The Business Of Relationships

Everyone knows that relationships are critical to business success, but no-one has provided a simple system to turn contacts and acquaintances into valuable assets -- until now. The first systematic program for advancing business relationships. In five easy-to-follow steps, the book shows how to transform any casual business relationship into a valuable source for revenue, leads, and advice. Ed Wallace combines memorable anecdotes with a clear theoretical framework that shows individuals how to leverage their hard business skills with the often-overlooked soft skills of rela-tionship building. Surveyed executives say they need this book. In a recent survey, 88 percent of executives indicated that the strength of their client, cus-tomer, and referral relationships was critical to achieving their goals each year. But only 25 percent of those same executives said they had a formal process for planning, managing, and growing business relation-ships and 73 percent of the group surveyed said they would be very interested in reading a book on this topic. This book delivers the process that so many people and organisations need.

No company is an island in the world of business. Each company is locked into a complex network of relationships with its customers, suppliers and other counterparts. What happens in these relationships is critical to the success of any business. Managing a company's relationships and its position in the network is a central, but often misunderstood aspect of business. This new edition of Managing Business Relationships aims to help managers and students understand the reality of business networks and how to manage in them. It has been entirely rewritten to include the latest thinking and research from the IMP (Industrial Marketing and Purchasing) Group and includes new chapters on Intermediation in Business Networks, the Economics of Business Relationships and the Practice of Business Networking. Features: • Provides a structured way to understand business networks and their meaning for the practicing manager. • Offers a complete analysis of management in different relationships including those with customers, suppliers, distributors and development counterparts. • Presents a practical analysis of the problems and choices that managers face in developing and changing their relationships and a guide to the critical skills of business networking. The book is vital reading for students of business marketing, purchasing, business networks and relationship management. It is also a valuable resource for all managers operating in business networks, including those in marketing, purchasing, strategy, technical development and distribution.

Creating Your Success with China This book helps you build, and maintain, success with China. How? Through the often neglected, but vital, area of creating relationships that work and endure in China. Why would this matter so much in a professional or business setting, you may wonder? Because in China, the relationship always precedes the business and determines the latter’s success, quality and durability. Only when relationships flourish, does success with China happen. Under investment in relationships and relationship shortcuts are among the primary reasons why good enterprises fail to succeed in China. The relationship skills advocated in this book, once adopted, will be a positive differentiator in your favor, for all your dealings with China, by equipping you with skills of sufficient depth, to ensure success in this relationship-centric culture. The book will encourage you to value these skills, and deploy them proudly in China, in the knowledge that relationship skills are the primary differentiator in this business culture. Through this valuable relationship knowledge, you will become, over time, your own cultural mediator, able to handle diverse business situations and challenges in a culturally adapted way, as they arise. This, in turn, will provide you with the confidence to build, and maintain, enterprise success with China.

Want to supercharge your life? Effective networking is the answer and this book will teach you how. Professionals of all stripes and ages are told to 'get out there' and network so they can build their careers, grow their businesses and elevate their influence in the community, but they are rarely taught the skills to do that. Most people are lost, intimidated by the idea of presenting their own personal brand, and frustrated when it comes to networking. Despite long hours at events and attempts to make the right connections, they aren’t seeing their desired results. From Business Cards to Business Relationships is a start-to-finish guide that demystifies the networking process and teaches readers how to truly benefit from getting connected. Allison Graham provides an easy to follow road map that is adaptable to your personality, circumstances and growth goals. You will learn how to strategically decide where to go, what to do when you get there and what to do afterwards to turn those casual business card contacts into meaningful relationships. Allison's approach is based on the Four Pillars of Profitable Networking: Perspective, Personal Brand, Procedures, and a Strategic Plan. This is a prescriptive, practical system based on the author's real-life experience of going from unconnected to connected in a short period of time. No cheesy gimmicks or high-pressure nonsense, just the skills and knowledge that will create success for anyone willing to do the work and follow this advice. Regardless of your past experience or current level of connectivity, your industry or profession, whether you're an entrepreneur or climbing the corporate ladder: you can accomplish whatever you want by meeting and connecting with the right people. From Business Cards to Business Relationships gives you the tools you need to cement a positive personal brand and build your own profitable network. Praise for From Business Cards to Business Relationships "Allison Graham can help you turn an introduction into a business, a dinner into a relationship, and an average practice into world class. I've long preached that we're in a relationship business, and this book provides the handshakes, codes, actions, and routes to master those relationships." —Alan Weiss, PhD, Author of Million Dollar Consulting and The Consulting Bible "At last—a networking book that actually makes sense! Allison Graham's four pillars of networking are as simple as they are powerful. If you are willing to follow her lead with consistent and persistent effort, you will make your mark and expand your horizons both personally and professionally." —Lou Heckler, Humorous Business Keynote Speaker and Speech Coach "This book is an excellent and much-needed resource to share with the business community." —PJ Hartson, Business Editor, Sun Media

An arsenal of powerful questions that will transform every conversation Skillfully redefine problems. Make an immediate connection with anyone. Rapidly determine if a client is ready to buy. Access the deepest dreams of others. Power Questions sets out a series of strategic questions that will help you win new business and dramatically deepen your professional and personal relationships. The book showcases thirty-five riveting, real conversations with CEOs, billionaires, clients, colleagues, and friends. Each story illustrates the extraordinary power and impact of a thought-provoking, incisive power question. To help readers navigate a variety of professional challenges, over 200 additional, thought-provoking questions are also summarized at the end of the book. In Power Questions you’ll discover: The question that stopped an angry executive in his tracks The sales question CEOs expect you to ask versus the questions they want you to ask The question that will radically refocus any meeting The penetrating question that can transform a friend or colleague’s life A simple question that helped restore a marriage When you use power questions, you magnify your professional and personal influence, create intimate connections with others, and drive to the true heart of the issue every time.

It is virtually impossible to feel connected and supported in life when you don’t feel that way where you spend most of our time—at work. In The Business of Friendship, friendship expert Shasta Nelson unpacks the distinct ways we can make work relationships the healthiest they can be, both for the sake of the employee and the mission of the company. She inspires readers to see why friendship is crucial to our health and our careers, and teaches us exactly how to develop the supportive and meaningful connections we need. Our organizations benefit as friendships at work result in higher levels of workplace productivity, employee retention, safety, innovation, collaboration, and profitability. In having a best friend at work, we are seven times more engaged in our job, which translates to better customer service, less absenteeism, fewer workplace accidents, and more loyalty to our organizations. Through Shasta’s stories, research, and practical guidance, she: Breaks down what creates healthy bonds and reveals the 3 requirements necessary in all healthy relationships and teams. Helps managers and employees assess the health of their relationships and learn ways to repair and improve them. Provides advice for addressing some of the biggest fears around workplace friendships, such as increased drama, favoritism, confidentiality, gossip, toxic coworkers, relationship with bosses, and potential romantic attractions. The Business of Friendship is for those who are ready to maximize the two most significant factors of our wellbeing—career and relationships. Whether you are a leader or an employee, when you feel more connected and supported at work, everyone wins.

Finalist in the Business Management and Leadership Category of the International Book Awards 2021 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In this new, extensively updated second edition, authors Allyson Stewart-Allen and Lanie Denslow accurately capture the current US business environment and its changes since their best-selling 1st edition published in 2002. You’ll find even more insights into the American business mindset, diversity and regions building on the acclaimed first edition so you can confidently negotiate, communicate and influence in the world’s largest, most profitable and complex marketplace. Alongside their examination of the impact of 5 generations in today’s US workforce, the authors explore the complex issues faced by American bosses including: levels of transparency expected of organizations in how they do business, ranging from ethics of their supply chain, to the treatment of employees via social media, equal pay expectations or the personal views of their executives on environmental, social, governance or political events ever declining workforce loyalty resulting from perceived job insecurity younger employees’ quest for visibility, interesting projects and rapid promotion consumer and customer expectations as standard for extensive personalization and customization of products and services Anybody who has ever done business with Americans can testify that there are more differences than similarities between the US business culture and those in the rest of the world. Whether it’s values, etiquette, communication, influencing or negotiating, there’s a clear American style. How you go about building successful and profitable business relationships in the US should be guided by the many important lessons and insights offered in this essential reference guide. Whether new to working with Americans or an experienced internationalist, this book will serve as your ready reference for connecting with US colleagues, clients, customers or consultants.

Are you frustrated in your relationships? Are you an employee, manager or boss? Are you parent, teacher or caregiver? Are you a sibling, friend or part of a couple? In this book, Dr. Marcia Sirota gives you the straight talk with real-life stories, deep psychological insights and practical, easy-to-apply tools to rebuild your self-esteem and stop trying so hard to make other people happy. In Be Kind, Not Nice, you'll discover how: To escape the vicious circle of people pleasing, being mistreated, frustration and addiction To become a more compassionate, kind person To love and accept yourself first To take better care of yourself and live a more authentic, empowered life To create positive, successful relationships at home, school and work If you're a people-pleaser and can't stop being nice, this book is for you. We use words like kindness and nice every day without ever really thinking about what they may actually mean. By deconstructing two seemingly simple words in an attempt to define them, this book opens a doorway to a deep meditation on self-forgiveness, healing and true personal potential. - Jeff de Boer, metal artist and creator of suits of armour for mice Every page of Dr. Marcia Sirota's new book reflects her own intelligence and compassion. Be Kind, Not Nice offers the kind of encouragement we all need - not rooted in fantasy or wishful thinking, but based in a truth that is unlocked with greater understanding of ourselves and our own potential. You are amazing, and Dr. Sirota can prove it. - David Hopkins, author of We Miss All the Great Parties Finally, a book that champions your success. Don't miss out on even one more day of getting all you want in life.