Contributor Blog Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Marketing, content, & technology to help printers sell more printing

I like talking to people to find out what makes them tick. Why? Because people are interesting. When you learn what motivates a person to get up in the morning, what brings them joy or makes them light up, you get to communicate on a whole different level than just simple conversation. This new level of communication is where connections are made, loyalties are formed, and relationships are built. And business is all about relationships. After all, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know, right? While it’s always good to know things, your wealth of knowledge shouldn’t come at the expense of getting to know people – especially the people you want to do business with. In his book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” Stephen Covey understood the heart behind business relationships when he said, “Seek first to understand and then to be understood.” When you connect with people at this level, they know you care about them more than just a transaction. Relationships Beat Transactions Every Time Transactions happen with institutions; relationships happen with people. There’s a misconception in the business world that the purpose of forming relationships is to sell something. This couldn’t be

Ah… What a beautiful time of year! It’s the season of counting our blessings and spreading thankfulness and gratitude. So why am I so tired of feeling invisible? The other day I checked out at Walmart with an actual human checker. Even though I stood at the checkout for a while, the checker didn’t look up at me once or say a single word to me — not even to tell me my order total. Then, there was my recent trip to McDonald’s. I stood at the front counter waiting for someone to take my order, only to be yelled at by an employee from behind a wall somewhere that I was supposed to use the order kiosk. I don’t understand service like this, during the holiday season or any time of the year. Shouldn’t I, as the customer, be the center of your attention at that moment, even if it’s just enough to look me in the eye, ask me how my day is, or even to say hello? Situations like these are why I truly believe that today’s business success stories will be from those companies that know how to love people in one or all of the ways