IT'S ALL ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

People buy from those they know and trust. Nowhere is this more true than ont he Internet where you may never even meet anyone in person. Establishing a trust relationship with your potential online clients takes time, but it is well worth the effort.

Think about the last time you bought a product or service online that had a substantial positive impact on your work or life in some way. If you were spending a good chunk of change (and perhaps investing a good bit of your time) on that purchase, chances aer you ddi some research first: reading online forums and reviews to see what others had to say about them; contacting them directly with questions and observing how quick and helpful (and polite) their responses was; maybe even buying a smaller product or service from them first. All to determine if you could trust this online business to deliver what they promise.

Your potential online clients are no different! They are going to want to know if they can trust you to deliver too. Here are three specific ways you can work on building trust relationships online and how each will help your business:

1. GET TO KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS. This helps you more to deeply understand what it is they need - making it a lot easier to tell them how and what you are selling is going to meet their needs. Find out where they "hang" out, on discussion forums, social networks, etc., and get involved. Don't just schmooze or try to seel your product right then and there. Instead, add value to your conversation. If you are doing it right, you'll be doing a whole lot more listening than talking.
2. CONNECT WITH YOUR CUSTOMER ON A PERSONAL LEVEL. Let them see you as a person, one who has some things in common with them. People will trust you, and ultimately buy from you, if they feel you are like them. This means being sincere and transparent; don't try pretending or make something up. If you can't make that trust connection with one particular person, don't force it. Move on to the next potential client.
3. KEEP UP THE TRUST IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP. The relationship doesn't stop after the sale! Clients who know and like you, and have benefitted from what you have sold them, will tell others about you! It will be easy for them to recommend you because they are recommending a trusted vendor, not an impersonal business or product. If you've done a good job of providing them with something that makes their job or life easier, they won't be able to wait to tell someone else.

So in all, take the time to know about your customers and their constant needs, connect with them on a personal level and show you are just like they are as a client, and keep your word, promise, and actions of integrity to deepen your trusted relationship that will bring you lifetime professional and personal relationships, continuous referrals, and business growth with success for both you and your client.

FIVE CHALLENGES SMALL BUSINESSES FACE

Here are five challenges every small business faces:

(1) Staffing. How can small businesses attract and afford the best talent? This is tough, because larger firms and even the nonprofit sector and government might dispense better health benefits and even compensation. So, the small enterprise has to sell potential employees on the fact that they’ll gain experience, get hands-on training, and see more growth possibilities with them.

(2) Leadership & Management Skills. Most small business owners are great at some task, whether it’s cost containment, niche marketing, or creative skill. But they tend to not have formal training in how to manage their enterprises, or what to do, strategically, to make them better and to get their people to perform better.

(3) Sales. Every business can use more sales, and as one of my clients said, there are few problems in business that can’t be cured with a few more sales! Even if the boss is great at selling, he or she probably has too little time, and too many hats to wear to do it enough to take the enterprise where he wants it to go.

(4) Training. Without a capacity to train new employees quickly and efficiently, businesses can’t grow. Too little effort is put into the training function, and far too little investment, as well.

(5) Change Management. Because of its size, the small enterprise should, theoretically, be able to change on a dime, but it is more resistant than many firms hundreds of times its size. It is especially slow to abandon products that no longer contribute to profits, but that are held in esteem because “they put us on the map!”