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More About This Title The Relationship Edge: The Key to Strategic Influence and Selling Success, Third Edition
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Most people know instinctively how to build positive, long-lasting relationships with spouses, friends, and even co-workers–but few of us know how to consciously and systematically build and maintain positive business relationships. For years, The Relationship Edge has successfully shown people how to build personal relationships and repair damaged ones with a proven three-step process.
This completely updated third edition offers a fresh perspective on that process and includes more contemporary case studies, as well as how to build and nurture relationships online.
- Develop the right mindset–understand that personal relationships are vital to business success, both offline and online
- Ask the right questions–discover the common ground you share with others
- Do the right thing–be truthful and straightforward or you'll undermine the goodwill you've worked so hard to build
- Jerry Acuff, the author, has a proven record of success with previous editions of The Relationship Edge
With real case studies and step-by-step guidance, The Relationship Edge, Third Edition offers the tools and advice you need to develop strong, rewarding relationships with customers, co-workers, and managers. Jerry Acuff's latest version is packed full of practical, concrete information on the mechanics of interpersonal relationships in the business world, all designed to have you doing business better and more productively than ever.
English
Wally Wood is a professional writer and the former editor of two business magazines and an international marketing newsletter.
English
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Chapter 1 Relationships Are Everything 1
Breathe AIR into Relationships 2
Learn to Build Relationships 5
Payback Time in Memphis 7
Relationships Can Trump Price 8
Four Fundamental Selling Truths 10
Meaningful Dialogue Comes with Trust 12
Chapter 2 Climb the Relationship Pyramid 15
The Relationship Pyramid Levels 17
You Need Knowledge, Integrity, Actions 25
Key Points about the Pyramid 27
Chapter 3 How to Build a Relationship 29
What You Think Is Step 1 30
Learn Strategies, Not Tactics 40
Chapter 4 Ask the Twenty Questions 53
Start with a Self-Check 55
Sharing Creates the Relationship 56
Learn What Someone Treasures 59
Thirteen Facts about Human Beings 61
Let the Other Person Talk 63
Sell by Not Selling 65
Start with These 20 Questions 66
Memorize the Questions, but Think FORM 69
Tell Me Something That Will Surprise Me 70
Respect Their Time and Opinions 72
Plan What You Will Ask 73
Chapter 5 Ask the Questions Properly 77
Motives Matter 78
Setting Up a Good Question 79
Analyze the Bridge to the Question 80
What Do You Need to Achieve Today? 82
Ask Personal Questions First 84
Hold Up a Book 87
Don’t Suggest an Answer 88
Find Common Ground 89
Make Them Think 93
Stimulate Real Thinking 95
Ways to Gain Respect 96
Chapter 6 Probe for Small World Connections 99
Connect for Yourself 100
Use the Small World Phenomenon 102
Connect for the Other Person 106
Connect with Difficult People 108
Probe for Connections 109
Chapter 7 Build Relationships on Actions 112
Show You Genuinely Care about Other People 114
Business Gifts Are Not Unselfish Acts 115
Be Alert to Opportunities 117
Chapter 8 Map Your Key Relationships 136
Map Relationships with Four Groups 138
People Inside the Organization 139
People Outside the Organization 141
People Important to Your Career 144
People Who Are Upset with You 146
Build Relationships Strategically 152
Chapter 9 Hop from One Pyramid to Another 156
Pyramid Hopping Is Not Networking 156
Friendly Is Not the Same as Friendship 159
Pyramid Hopping in Practice 160
Pyramid Hopping Requires Questions 161
Pyramid Hopping Usually Requires Specifics 164
Chapter 10 Gain Respect Thirteen Ways 169
Identify Qualities You Respect 170
Thirteen Ways to Gain Respect 173
Examples of Building Respect 174
Be Genuinely Interested in the Other Person 175
Do What You Say You Will Do 176
Be Knowledgeable, Be Inquisitive, or Be Quiet 176
Control Your Emotions; Anger Manages Everything Poorly 177
Be Honest and Straightforward 177
Be Objective and Avoid Appearing Biased 178
Be Persistent, but Never Be Aggressive 179
Be a Learned Person with Some Expertise 180
Be Courteous to Everyone 180
Always Listen Intently to the Other Person 181
Seek to Understand Other People 181
Do Things That Demonstrate Your Unselfish Nature 182
Find Out What People Want, and Help Them Get It 182
Chapter 11 Write Clear, Specific Goals 186
Understand Your Goal-Seeking Mechanism 187
Goals Have Five Characteristics 188
Be Clear about What You Want 189
Write Down Your Goals 191
Set Goals in Line with Your Gifts 191
Don’t Let Others Discourage You 194
Take the Pressure Off Yourself 195
Chapter 12 Maintain Your Meaningful Relationships 199
Create Time for Relationships 202
Help Others to Succeed 205
Keep the Dialogue Continual 206
Make Contact When You Don’t Need Help 211
Chapter 13 Use Social Media to Build Relationships 215
The Goal Is to Offer Value 216
Form a Network of Relationships 218
Don’t Friend or Link to Everyone 220
Six Tips for Better Social Media Relationships 222
Chapter 14 And What If You’re the Boss? 226
The Six Drivers of Business Success 227
Problems with Command and Control 236
Job Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction 238
Problems with Sales Training 239
Selling Is Learning and Teaching 241
What Managers Should Be Doing 243
A Coaching Process for Relationship Development 244
Build Relationships Routinely, Consciously, Deliberately 248
Notes 249
Index 252
