There are 3 ways to do and grow business:

1. through relationships with Friends
2. through Conceptual ‘meeting of the minds’
3. through Traditional methods…prospecting, qualifying, closing

Here are some details…

 

 

Throughout our business careers we develop relationships with friends and allies. They know us. We know them. They know what we can do. We know what they can do. Strong bonds of trust lead to strong relationships.

 

From time to time an idea hits us – this looks like a win-win deal for my Friend and me. Or, a similar idea hits one of our Friends. That’s how we grow business through relationships with Friends. Put another way: we have strong links with people whom we consider to be Friends. These close links last for years. Relationships are solid. Interactions can be frequent. Or, they may slip. Strong relationships survive separation. So, when we are reunited with Friends the relationship resumes quickly, often more or less as it was the last time we interacted. To the extent business deals make sense, since trust is strong deals can be done quickly.

 

 

Through weak links we are either directly or indirectly connected to a huge number of people. Consider the people who work at your company. Consider all the people you have met in your industry sector. Consider 1st and 2nd level connections under LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

From time to time an idea hits us…maybe we could do a deal with one of our weak-link connections. Or, maybe the idea hits one of those people and they contact us. I call these ideas faint signals…signals that register….signals worth a call. To the extent these faint signals prove to be good business ideas – win-win deals for both parties – they turn into Conceptual deals. That’s how we grow business through Conceptual ‘meeting of the minds’.

 

 

When we have no business-development ideas involving strong links [Friends] or weak links [Conceptual] we must resort to Traditional methods.

 

Traditional Methods are in a state of major transition. This is primarily due to [what I call] global commoditization.

 

Put another way: to succeed at Traditional sales…we can not use good-old-fashioned sales process. Old methods rarely work. Cute tricks like comedic phone messages and clever packages are of short-term, if any, value. Focus on what is working, focus on your bright lights.

 

Build real relationships with Friends, keep an open mind for new connections, pay attention to faint signals to maximize Conceptual sales, focus on bright lights, and develop winning approaches for Traditional sales.