Rigs on Biz…Relationships, Your Secret Tie Breaker

By Ed Rigsbee, CSP

(491 words)

Have you ever wondered, how come the other guy got the business? Great Biz Relationships are the answer.

You know that, your product is as good, your service is as good and your price is as good as the other guy’s. But, you didn’t get the business—Biz Relationships again. Today, ya gotta have a tiebreaker to get the business, and outstanding Biz Relationships is a magnificent tiebreaker. Let’s look at this from the perspective of you being the customer.

So many business owners have told me, “When it all goes to crap, that’s when I know who my real suppliers are.” They continue to say, “That’s when relationships really matter!” Don’t you feel the same way? Sure suppliers can fill the pipeline, but what about when supply is disrupted?

If you know, understand and like someone, you are more apt to make an effort to work out challenges, be they a supplier or customer. Better yet, if you trust someone, when things go into the dumper—you absolutely know that you’ll be protected, that they’ll make things right. Isn’t that what you want from your suppliers? Isn’t it also what your customers want of you? You know it is.

To get the Biz, ya gotta build better Biz Relationships

1. You already know that you have to keep your word and follow through.

2. You already know that if you break your word, you can’t be trusted. After all, Business is about results, not excuses.

3. But, did you know that communication is the most important element in developing and maintaining outrageously successful Biz Relationships?

4. When was the last time you sat over a beverage (away from the office, work site or factory) with your customer and asked, “How can I serve you better?”

5. Over time, many companies have developed “score cards” or “report cards” to more formally communicate with their customers. A number have also done this to better communicate expectations with their suppliers. I believe these reporting methods extremely valuable conduits of developing open communication with customers, and suppliers. This tool can easily become your tiebreaker in the marketplace. If you develop this tool for yourself, focus on the following two key areas: First, It is important to ask, “How are doing?” and second, “What do we need to do to get a higher score or grade?”

The great benefit to you in developing better communication with your customers will be a greater understanding of what “extra” services and activities your customers perceive as being valuable to them. It really doesn’t make much sense doing extra things for your customers that they do not hold as being valuable, now does it?

It will serve you well to build better Biz Relationships through a regular reporting or scoring system with your customers. I believe you will also find this to be an important tiebreaker that you have over your competitors. Do more, sell more and have more!

Copyright © 2008, Ed Rigsbee  

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