if you want to and refer them in. Although that can be a double-edged sword: The extra income is great, but it can also project the wrong image, that is: Your selection is guided by who is willing to pay the most, NOT who can complete the project the best. The best bet is to rely on your own fees and just ask the other person to keep you up to date with progress and inform you about new knowledge s/he has learnt from the project.

5. Going the extra mile. Whatever clients request of you, provide it with grace and enthusiasm. In my work clients have unlimited access to me for a set fee. So when they call and want to discuss something over the phone, I often ask them to come to my office where I have lots of reference material, so if we get stuck on the issue, there is my library we can turn to for help. People appreciate this extra attention.

6. Contributing to charities. Get involved in charitable events because that further increases your exposure to the community as a professional.

7. Assisting upcoming colleagues. This also can give you lots of exposure. These colleagues may be on the upcoming curve but you can never tell about their connections. They can introduce you to their former bosses and other influential people who can offer you projects in the future.

8. Taking a firm stand. The old adage says: the client is always right. Except when s/he is not. If necessary politely tell clients they are wrong. If the client is wrong, and you know s/he is wrong, it is your duty to say that the emperor has no clothes.

9. Treating clients as partners. Also, make sure you are treated as a partner. Many people, especially many small business operators regard external advisors as pests who try to interfere with their businesses.

It is important to note that buyers' commitment to projects depend on the quality of the relationship, and our fees depend on the client's commitment. So in order to be able to charge what our contribution is really worth, we must create breakthrough relationships with buyers.

Copyright 1997-2010 Tom "Bald Dog" Varjan. All rights reserved. You are free to use this article in whole or in part. One favour though: Can I ask you to you include complete attribution, including a live website link. Also, can you please let me know where you plan to publish the article.

The attribution: This article was written by Organisational Provocateur, Tom "Bald Dog" Varjan of Dynamic Innovations Squad, a firm specialising in helping consulting firms to sell their expertise at the highest margins. Get Tom's free Practice Management Black Paper when you sign up for his monthly newsletter, Commando Consulting: Lessons And Practices From The Ultimate Professional Service Firm, The Military. Visit Tom's website at http://www.di-squad.com.

Headquarters : Free Stuff : Blog : Solutions : About : Contact : Privacy Policy

As you grow your people, in return, so they grow your firm