Growing Together

We are all unique but relationships build through shared interests, trust and a little love and kindness. Whilst, just like pebbles, we are all unique, we are drawn together through similarities in our personalities, our passions, our looks, and, without social media, our location. What if we could nurture new relationships with others like us who are out of geographical reach........... Guess what...... we can and over 3 billion others already do!

Don't Mix Business with Pleasure...............

Why on earth not? It's always nicer and more comfortable to have a friend who is a plumber, car mechanic, builder, hairdresser, etc, as we have already built up the trust and you generally know what you're getting. If we don't already have "our man or woman for the job" we would take a recommendation from one of our friends. Trust not as strong but you trust your friends' judgement don't you? So why would we not apply the same principles in our worklife?

I think most of us who've been in sales a while have experienced those really awkward first meetings with a new account or prospect where you have no history and very little intel - Like pulling teeth!! Then after a few calls and meetings and getting to know each other a little, the buyers' guard is lowered and a more fruitful discussion ensues. We can pretty much eliminate those initial "2-hour drives for 10 minutes of teeth pulling" meetings if we do a bit of socialising beforehand without leaving the comfort of your home office.

Socialise Don't Sell.........

Socialise online as you would in person.....You wouldn't walk into a pub and offer your product literature to a stranger, or worse a group of strangers, and expect much of a welcome. So don't do it on social media.....

People Buy From People.........

If I had a pound.......... this is true but should be people buy from people they like and trust. So get to know your buyers, the technical teams, changemakers, c-suite, whomever you can build a rapport with on a social level. The more you build with them the more likely they will be coming to you not you to them with an opportunity or sale.

You've shaped your pebble, you've nurtured your rings and you're building your community..... As part of the Pebbles Series of Poems here's Pebbles III which is the last in the series which offers a poetic take on modern/social media relationship building and the benefits of nurturing "your team"