With technology making further inroads into American business and connecting U.S. businesses to the global marketplace, the tendency to rely on technology from emails to web sites to develop business may be creating some false senses of security. Yes, online purchasing is increasing, but research still suggests that business building is still about people connecting with people even if it is only through the telephone.

Have you ever heard about all the big business deals "made" via email? I doubt it. However, listen to any executive at a local chamber meeting or other networking event and you may hear about all the business conducted on the golf course.

As technology has increased its foothold in the business world, new terms have emerged and old terms have re-emerged. "Face to face" surfaced in the late 1900's to replace the earlier term of "belly to belly."

Yet, technology is just a tool to expedite specific steps as business owners and executives build their businesses. For business yesterday, today and tomorrow will still be all about people connecting with people, "face to face" and "belly to belly" to increase sales.

So if business is truly about people meeting and connecting with people "belly to belly," then how can you leverage this knowledge to grow and increase your bottom line? Possibly, these seven strategies may help you win more business. Additionally, some of these strategies may assist you to work smarter not harder by leveraging your limited resources of energy, time and dollars.

First, recognize that technology is both a strategy and a tool as you build your business. Technology will never replace "belly to belly" interactions or automatically increase sales. If this was true, then why are there still brick and mortar stores?

Years ago some believed that mail order catalogs would be the death of the retail stores. Other doomsayers advocated that the emergence of prepackaged foods especially frozen foods would negatively impact restaurants. In the late 20th century, technology created VHS tapes that were later replaced by DVDs specifically for renting or owning movies that had only been shown at movie theaters. Again, the belief was that these videos would destroy movie theaters.

Even in the early years of the 21st high tech society, we still have thousands of stores to visit and spend our dollars. New eatery franchises continue to spring up throughout each year. New movie theaters are being built offering six to 15 screens and in some cases including an I-Max theater to showcase a movie release.

Second, return to your strategic plan and revisit your values statement. Both employees and customers can easily identify the absence of united values within a business. Enron and Arthur Anderson are just two examples of corporations whose corruption began because of a lack of demonstrated core values by senior management.

Third, align your business from the top down throughout your company. When businesses fail to align their actions, miss steps are made and the goal to increase sales fails. Symptoms of this misalignment surface when the employees meet the customers "belly to belly."

For example, your business goal is for outstanding one on one customer service. However, your policy to service as many customers are possible mandates not to spend more than 2 minutes with each client. This is a simple example of misalignment between the goals and the actions necessary to achieve those goals. Sales Coaching Tip: The Executive Management Teams needs to assess the Points of Potential or Operating Systems that include policies and procedures to ensure alignment to the purpose of business.

Fourth, assess the ability of your people to effectively communicate corporate values to your customers both internal and external through their behaviors. With all the media attention to corruption in business to government, having employees who truly are highly ethical in their actions when "belly to belly" with your customers will definitely increase sales and grow your business.

Fifth develop your people to be both consistent efficient and effective communicators. Your people should do "things right" by being efficient and "do the right thing" by being effective. Again, a highly communicated values statement helps to reinforce consistency of everyone's behaviors.

In the 1960's a researcher by the name of Dr. Albert Mehrabian developed a model of communication. This model looks at the effectiveness of the spoken word and suggests that:

 

• 55% of communication's meaning is non verbal through physical actions from facial expressions to body posture
• 38% of communication's meaning is para-verbal through syntax or the way that the words are said
• 7% of communication's meaning is verbal

What Dr. Mehrabian realized is that communication goes beyond the spoken word. Since business is all about people connecting with other people, understanding how to maximize this experience is critical to take any business to the next level.

Sixth, listen to your customers when you have the opportunity to be "belly to belly" with them. Centuries ago, the Greek philosopher Epictetus said: "We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak." Focus on truly being present and listening to your customers when you have the opportunity because you may never have another one to increase sales.

Seventh and most importantly be authentic when connecting with people. All individuals carry an "intuitive sense" within them. This gut brain as identified Dr. Robert Cooper in his book Get Out of Your Own Way is the processing center for when we sense that something is not right.

For example, have you ever met someone and sensed that something was not quite right? Your thoughts told you that you really did not want to do business with that person. When you are authentic, people sense your values and begin to trust you as your interactions increase. As the old adage goes, "First, people buy you, then and only then do they buy your products or services."

Without a doubt, technology can bring more people to the front door of your business. Yet, to win more business demands that you maximize every "belly to belly" moment. By truly interacting with people, seeing and listening to their body language, allows us to truly share and expand our business potential and more importantly our own potential as we continue our business goal to increase sales.

What are your goals to increase sales? This free audit looks to your sales skills.

Do you need some additional sales coaching tips but cannot afford a sales coach? Then visit the sales coaching gym.

Leanne Hoagland-Smith with locations near Chicago & Indianapolis helps organizations through business coaching training services to return to the purpose of business that being building ravings fans while increasing productivity and profitability. Her clients quickly double results in 30 to 90 days. Call 219.759.5601 to schedule a free business coaching consultation.

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