Where do you fit in? Are you 'good with people'? This is perhaps
one of the most important characteristics of any business person. If you
own a business but you're not a people person, you might want to think
about following the advice from ex hair-stylist and now world-renowned
Internet copywriter Alan Forrest Smith:
Whilst chatting at a recent Internet marketing workshop Alan was describing to me his personal 'Formula For Success' in his last profession (He used to be the proud owner of an award-winning hair salon before his Internet business took off).
He said, "Pretend that every single customer that walks through the door has a sign around his or her neck that says,' Just Make Me Feel Great'." Alan's goal was to make sure that every customer that left his salon both looked and felt like a million dollars, enjoying the whole experience of coming into the salon. The results of this spoke for themselves within just weeks of the grand opening of the salon. Alan began to realise he could charge twice the price of his nearest competitor and still be the busiest salon in town.
In Alan's words, "Being good with people not only means you will succeed with business sales; you will also succeed in personal life." And I for one agree with him wholeheartedly. Even if customers don't do business with you right away, these customers will remember you and find it easy to recommend you to others because you are a likable person and pleasant to deal with. Think about it: would you rather do business with someone who is pleasant or someone who is unpleasant? It's human nature to choose the more likable person, and most people will do exactly that.
Further to this, maybe it's no surprise that among the qualifications for almost any job is 'must be good with people'. Most employers know that an individual who has the ability to make others feel good about themselves is one of the most valuable assets they can have. Whether the job is sales, management, customer relations or waiter/waitress etc, the person who is 'good with people' generally will be recommended for an early promotion, given more choices and job assignments in the work place or moved up the corporate ladder long before anyone else.
If you aren't a good people person, then you really should try to become one. The success of your business depends on it.
Whilst chatting at a recent Internet marketing workshop Alan was describing to me his personal 'Formula For Success' in his last profession (He used to be the proud owner of an award-winning hair salon before his Internet business took off).
He said, "Pretend that every single customer that walks through the door has a sign around his or her neck that says,' Just Make Me Feel Great'." Alan's goal was to make sure that every customer that left his salon both looked and felt like a million dollars, enjoying the whole experience of coming into the salon. The results of this spoke for themselves within just weeks of the grand opening of the salon. Alan began to realise he could charge twice the price of his nearest competitor and still be the busiest salon in town.
In Alan's words, "Being good with people not only means you will succeed with business sales; you will also succeed in personal life." And I for one agree with him wholeheartedly. Even if customers don't do business with you right away, these customers will remember you and find it easy to recommend you to others because you are a likable person and pleasant to deal with. Think about it: would you rather do business with someone who is pleasant or someone who is unpleasant? It's human nature to choose the more likable person, and most people will do exactly that.
Further to this, maybe it's no surprise that among the qualifications for almost any job is 'must be good with people'. Most employers know that an individual who has the ability to make others feel good about themselves is one of the most valuable assets they can have. Whether the job is sales, management, customer relations or waiter/waitress etc, the person who is 'good with people' generally will be recommended for an early promotion, given more choices and job assignments in the work place or moved up the corporate ladder long before anyone else.
If you aren't a good people person, then you really should try to become one. The success of your business depends on it.
