Page 24 - 100 Great Business Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

Quick Ideas 8 to 9

Try to be different and see your prospect as a true partner. You

should work together to be more profitable and productive.

Mike, a silver-haired

and highly successful busi- Assignment
ness owner, left prospect-
ing to his sales force. They List your customers and
had the job to wine and dine prospects. Then identify why
prospects until they be- you have a good relationship
lieved a personal visit from with them, or why you don’t.
the owner and boss might Work to strengthen this rela-
convince the prospect to tionship until you’ve created
come aboard as a cus- a true marriage of equals.

tomer. Then, when Mike

would arrive at the prospect’s place of business, he would place

a non-descript brown box on the table in the conference room

where the meeting would take place. Prospects would always

ask what was in the box. He would then remove the lid and

show them he had brought a cake, forks, knives, and plates,

and that his intention was that they form a partnership that day

and celebrate it by cutting the cake, kind of like a quasi-mar-

riage. It was a huge success, and in almost every case the

cake, and Mike’s presence, would push those prospects over

the edge. Mike created and maintained a true partnership with

all of his customers.

Epilogue

Prospects don’t care about you until they know how much
you care about them. Make sure your relationships are positive for
everyone. It is important for your prospects to understand that
you are not trying to take advantage of them or your relationship.

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