There’s no denying that businesses are built on relationships. And the core of relationships is trust. In essence, trust is an understanding that both parties can rely on one another to achieve a shared goal. There is no relationship without trust, and successful business can’t exist without relationships. How to establish credibility in the business […]
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Business relationships are still relationships, no matter which way you look at them. In order to be successful in business you’ll need to foster strong relationships with clients, vendors, buyers, staff, or distributors. It’s not surprising, then, that business relationships require much consideration, including client generation and customer relationship management strategies. But many business owners make
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When you hear the word "competitor", do you get all warm and fuzzy inside? I didn’t think so. In business and in life, our competitors are the people who contest with us for resources. Most of us have been taught to see competitors as "bad guys". You don’t have to see all your competitors as bad
Can you befriend competitors? Read More »
How to turn one-off jobs into lasting client relationships is easier than you think. Turning one-off jobs into lasting relationships is, well, all about relationships.
You’ve probably heard that it’s easier to turn an existing customer into a repeat customer than it is to convert someone who has never bought from you before. Although true, many consultants focus their marketing and networking efforts on new contacts and they forget about their best source of new work–their previous clients.
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Believe it or not, your best source of new work is something you already have. And if you mine this existing resource, you’ll be on the road to success. In fact, most successful consultants turn to this marketing goldmine to keep their busy practices growing.
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You want to sign a contract?! Why on earth do we need to sign a contract? Can’t we just do this on a handshake? Can’t I trust you? Well, you could but both parties are leaving themselves wide open for potential hassles that a signed and agreed upon contract would eliminate. If you feel nervous
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Have you ever stopped to think about how your consulting fees affect your earnings? A while ago, I asked "How often do you increase your rates?" I mentioned that, if you increased your fees by 5% a year for 10 years, you could go from $50 an hour to $81. How does that affect your annual
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Several times a day, I chat with friends, family and partners via instant messenger services. I sometimes even chat with clients. But, as a general rule, I don’t give my IM account info to clients. Instant messaging makes you seem within a client’s arm reach. Whereas they have no idea what you’re doing when you
Should you give clients your IM account info? Read More »
Heed the tale of the troublesome client. The one who: starts off with a demanding email, saying that they desperately need help by this weekend tries to lock you into an hour-long "interview" on the phone, once you respond to that email insists that the project is a five alarm fire but can’t afford to
Warning: troublesome clients are Read More »
When you leave the world of paid employment and become a consultant, you need to change the way you think. That means no more Mr. Yes Man. (Or Ms. Yes Woman, as the case may be.) Upon becoming a paid expert — a consultant — you need to start standing up for your own beliefs.
Are you ready to rumble? Read More »
