Developing Your Profitability By Systematically Building Relationships

By Susan Goodsell - Apr 14 , 2009

In the publishing industry we know our associates, co-workers and clients on a purely professional level. We know their views about the job, their approach to problem-solving, their temperaments, and, perhaps a bit about their personalities.

This is all good.

But think a moment—when needs arise, with whom do we do business? With people we know, like, and trust. The way to trust is through building relationships, yet the sad truth is that most of us only do this over long periods of time, accidentally at best.

The fact is that by systematically developing your relationships, you will also be developing your contacts, credibility, and profitability as a publisher, agent, editor, or author.

Why make the choice to devote time to deepening these relationships? There are myriad benefits, including:

• Forging a closer working relationship
• Gaining access to networks, clients, or doors you need opened
• Understanding better how you can help them
• Tapping into a much broader knowledge base
• Becoming more profitable
• Assisting in achieving both short- and long-term goals

The secret word in all of this is systematic.

There are proven, successful, systematic steps you can take to achieve greater results in less time. The plan is to set up regularly scheduled one to one meetings; not with a desire to take from someone, but rather with a genuine desire to help another reach his or her goals. Whether you call it karma, or follow the adage “What goes around, comes around,” the bottom line is that the best way for you to reach your goals is to help others reach theirs.

The steps are really quite simple:

1. Set a Date and Time to Meet. You can make it as casual as a morning coffee shop stop, get together after work hours, or meet at a book industry event for some one on one time. While any location that affords you uninterrupted time to talk will work, it is best to meet at your partner’s place of business because you can learn more about their business if physically there.

2. Prepare. Don’t just “wing it.” Take the time to jot down some notes, define your goals, and be ready with some questions. Always start with the end in mind. What do you hope to take away from your meeting? Think about the business or personal objectives you want or need to meet. Defining your goals is the key to your success and the best way to build a relationship with someone is to help them achieve their goals.

3. Meet. Learn as much as possible about your partner, using your notes as a way to get started. We have two ears and one mouth and must remember to use them proportionately! Be an active listener, be engaged, and take notes. People like to talk about what they are proud of and everyone loves a success story, so be ready to share your accomplishments. The more you know about the talents and abilities of those around you, the more you develop trust. Remember, this meeting does not focus on just the business side of your partner, but the personal also.

Discuss interests, which are our connectors to others. Do you and your partner root for the same sports team, have children the same age, love the same vacation spot, collect first edition books?…People love to spend time with those who share their interests and this will strengthen your relationship in ways you never thought possible. As an aside, knowing others interests also helps in thanking them and gives you a good excuse to touch base with them again at another time.

4. Commit and Agree on Goals. This is the oft-neglected step, but crucial to the process. Make a commitment to help your partner with a short-term goal, an introduction, or even something as simple as forwarding some information to help them. We all have many networks, both formal and informal. A network can be an organization, company, volunteer agency, professional club, or others with whom you associate. Perhaps you can open the door to a network for your partner and vice versa.

While some will want to dig deep and work hard at forging strong and mutually-beneficial relationships with book industry professionals, others may wish merely to develop stronger ties with co-workers, vendors, or suppliers to better work relationships. Either way, chances are you have a little homework and preparation to do.

Spend more time with the people you already know and concentrate first on learning and sharing the essentials – their goals, accomplishments, interests, networks and skills. Have a spirit of “How can I help you reach your goals?”

You may be pleasantly surprised at how quickly your name comes up when an opportunity arises!
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Susan M. Goodsell is a referral marketing professional, trainer, and author based in Southern California. She is Executive Director and owner of BNI Riverside & San Bernardino Counties, CA, and her focus is helping entrepreneurs and business owners reach higher levels of success through word-of-mouth marketing.