Subscribe
ACE stands for Always Control Expectations and we teach it in all our classes. It means no surprises for your colleagues, friends and family: If you say you’ll do something, then be certain that you make it happen. Senior people sometimes use the old saying “Mean what you say and say what you mean”. Lots of wisdom there.
In buying or selling services or products, treat people like you would like to be treated (the old Golden Rule). And be sure you understand your organization’s internal processes so you can over deliver (and under-promise). If you promise a signature or a delivery in one week, do it in 3 days.
In negotiations, don’t strive to win at all costs. Build the relationship first and subsequent business will go much smoother. Securing a tough, one-sided deal that costs the other party most of its profit is guaranteed to cause ill feelings and will get the relationship off to a rocky start. It might get you that deal, but won’t get you another from the same customer.
Worldwide, I have found that people do business with people they like, all else being equal. Or maybe not even equal . . . heck, I’ll pay a little more for insurance if Eddie Fields at State Farm sells it, because I trust him. I’ll pay a little more for construction work if Ronnie Cooper does it, because he is fair and detail- oriented. I’ll pay more for sushi at Sakura’s in Moyock, NC because it is fresh, the staff is super friendly and Wing and Wing Ha are great chefs.
In the end it isn’t about the money. It’s about the friendships, the trust, and the people whose paths you can make just a little smoother as we all take this trip through life together.
Copyright: Solid Thinking Corporation
—