Making the Connections:
It’s
It s the Relationships Which Count
Jill Nelson,
Organizational Systems and Relationship Coach
Step Beyond Coaching
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 1

Presentation Outline
Why relationships matter
Making the connections
g
Statistics
Five strategies
Being a bridge
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 2

Relationships – Why They Matter
So what is the big deal?
S h t i th bi d l?
Why are relationships in business so important?
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 3

Making the Connections
Regardless of the reasons
you do what you do one
do,
thing is certain, to succeed
in business you need to be
good at making and
maintaining relationships.
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 4

Some Statistics to Consider
15% of customers switch to a different
company/product because of price
15% of customers switch because it is a better
product
70% of customers who switch do so because of
human i t
h interactions with th supplier/vendor
ti ith the li / d
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 5

We Need Each Other
At the end of the day,
when you leave the
hen o lea e
office or close up shop,
feeling good is more a
reflection of who you
have connected with
and if you feel as
though you made a
difference in the world.
It is not about how
many widgets you sold.
sold.
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 6

Five Things You Can Do
1 – Be Intentional, Not Accidental
Have a plan and put it in writing
Ha e pt riting
Be SMART about it
Play to your strengths
Practice – if you are uncomfortable talking to people, practice
talking to strangers
Make relationship building part of your marketing plan
2 – Be A Connector
Know people who know people
Go o t of your way to help make the right connections
out or a
Look for allies: others with whom you can work toward shared
goals
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 7

Five Things You Can Do
2 – Be A Connector (continued)
Make referrals, give information, be a “go to” person;
help others and they will be willing to help you
1-5 % success rate from cold calling
15% success rate from a referral with a name
50% success rate when the person making the introduction
makes an introductory call or sends an email on your behalf
70-
70-80% success rate if the person making the referral attends
the meeting or makes the call
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 8

Five Things You Can Do
g
3 – Be Visible
Attend
Att d area eventst
Serve on local not-for-profit boards
not-for-
Join Business Associations and Networking Groups
Do what you love and talk about what you are
passionate about
4 – Be Community Focused
Be caring- people can tell if you really care and it
caring-
makes a difference
Be Real- be yourself, just be your best self
Real-
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 9

Five Things You Can Do
5 – Communicate!
Maintaining good working relationships all boils
down to communication
Communicate
Communicate clearly
Communicate often
C i t ft
…. A d th t means both the speaking and
And that b th th ki d
the listening parts!
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 10

Relationships are The Bridge
This is what bridges do:
They carry us over and make connections to new and
exciting places
They bring people, places and ideas together
They transform the landscape
They build understanding through shared experience
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 11

Be a Bridge Builder
relationships make it possible
APNBA Business District Association Conference – June, 2008 12