While preparing for this event I jotted down my THREE TIPS to implement when being approached with a potential business opportunity or collaboration.
RESPONSE TIME
I dont know about you, but when someone respond to my business emails days late, but I see them posting on every social media channel, I immediately get frustrated. I take it that they don't want the business. It sometimes feels personal, but I try to keep it on the business and have developed this saying.
"If they can't respect your time and respond to your email, don't trust them to respect your time when doing business."
When you get an email inquiring about your services or a potential business relationship, respond immediately. This response could be as simple as,"I am excited you reached out to me. Let me get some additional information and I will follow-up with you in the coming week." Let them know you received it.
Now let me be clear, you don't get to mandate how quick a person or business responds. Ive reached out to celebrities to invite them to speak at certain events of mine, some of them respond months later (that I don't get). Every business is different, as my mother would say, "Time is money." To that statement I will add, if you waste my time, you don't get any money.
INVESTMENT
If you are a small business and a larger business reaches out to you for a partnership, sometimes you will have to INVEST your resources to gain business. Whether you want to believe it or not, this does include rendering free services or providing free products. I think most businesses take the approach of wanting an immediate dollar return in providing a service or a product. That is not always the case.
Went I visited the Nate Berkus Show years ago and made over guests' spaces design tips, they did not pay me for that. I knew going in I was getting something I didn't not have the money to pay for. Exposure. Do I charge for my design services? Yes I do, but I looked at what I was getting in comparison to what I already had (which was a lot of ideas but a small following), and the decision was simple.
So be willing to invest your services or products for free now and tap into a larger audience that will bring in greater revenue later on.
BE NICE
For me, Chick Fil-A food is okay. Its not amazing. I don't crave it at no time, but I find myself going there quite often. Why? It's simple their approach to customer service pales in comparison to every other fast food restaurant there is. They are going to greet you with a smile and heartfelt hello and by the time you drive away even if they gave you ranch instead of polynesian sauce, it really doesn't matter because they were so nice.
Remember to respond and interact with business in a grateful manner. Even if you bombed at responding to their email in a timely manner and the notify you that they've moved on, take the time to apologize for your lateness and appreciate them for contacting you regarding business. While they may not have used you this time, it is possible that they may need your service in the future and if you made a decent impression that will remember that.
There are businesses I will never work with because the business owner was rude and nasty. I will in fact go to someone with provides less quality of work then to deal with an ungrateful or rude business owner. I want to make sure this is a business connection I can depend on.
Well those are just my top three as I prepare to head off to bed. I have more, but I will keep them for another time.
Don't forget to the ALL WHITE Jazz Dinner is Saturday. CLICK HERE for TICKET information.
