Your influence in your business circle can help you increase sales, bring in deals and meet the people you need to meet to take your business to the next level. Here are a few tips on how you can build influence and turn that influence from an intangible asset into cash:
Building Your Network of Contacts
Whether you are an entrepreneur or a high-end consultant, a Fortune 500 CEO or a programmer looking for a job, your contacts are everything. Be active about cultivating your network. Go to mingles, seminars and other such events in your area and get to know the players in the industry. Seek to build real relationships. It is not about building acquaintances, but rather about building real friendships with people.
Help Others First and Trust That It Will Come Back
Quite possibly no good will come of having lunch with someone you met to help them with their business, but it is also quite possible that he or she will know someone who can help you in your business, and their glowing testimonial for your character is just what you need to get your foot in the door. The business community is a cycle of give and take. Those who are generous about sharing their ideas, their time and their contacts often find the same kindness returned. Be the person who helps others in your community. You might not see the benefits right away, but the goodwill you build up will come back to help you.
Sell without Selling
Many people feel that selling damages and weakens their relationships. When done properly, however, selling can do just the opposite. If you view selling as trying to force someone into a decision on something they either don’t want or aren’t sure they want, then selling will indeed damage the relationship. However, if selling is done correctly, it should be a match of win-win situations.
A consultant sells a client on being able to help them solve a problem and as a result, they both make more money, or a headhunter sells his services to a CEO and helps him get his ideal job. The list goes on and on. If what the seller is offering and what the buyer wants is a match, then the sales process is easy and strengthens the relationship.
A good sales process should be more about discovering what the other person wants and creating a tailor-made product or service for them, than about trying old-fashioned, hard-closing techniques. This is especially true if you want to build your influence and bring in more sales in the future.
Build a reputation for helping people, not taking their money. Do this consistently, and your reputation and influence will increase accordingly.
