|
Business Growth 2
Rain falling on street
Place for meeting new clients
Sweet home Chicago
By Paul R.
Lloyd
Your
flexibility
My friend Frank
handed me a cup of something dark, rich, aromatic and hot. “We’ve
been talking about the importance of adding value – going above and
beyond the call of duty to close a sale. We discussed how my
personal expertise was essential as well as the personal expertise
of others in the company. What’s another deal maker that I should
keep in mind.”
“That’s what I
like about you, Frank. You don’t beat around the bush. We haven’t
talked about personal flexibility yet, have we?” I took a sip of
java.
Frank pulled
his glasses off and stared out the window for a few seconds before
answering. “Not yet but I can be flexible.”
“But do you
have the personal flexibility to meet with the prospect on a Sunday
afternoon? Can you pick up the customer at the airport? Will you go
to bat for your customer with your management and with the
customer's management? Just what are you willing to do to become
personally involved?”
“Sure, I can do
stuff like that. It goes without saying.”
“It’s good to
say something to your customer or prospect about your flexibility.
As a business owner, I've made a point of offering personal and
corporate flexibility as a marketing advantage. One example on the
personal side is the client who was stressed for time due to
workload. Would I be willing to meet for breakfast before the
business day as a regular condition for doing business? ‘Of course!’
I said. For the next 15 years, I met two or three times a month with
this wonderful client for breakfast. For most of those years, we met
at the client's expense in the exclusive Metropolitan Club on the
67th floor of Chicago's Sears Tower. Great breakfast, great view,
great client. I don't remember who the competitor was who said no to
this simple request and neither does my client.”
Frank smiled
before taking a sip of his coffee. When he put his paper coffee shop
cup down, he said, “So the idea is to look for ways to meet the
customer’s needs that make me stand out from my competitor.”
“You got it,
Frank.”
To read the
previous installments in this series, please visit…
1.
http://www.zuklloyd.com/news/news1.htm#Article
2.
http://www.zuklloyd.com/news05/biz_growth1.htm
Zuk-Lloyd Associates, Inc. – Creative writing and art solutions.
We help
clients increase sales by turning ordinary business information into
extraordinary stories.
Contact:
Paul R. Lloyd
630-393-6516
info@zuklloyd.com
www.zuklloyd.com
Return to Top of
Page |