Relationship Edge

Jerry Acuff is CEO of Delta Point, Inc., a Scottsdale, Arizona–based consultancy that helps market-leading companies find new and innovative ways to market products. Over the last fifteen years, he has spoken and consulted extensively on the issues of sales excellence, change leadership, and customer-focused organizations. A graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, he has also served as Executive in Residence at the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Wally Wood is a professional writer and the former editor of two business magazines and an international marketing newsletter.

• Preface ixAcknowledgments xiiiChapter 1 Relationships Are Everything 1Breathe AIR into Relationships 2Learn to Build Relationships 5Payback Time in Memphis 7Relationships Can Trump Price 8Four Fundamental Selling Truths 10Meaningful Dialogue Comes with Trust 12Chapter 2 Climb the Relationship Pyramid 15The Relationship Pyramid Levels 17You Need Knowledge, Integrity, Actions 25Key Points about the Pyramid 27Chapter 3 How to Build a Relationship 29What You Think Is Step 1 30Learn Strategies, Not Tactics 40Chapter 4 Ask the Twenty Questions 53Start with a Self-Check 55Sharing Creates the Relationship 56Learn What Someone Treasures 59Thirteen Facts about Human Beings 61Let the Other Person Talk 63Sell by Not Selling 65Start with These 20 Questions 66Memorize the Questions, but Think FORM 69Tell Me Something That Will Surprise Me 70Respect Their Time and Opinions 72Plan What You Will Ask 73Chapter 5 Ask the Questions Properly 77Motives Matter 78Setting Up a Good Question 79Analyze the Bridge to the Question 80What Do You Need to Achieve Today? 82Ask Personal Questions First 84Hold Up a Book 87Don’t Suggest an Answer 88Find Common Ground 89Make Them Think 93Stimulate Real Thinking 95Ways to Gain Respect 96Chapter 6 Probe for Small World Connections 99Connect for Yourself 100Use the Small World Phenomenon 102Connect for the Other Person 106Connect with Difficult People 108Probe for Connections 109Chapter 7 Build Relationships on Actions 112Show You Genuinely Care about Other People 114Business Gifts Are Not Unselfish Acts 115Be Alert to Opportunities 117Chapter 8 Map Your Key Relationships 136Map Relationships with Four Groups 138People Inside the Organization 139People Outside the Organization 141People Important to Your Career 144People Who Are Upset with You 146Build Relationships Strategically 152Chapter 9 Hop from One Pyramid to Another 156Pyramid Hopping Is Not Networking 156Friendly Is Not the Same as Friendship 159Pyramid Hopping in Practice 160Pyramid Hopping Requires Questions 161Pyramid Hopping Usually Requires Specifics 164Chapter 10 Gain Respect Thirteen Ways 169Identify Qualities You Respect 170Thirteen Ways to Gain Respect 173Examples of Building Respect 174Be Genuinely Interested in the Other Person 175Do What You Say You Will Do 176Be Knowledgeable, Be Inquisitive, or Be Quiet 176Control Your Emotions; Anger Manages Everything Poorly 177Be Honest and Straightforward 177Be Objective and Avoid Appearing Biased 178Be Persistent, but Never Be Aggressive 179Be a Learned Person with Some Expertise 180Be Courteous to Everyone 180Always Listen Intently to the Other Person 181Seek to Understand Other People 181Do Things That Demonstrate Your Unselfish Nature 182Find Out What People Want, and Help Them Get It 182Chapter 11 Write Clear, Specific Goals 186Understand Your Goal-Seeking Mechanism 187Goals Have Five Characteristics 188Be Clear about What You Want 189Write Down Your Goals 191Set Goals in Line with Your Gifts 191Don’t Let Others Discourage You 194Take the Pressure Off Yourself 195Chapter 12 Maintain Your Meaningful Relationships 199Create Time for Relationships 202Help Others to Succeed 205Keep the Dialogue Continual 206Make Contact When You Don’t Need Help 211Chapter 13 Use Social Media to Build Relationships 215The Goal Is to Offer Value 216Form a Network of Relationships 218Don’t Friend or Link to Everyone 220Six Tips for Better Social Media Relationships 222Chapter 14 And What If You’re the Boss? 226The Six Drivers of Business Success 227Problems with Command and Control 236Job Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction 238Problems with Sales Training 239Selling Is Learning and Teaching 241What Managers Should Be Doing 243A Coaching Process for Relationship Development 244Build Relationships Routinely, Consciously, Deliberately 248Notes 249Index 252