It all starts with connection

Posted: May 3, 2014 | Categories: Sales, Self-Improvement

If you were reading my last blog post (4/22) on relationship management, you may be saying to yourself, “That’s nice to get to know people well find out all about them, but I don’t have time.  I am in retail, and the more transactions I have, the better it is for my job” OK.  Makes sense.  How can we compensate for this?

Let’s take the example of a good waiter or waitress:  If I take my family out to eat, good service can make a big difference to me in the quality of the experience.  Most of us could probably recall a time when we received exceptional service in a restaurant.  What made it so exceptional?  The server made a good connection from the beginning.  Even if there were very busy, they came to our table promptly, greeted us, and took our drink orders.  At the same time, they made a connection with us.  It may have been their smile, a well- placed comment that drew a laugh, and they may have asked a question (Is there a special event you are celebrating today?).  A good server is a good reader of people.  Once the connection is made, the rest is details.  Just be responsive and eager to serve.  In other words, a good server makes a connection and builds rapport in a very short time.  That is all they need.  They know they have limited time to talk, and they use their time wisely to be totally focused on the customer.

Last night, my wife and I went shopping at one of our favorite places – Trader Joe’s.  If you have ever been there, you can experience a whole new dimension in connecting.  They have personality, a twinkle in their eye, and always make you excited about your purchase.  They hire the right people and train them well.

Yes, relationship management is at the cornerstone of a successful.  Just remember that first 30 seconds:  Always make the connection.

---