Should I LinkedIn?

I have recently been considering the value of the networking phenomena that is LinkedIn. So what is it and can it really help build stronger business relationships.




Wikipedia describes it as "a business-oriented networking site ..., mainly used for professional networking". If you haven't already done so check it out.

Once you have explored it a little you will no doubt be asking yourself how relevant it is to you and is it worth the effort?

Here are 5 good reasons LinkedIn will help you build and maintain better business relationships:

1. You'll Be Found
Your proper name, once registered with LinkedIn will appear at the top of most on-line searches. This is due to the fact that LinkedIn is a trusted source by all the major search engines and the sites content, including your name, has been optimised for searching. You will also be found by other users because LinkedIn suggests members based on shared college or company histories.

2. You'll be seen
Once someone has found your name they will want to look at your profile, this includes a photo, as much history as you want to include and your websites (blogs, flicker, YouTube posts, etc).

3. You'll be heard
With an easy to find profile, on a respected forum you are no longer an anonymous voice in cyberspace. Now when you post a comment on a forum, blog or other site other users will now be able to associate a

4. You be contactable
Over the years we have all had various email addresses from work, college or other. With InMail you no longer have to rely on a friend or associate knowing your active email address.

5. You can give and receive recognition
Recommendations can be posted by colleagues or associates to your profile. You can also post answers on various topics, again building you credibility.

Resources worth checking out to get a better understanding of this networking tool are:
Blog: Linked Intelligence
Book & Blog: I'm On LinkedIn Now What

Perfect Practice

"Perfect Practice makes perfect"



We all want to be great at something, most of us think you need exceptional talent to achieve this. Talent helps but it may be less of a factor than you might think. If we wish to be the top of our field, what ever that might be, research indicates that constant and deliberate practice with ever-rising goals are by far the most important factors.

I believe this is particularly true for "soft skills" like communication, persuasion (sales), presentation, etc. The tools of good relationship management. In soft skills it is the deliberate aspect that might get neglected. Having a system, what ever it is, provides the framework to act deliberately, measure your progress and improve.

Take a look at the article from Fortune, What it takes to be Great to get a better insight into this observation. The more detailed article in Harvard Business Review, The making of an Expert, is even better if you have a little more time.

Linking your calendar to your goals

Lessons from GE's Approach to Personal Productivity.




While reading the HBR Editors Blog last month I came across an interesting post called Lessons from GE's Approach to Personal Productivity. The pearl of wisdom I picked up from this article was this:

"Compare your calendar with the priorities. Label the purpose of every regular or recurring activity on your quarterly calendar and highlight those activities that are connected with your top five priorities. This simple exercise will reveal where you’re squandering your time."

Although this point is valuable for any busy manager I believe it is even more relevant to anyone who brings value to their organisation through contact with customers, suppliers or prospects on a regular basis. Your calendar will be a reflection of the relationships you are forming, building or neglecting and in addition to telling you where time is being spent (or squandered) you have a metric on which to measure your performance.

If you are in sales, how many 1st and 2nd meetings have you this week. Managers in support or services could look at how many existing clients they have "stayed in front" of through calls, meetings or mail. In partner management or procurement how many planning meetings or reviews have been done.

Take a look at each of your goals for this quarter and try to convert the "measurable" element to something you could see in your calendar, now look for the evidence. You will gain a great insight into your performance and you will also have a weekly/monthly measure of performance.

Never Eat Alone

This is a remarkable book on the topic of personal networking.

If you are even remotely interested in how to start, nurture and harvest the fruits of great relationships (business or otherwise) you must read this book.


What can I say, Ferrazzi's book hits home on so many levels. I read it about 6 months ago and from the opening chapter I was taking notes or should I say writing all over the margins (the ultimate sign of approval for me). If you want the "how to" guide on business relationship building this is it.

The reviews are at the extremes on Amazon but I would expect nothing less for a book of this caliber and genre. I found the story telling style and personal experiences interesting, others no doubt consider it egotistical.

I challenge you to read it and not be inspired to "connect" with an old friend or colleague.

Sundays Thought - Helping Hand

"If you want to make a friend, let someone do you a favor."

- Ben Franklin




So often in business and particularly in networking we are wondering how the other guy can help us. I suggest when you are out with a client or business acquaintance again that you actively search for a way you can help them either on the spot or very soon after. And don't bother to keep score, if it helped they'll remember.

Sundays Thought - A Small Well of Quotes

Sunday I usually give you a quote I have picked up on relationships, business or something I thought would interest. Today I thought I'd give you a source, a well, of quotes instead.

Check out Woopidoo for some great little pearls of wisdom from a variety of people all relating to business.

I particularly like it's simple design of the site and of course it has a page dedicated to quotes on Business Relationships

Sundays Thought - You need one

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe,call it family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."

- Jane Howard

Network Weaving

Improved connectivity is created through an iterative process of knowing the network and knitting the network

- Valdis Krebs and June Holly



We are all connected. These connections form networks. Some of them personal, some social others business others we may not even be aware of. So how do we take advantage of these networks in business?

Kerbs and Holly in their paper Building Smart Communities through Network Weaving
put forward the idea that it's all about knowing and then knitting your network. The more collaborations among the members of the network the more vibrant and more valuable it becomes.

In getting to know your network there are a number of general patterns that can be observed. The obvious ones being:

• Birds of a feather flock together
• The close by, form a tie

But there are other just as important patterns that strong, effective networks display. For example:

• Diversity maximises innovation (different ideas)
  
• Robustness (more people more connections)
  
• Prominent nodes or hubs (there are always brokers or well connected people)
  
• Many indirect links (don't rely on just one relationship)
  

By actively managing your relationships you can give it direction. Introducing people to each other that would not have normally met creates, knits, even stronger ties.

The paper is a great insight into how you can take an objective view of your own network and then identify areas that need improving.

I recommend you read the paper (it's a short one) and check out the web site www.networkweaving.com for case studies and the blog.

When you know where you are starting from it makes it a lot easier to get to where you want to be.

Sundays Thought - Every ones a teacher

" Everyman I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him"
- Ralph Waldo Emerson




On reading this for the first time I was at once amused and shocked at it's wisdom. It is so easy to close our selves to new ideas or to think we know better, especially when the source or teacher is unfamiliar.

Sundays Thought - No Self Made Man

There is no such thing as a "self made" man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for , spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success.
- George Burton Adams

Wikipedia on Customer Relationship Managers

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a customer-centric business strategy with the goal of maximizing profitability, revenue, and customer satisfaction. - Bligh, Philip; Douglas Turk



I was checking out Wikipedia's definition of what customer relationship management was recently and the above quote was part of the definition presented. It went on to describe CRM as a philosophy, policy and coordinating strategy. Then expanded on the different players, types of CRM and the technologies. The theme throughout was integration.

Integration of all the activities in relation to the customer is the greatest challenge for any CRM function. This goes beyond the manager, the technology solution even any one department. It is all of them and more. Where it is done well everyone benefits.

As an aside, it is interesting how a wikipedia definition is arrived at. Check out the discussion tab for the definition of Customer Relationship Management, I guarantee you'll be surprised.

Difference between New Account and New relationship

"If you're looking to build a successful business, it doesn't start with sales and evolve to "satisfied" customers (unless you're still selling in 1985). It starts with relationships and builds to loyalty.." quote Jeffrey Gitomer.

I receive a weekly eZine from one of the many sales guru's Jeffrey Gitomer. I highly recommend his eZine, Sales Caffeine, as it's very well produced and strikes the right balance between being informative while still marketing. This weeks article struck a cord with me "The difference between new account and new relationship". He was making the point that when we make a sale that's great but the real sale is that you have forged a new relationship. He expands on this, especially with his relationship check list. Summing up with how important it is to truly relate to your customer.

The article struck a cord because it emphasised the point that we are custodians of an extremely valuable asset in a customers relationship. That relationship represents trust, referrals, testimonials, your next sale and recurring revenue. It begins with the sale but is strengthen with every conversation, meeting, promise kept, problem pre-empted and instance of excellent service. The truly great organisation have this engraved at every level from service desk agent to the CEO, not just one or two sales or relationship managers out in the field.

Sundays Thought - Community

"Build a little community of those you love and who love you"

- Mitch Albom

A Brand You World 2007 Telesummit

2007 Global Telesummit - Celebrating a decade in personal branding


I have been listening recently to the recordings of the personal branding summit. Each of the broadcast was of exceptional quality. Each of the speakers was a leader in their own space and together they give you a great induction into Personal Branding. I highly recommend you check it out for yourself at http://www.personalbrandingsummit.com/.

Who should listen, anyone with an interest in developing their personal brand, on-line profile or professional image.

Why, you will rarely get as comprehensive an introduction to a topic. Short and to the point.

What I'm Reading - "Maverick" by Ricardo Semler

"The Success Story behind the Worlds most unusual workplace"

I have been meaning to read this book for years since I saw it on one of those top 50 books lists. Couple this with some amazing reviews and I was hooked. I'm glad I waited as I've gotten more out of it now, given my special interest in relationships in business.

So who should read it and why. Employees looking for inspiration on how to make things better. All employers not just in manufacturing (which is the industry Maverick is based in). I think anyone working in the public sector or in a heavily regulated environment will be particularly interested in it.

Why it's a great read. Where other business books will give you one of two ideas in the whole book, Maverick will give you that in a chapter . Written in a fast paced autobiographic style you cannot help but feel the energy and excitement that most have been present in Semco during the period the book is based in. The fact that this book is over 15 years old makes it all the more remarkable and a testament to the ideas that were implemented and the unique company they built. I challenge you to not get inspired to change at least something in the way you work.

What's it about, son (Ricardo Semler) takes over dads company and proceeds to redesign the way business is done. It is the classic case study in worker relations and the power of mutual respect and trust.

What I'm Reading and Listening to

I read and listen to a lot of material that may be of interest to some of you. So I will have a regular post on "What I'm Reading/Listening to".

It will not be a full review as there are plenty of sites already dedicated to doing this. I will highlight articles, books, MP3 or podcasts of interesting and why you might be interested in them. I will also indicate who might like them. Hope you find it useful.

Great Expectation

How setting expectations makes life easier for all concerned

One the the roles of a Relationship Manager (be it CRM, Account or Project Director) is to balance the requirements, sometimes demands, of your clients with the constraints of resources, budgets, time or quality.

One of the most affective ways to handle this is managing expectations. Sometime it's OK to say "not right now" or "can this wait" or even "I can do this but we need to agree a scope change". It sounds so simple, so why do we find it so difficult to manage expectations?

Too often in business we forget that clients are people too. For the most part they are reasonable and will work with you to achieve your mutual success but you must communicate with them. The only ever appear unreasonable because we don't understand their view point.

I have been exploring this topic as part of improving service levels with clients and a very interesting fact came out. Upon review of 2nd and 3rd line calls the client was willing, in almost every case, to move the resolution date, upon request. What was even more interesting was at service reviews satisfaction levels went up! They felt more informed and in greater control of the situation.

Even more interesting,the support teams satisfaction levels went up because they felt more in control and under less pressure.


There are some great articles out there on this topic, one of my favourites is by Naomi Karten.

When NOT to use a Meeting Note

You knew when your teacher was serious....

I mentioned previously that there are times when an emailed note is not appropriate as a form of communication. The rule of thumb, if there are commercial or legal commitments involved it's not enough. The note is essentially a one way communication, an update. What's the difference between a simple email and putting the same content into a document? The tone set, the detail and the confirmation.

When you send a document you are immediately setting the tone that the reader should take this seriously. You will be more formal, very often use a template that looks official when printed. You will also find that you naturally add more detail. Finally, you must ask for some form of confirmation, a call to action, that can be referred to later. e.g. "Please confirm we should go ahead" or "if this is acceptable please issue a PO", etc.

The key to all this is that you have removed ambiguity with detail and you are asking them to confirm they understand. Topped off with an audit trail in case there is "confusion" later.

Power of the Meeting Note

I have a habit I developed some years ago of sending a short note, usually email, after every meeting with a client (and many phone calls). It developed out of my time as a project manager when you needed to keep a history of decisions and to remove any ambiguity over actions agreed. As a relationship manager they serve a similar purpose put from a different perspective, here are some reasons to consider sending a note:

• Looks professional and that you take such meetings seriously, even when the tone is light hearted
• You have a record of what was discussed and any actions agreed.
• You can circulate your note to other interested parties e.g. Project Managers, Sales & Marketing, your boss, the rest of the team.
• Audit purposes (for all the ITIL Service Level Managers in the audience)
• Your own records especially when you are managing a large number of clients
• Personal marketing, so all concerned know the great job you are doing.

I would suggest you have a template ready as speed is import in writing up these notes. If it takes more than 10 minutes you simply won't do it. A text based template (e.g. Outlook Forms) or a draft email saved works very well. Avoid MS Word/PDF documents unless you have to be formal (e.g. Proposal or anything with a price in it). Typical headings would be:

• Subject,
  
• Date/Time and Place,
  
• Attendees, Agenda,
  
• Main Points (short, highlights only)
  
• Actions (who, what and for when).

An optional and very useful heading to have is Internal Only. This is usually at the top and contains information that you want the internal team to know but which you might not be of interest to the client and would not be sent on their copy.

Issue it as soon after the meeting/call as possible as it looks professional and they will very often be filed as meeting minutes by the client who hasn't the time (or interest) to write up their own.

The One Minute Relationship Manager

I just finished reading the management classic "The One Minute Manager "(Blanchard & Lorber) this week. It's a short book, 100 pages in a very light style, ideal for a day hop on the plane. It boils down to 3 tools of management

1. One Minuet Goal Setting
2. One Minute Praise
3. One Minute Reprimand

I recommend you pick up a copy for yourself. Like all tools the challenge is in using them correctly and consistently to achieve your goals.

After reading it I was left wondering is there such a thing as the "One Minute Relationship Manager"? What would the 4-5 things if done correctly and consistently would help them build and maintain excellent relationships and hence achieve their goals. Some suggestions:

Be of value
Figure out how you can be of service in each of the business relationship you have. It will be different for each and with every contact made you need to be checking that you have been of service and that they know it.

Keep Excellent Records
Establish a system of keeping excellent records on all your clients and use it. You may have a CRM package, a paper filing system or a well organised email system. The structure is your own choice but it must be well maintained and easily accessible.

Frequent Connect
Business Relationship are build on frequency of contact not necessarily duration, context or even quality. This is a fundamental difference between business and personal relationships. A quick call every few weeks can be as affective as a site visit once a quarter.

These are just a couple of suggestions. I will consider this idea further and see if I can come up with a better "One Minute Relationship Manager". If you have any suggestions please let me know

How do you eat an elephant - Managing a large number of clients relationships?

I was chatting with the division head of large bank recently and the topic of how they managed customer relationships when there are a significant number of customers, over 2000, over a number of countries.

An interesting challenge but not that uncommon. Although the implementation will vary from organisation to organisation (and individual to individual) it will boil down to a Client Relationship (Accounts) Plan.

We are not talking about a plan to reactively respond to queries or even regular reports, though these might make up some element of it. We are talking about proactively managing and building the relationships in a define, measured and repeatable way.
It will be a project, starting with Requirements (what do the business want from better relationships, what does success look like, etc), then a Proposal (here's how we think we can achieve it) and then the Plan (including costs, tasks, deliverables, schedule and quality measures).

So how does this relate to African riddle of eating an elephant? Just like the elephant, you must break the project into bit size pieces and give yourself enough time to do (eat!) them all. The typical time frame is going to be one year (contract renewal cycle) so your plan should address what you will be doing each month, week and day to "eat that elephant".

With the requirements of the business established how do we prioritise which clients need what level of attention? With your Client Relationship Plan you now have a communication document to share with the sales team, account managers, marketing, HR, Service Desk and the clients themselves. With this invaluable feed back you can agree a sensible and achievable strategy with the business.

As for that division head with the 2000 clients, he has adopted a multi-channel approach the centre piece of which is a Centre of Excellence (The Lab). This honey pot technique can be very affective but we'll have to wait and see how well it works

First Post - Welcome

Welcome to my blog
So why start this blog, I guess I think I have something of interest to say, in particular around Relationship Management in business. I am looking forward to this new experience and I hope to think a little, learn a little, share a little, laugh a little and type a lot.

My goals for the blog

• To be read. This is not a diary, or private project so I will always endeavour to keep it relevant, informative & interesting.
  
• Through sharing my ideas & professional experiences help others with their day-to-day challenges and get help when I pose a question or challenge.
  
• Produce a practical demonstration of my knowledge & experience for colleagues, clients and my employers.
  

What you are likely to see:

• Postings 3 times a week.
• Comments and examples from my daily experiences
• Reviews or references to what every I'm reading (books, magazine, sites, blogs, etc)

What you won't see:

• Reference to a client/customers by their actual name
  
• Negative comments about my employer or contract.