I love this quote.
A central tenet in both my business life and in my personal life is that: People will treat you the way you allow them to treat you. This little tidbit is supremely important when forging lasting business relationships. Being mindful of the way we begin our relationships can have a profound effect on their longevity.
I work with many women who are just starting out in the business world. From time to time I'll see them get taken advantage of as they strive to make a name for themselves. Here are a few tips to keep you from getting railroaded.
Don't chase sales. Build relationships. If someone emails you with a question about one of your products, answer them. If they don't reply or make a purchase, chances are they've moved on. And perhaps you should, too. You may decide to follow up with them a few days after their initial query to remind them that you're out there. If you don't hear back again, it's probably time to let them go. Just because someone asked a single question about an item doesn't not mean they belong in your prospect pocket. If someone wants to do business with you, they will. They know where to find you.
Establish your business hours and stick to them. This is true for both clients as well as with friends and family. If you start answering customer emails at 10pm on a Sunday night, you'll be expected to continue answering emails at 10pm on a Sunday night. And when you don't answer them at 10pm on a Sunday night next week, then they may feel you've neglected them. They come to expect what you gave, and you can't really blame them. This also holds true for your personal life. make it clear to people that you'll be working between the hours of X-X so they don't call or pop in to visit during those times. Working for yourself means more freedom with your time -but to maintain your time management, try to schedule your playtime. Once you blur the boundaries between your business life and your personal life, it's hard to go back. Respect yourself and your time, and others will do the same.
Please don't work for free under the guise of good exposure. I see it time and again. Seasoned professionals have been known to prey on fledgling business owners in order to get freebies. They promise them to repay their hard work and efforts by providing them with grand exposure. It's happened to me. A few times. I got mad at myself each and every time yet I did it again & again hoping that the law of averages would fall into place and that eventually one of these big shots would thrust me into the spotlight. It never happened. Not once. In fact, I've never seen it happen. That's not to say it COULDN'T happen. Don't start out jaded. Just be cognizant. And don't go into a relationship assuming you'll be an overnight sensation based on someone's promises. Learn from my experiences and the experiences of so many others. That said... if Time magazine phones looking for a free interview, however, you may want to oblige.
Avoid discounting your prices in exchange for the promise of future business. Even if they truly believe they'll bring you more business in the future, chances are, they may not deliver either by choice or by circumstance. A customer who respects your time and your business will not ask you to do this.
Nice guys don't always finish last. Be kind, genuine, honest and ethical. People pick up on this right away. When customers feel valued they'll come back. Be gracious. Say thank you. You don't need to fill their package with handfuls of sale-able freebies. Spend some time thoughtfully wrapping their purchase. Give them some samples. Most people don't expect extras and they'll be pleasantly surprised when they open their goodies. Some may even like it enough to come back to you for a full sized version of the product!
So now, you've set up the relationship to be mutually beneficial. Perfect. But not always. Occasionally, you'll get a less-than-thrilled email from a customer (or competitor). While your knee-jerk reaction may be to fire back at them, don't. Wait until you've calmed down and be the bigger person. You can read about this more in depth in my 'Netiquette' article.
The relationship you forge in the beginning is the relationship you will have with them going forward.
Be authentic. Maintain your confidence and before you know it, you'll build a book of business your competitors would kill for. Remain steadfast to the principles you founded your business on and you'll become successful on your own terms. Believe in yourself and it'll shine through in all you do.
Melissa Bolton, Copywriter & Internet Marketing Strategist
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