The title of this article appears constantly in my business and is always on my mind; however, last week I had the chance to put it to work and really experience the benefits.

A gentleman who was looking for a Virtual Office Manager found me and my business through a business directory. He visited my website, saw what I had to offer, and decided he wanted to learn more. When I found out how he found me, I thought, Ugh… thank goodness the money I put into marketing my website is paying off!

However, when we got to talking and proceeded to discover her needs, it was determined that she needed a Spanish-speaking Virtual Office Manager. Well, that’s not me (damn)! But still, what came into play next was that I knew and clearly understood the foundation on which I have built my business, which is to believe and live by the vision that a good business is to be the best asset.

I knew that, without Spanish, I was not going to be his ideal candidate for this particular position, unless the magical fairy of the Spanish language appeared during my dream that night; I didn’t let the conversation end there though, and you know what, neither did he. We kept digging to see if I could in any way help meet his final needs…the conversation continued and we found out, absolutely, that I had something he needed.

Although I don’t have the Spanish language skill set, as a businessman he understands what his time is worth. He takes advantage of the resources available to him and expressed the value to him of my experience in recruiting, selecting, conducting behavioral interviews and finding the ideal candidate.

Talk about ideals! I couldn’t ask for a more ideal client. A pragmatic, results-oriented leader recognizes when they have a need, works to meet it, leverages their resources, and seeks to raise the bar. Nothing better than that, huh?

But the real reason we reached the level that we did was because neither of us was afraid to be a resource to each other, to share through the mindset of building a relationship, rather than selling, and thinking in long-term benefits.

Five steps to be your contacts’ best resource…

• You have to dig deeper and keep digging to fully understand how you can help others.
• Do not think that you have nothing to offer; even if it is an idea that you can share, which by the way, is priceless!
• Treat your contacts as a relationship rather than a one-off transaction and you’ll reap long-term benefits.
• Don’t try to be everything to everyone; it doesn’t work and it’s no fun to try
• Only when you offer your experience, and not mediocrity, do you offer great value.

By doing so, you can open doors of opportunity you never imagined possible.

To continue our story, we are making progress in finding the ideal candidate for my new client, and the business relationship between us is growing, and what a partnership should be. Because? Because I didn’t try to sell you something you didn’t need or that I couldn’t deliver. That alone will earn you business for years to come, and today as I was writing this you called again for additional help.

You don’t have to worry about losing a customer, or not making the sale, or making money every time someone calls you. Lots of business people do this and will take one client and try to figure out the rest later.

When this happens, you know you’re not meeting the clients’ needs, but one just sees a warm body and promises the client heaven anyway. Because you want the client, you need the money; You need to feel successful, if that’s your definition of success.

You may temporarily grab customers’ attention, but in the end you’ve set them up for disaster, and the customer won’t stick around for long. And for the client, hiring the wrong person can cost your business over $35,000.00 not to mention wasted time, energy and resources.

How many times as a consumer have you been sold something you didn’t need, or told I can do this, and as soon as you start, you know you made the wrong decision?

• The seller did not establish a good relationship or work to build trust.
• They didn’t ask probing questions so they have no idea what the customers needs are.
• They don’t share the features and benefits of the service, so you don’t know what you bought
• There is no post-sale process and no help in maximizing your investment
• You never hear from them again, you’re a number

This scenario, I’m sure, has happened to all of us. Those are five steps you can avoid in your own sales process.

When people worry about losing, not making the sale, or not getting the money that may come from that customer, they keep themselves in the fishbowl of the thousands of other entrepreneurs trying to make money.

So stand out and choose instead to share everything you know; be transparent and stand up for your Good business value is to be the best resource. This will always keep you at the forefront of the minds of your customers and contacts… which is what being in business is all about, isn’t it?