Strategies to Become a
Relationship Superstar

The Fine Art of Relationship Marketing

 “Quality and service are important, if you want to make a sale. If you want to keep a customer for life, keep your promises.” – Heidi Richards

The buzzword these days is “relationship” marketing. Just what is it? And why is it important? Relationship marketing is so much more than “networking. It’s gathering support of your friends, peers, and business contacts. It’s developing strong, lasting, unique relationships with your most valuable asset, your customer.  It’s what keeps people “coming back for more.” It’s an excellent way to shorten the traditional routes of building trust, creating opportunities, increasing valuable contacts, to achieve success and excel in business.

How Do We Cultivate That Field?

Start by setting goals for developing those contacts. That’s where a good networking plan comes in handy. To develop a networking program that is congruent with your personality, style and capitalizes on your strengths, answer the following questions:

• What do you want and need to accomplish?

• Whom do you need to meet in order to achieve your goals?

• Where do you need to go to meet these contacts and customers?

• Are you willing to invest the time it takes to develop those relationships?

• How much time do you think it will take?

• What type of networking suits your personality; large groups of people, or smaller, more intimate groups?

Every opportunity you have to meet new people is an opportunity to grow your business! If you are willing to invest your time, networking is a process, and the payoffs are almost immeasurable. It’s not realistic to expect instant success. It takes time. You can plan your networking opportunities to shorten the time it takes to build those relationships.

What do you want and need to accomplish? Do you want to develop lifelong individual customers, land large accounts, or make an impact in your community?  You will accomplish all three by getting involved in your local civic organizations, Chambers of Commerce, Business Associations, Non-Profit organizations, etc. One of the best ways to get to know people “up close and personal” is to volunteer to serve on a committee; give your time and talent to a cause. People want to do business with people who have similar interests and values.

Whom do you need to meet to accomplish your goals?  And where do you meet them?  Angel Cicerone, Associate Editor of the South Florida Business Journal says, “If you’re going fishing, go where the fish are.”  Focus your efforts by being in the right place at the right time. It’s not just who you meet, but how and where you meet them. Meeting people in the “right places” adds credibility to that meeting. That’s not to say that striking up a conversation in the supermarket has no value. It does. It’s just that if you want to develop first class contacts, you must fly first class. 

If you are flying first class, those sitting in the same section will view you as a peer. Of course, there’s no guarantee you’ll make those great contacts. However, if you don’t fly first class, you’ll never know. It may be worth the investment. The same people flying first class can also be found at those events, fundraisers and conferences in which you participate. Go where the people with whom you wish to network will be!

Are you willing to invest the time it takes to achieve your goals? How much time is enough? Begin with the end in mind. The key to relationship marketing’s success is to know what it is you want to accomplish. To start networking, you have to set your foot in the door.

Next issue: Every Event is a Networking Event!

© 2004 - Excerpted from Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget – How to Grow Your Business Without Spending a Fortune.  Heidi Richards is the author of Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget – How to Grow Your Business Without Spending a Fortune and 7 other books. She can be reached at www.HeidiRichards.com.  You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

October is Computer Learning, Eat Better Eat Together, International Strategic Planning, Listen To Your Inner Critic, National Communicate With Your Kids, Positive Attitude, Right Brainers Rule!, Self-Promotion and Women's Small Business MONTH!!!

Please visit: http://www.edenflorist.com/holidays.asp

 MarketTalk

"Hi Heidi - just want you to know I enjoy your e-zine." Paul, www.reunionfriendly.com

Congratulations to the winners and all the participants in the 10th Interflora World Cup Design Competition held in Melbourne, Australia, September 4-6th. David Denver of the United Kingdom took home the gold with first place, Tomas Kallin of Sweden won the silver with second place honors and Mark Pamplin of Australia took bronze with a third place win. Deborah DeLaFlor, AIFD of DeLaFlor Gardens in Davie and a dear friend of many in the Americas also competed. What an HONOR!

More congratulations are in order! Ken and Kim Grassi of Grassi's Flowers & Gifts in Tacoma, WA, for "Retail Florist of the Year" by Florists' Review Magazine (October 2004). 

Jane and Marty Loppnow of Waukesha Floral and Greenhouses in Waukesha, WI, for being chosen "Marketer of the Year" by Society of American Florists (Floral Management Magazine).

Dirk Lorenz of Fremont Flowers & Gifts in Fremont, CA, for receiving the "FTD Marketing Award."

Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget – How to Grow Your Business Without Spending a Fortune by Heidi Richards ($19.95 – ISBN- 0-9745959-2-6) is “jam-packed full of easy-to-do marketing programs, valuable insights, real-life success stories and resources. In this book you will learn how to advertise for free, create win-win partnerships, become a magnet for referrals, and hit your target market with direct mail and grow your business without spending a fortune!  Now available at www.WUNPublications.com. According to Phil Kleweno, President and CEO of Teleflora, “Rose Marketing is simple, useful and practical. Heidi Richards provides innovative tips small business owners can implement today.”  

William Parego of Diginet Printing, Miami Lakes, has a great resource for realtors! You can check it out at www.Success4RealAgents.com. 

Want to get a complimentary copy of Seth Godin’s 2004 Bull Market Directory? The directory is a resource listing those who can help a company create what Mr. Godin describes as a Purple Cow – a product that stands above the rest. Just go to: http://www.sethgodin.com/bull/download.asp for yours while supplies last.

Get your copy of “Successful Website Marketing,”  by Peggi Ridgeway - one of the best, most user-friendly web marketing books I have ever read. Each page is filled with easy to plan and implement ideas; from search engines to e-mail, building your brand to creating community, this is the book everyone, novice and seasoned professional alike will benefit from. Wordpix Solutions in Print and Online, www.Wordpix.com. Peggi is also editor of Bloomin News, a hard-copy newsletter for the L.A. Flower Market, www.BloominNews.com.

Heidi Richards specializes in “Helping Small Businesses Bloom™,” by sharing her insights and experiences in Leadership Development, Marketing and Strategic Planning not to mention, having FUN! Her experiences in "growing" successful businesses and community organizations give her a greater perspective on challenges that companies and organizations face today. She succinctly portrays her expertise through her seminars, retreats and books.

Heidi is a well-known Elan'trepreneur™ (elan'trepreneur - a creative visionary, a business person to whom others look and emulate, one who mentors others in business). She is also a facilitator for retreats, Mistress of Ceremonies for organizations of all sizes, a mentor to several small business owners and a contributing writer to dozens of publications. To learn more about Heidi, visit www.HeidiRichards.com. 

Jennifer Obert has been the Marketing Manager (marketing goddess) for Eden Florist & Gift Baskets for more than four years. Her duties include editing four newsletters produced by Heidi, maintaining three websites (www.EdenFlorist.com, www.HeidiRichards.com and www.WunPublications.com), promoting Eden Florist, working with the media, and representing Eden Florist and Heidi Richards in the community along with a myriad of administrative and public relations responsibilities. In addition, Jennifer is the Executive Director of the Women’s ECommerce Association, International (www.WECAI.org) and an aesthetician running her own part-time business, Facials to You™. Before working with Heidi, Jennifer was Marketing Manager for the Concert Association in Miami, FL, and worked as Assistant Marketing Manager for the Florida Philharmonic prior to that.

Are You Enjoying This Issue? If so, please pass it on to all of your friends and colleagues. Even better, send them to www.PetalsNCents.com to sign up and they will receive a FREE Report: 10 Red Hot Marketing Tips To Grow Your Business.

Our goal for 2004 is to double our readership. With your help we will reach our goals!

Keep those comments coming! I personally read and answer EVERY e-mail I receive. Just e-mail me at Heidi@PetalsNCents.com or reply to this e-mail. I'll get back to you right away.

© 2001-2004 WUN Publications, Inc. is located at 7100 Pembroke Road, Miramar, Florida, 33023. While we're certain that the information contained herein is tremendously interesting and valuable to the press and public, Congress now requires that we notify you that this message may be considered promotional material.

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Heidi Richards, CPPM, CLL, Author of "Rose Marketing On A Daisy Budget," "South Florida Network Directory of Women's Business & Civic Organizations," "What's Your OccuPLAYtion™ 149 Ideas to Increase Job Satisfaction, Reduce Stress, and Get More Out of Your Work and Your Life," "Yes Is Only The Beginning," plus the E-zines "Self-Marketing News," "Creating A Legacy," "PetalsNCents," and "Ramblin' Rose by Eden Florist & Gift Baskets."