Relationship

They say “All good things must come to an end”. Well if this is correct, and Technology had stopped existing how would the world respond? I predict that this world would go into a “great depression”. Not necessarily because of beneficial and honorable things like the abilities to further your education, watching the news, or cooking a simple meal for the family but because of the inability to use technology as a relationship based source.

Based on the research I’ve done, studies have shown that technology has a very negative effect on human relationships because people are basically using it for robots, an unrealistic emotional caregiver, internet, a social skills killer and a communicator, relationship built off false emotions. In the past, if a person is feeling alone or so emotional to the point where they need to consult to someone they would with another person. Now-a-days, if there is a problem, a person talks there situation out to a talking teddy bear named “Fujitsu”.

This Fujitsu is built to keep company to a person by being understanding and loving. Another human like robot is the baby seal. In the article “Flight for conversation”, an elderly woman actually talked to this seal about personal problems, the woman became comforted because it actually seemed to be following her conversation. The scariest thing about these issues, is, we are willing to conform to a battery robot than an actual human being. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are the most popular social networks there is, so to have one is not a surprise. It is proved to be a very addictive technology tool.

Many people are so in tuned with these internet sources that they cut all ties with their actual surroundings. A mother could be talking to their child about a serious topic, but the daughter could not even be listening to that mother because their tweeting . People especially teens, rather reveal their feelings to a website rather than their own parents. A quote, from the article, “Just How Many Facebook Friends Do You Need? “ supports this argument “No matter if it is a wall post, a comment, or a photo, young people’s engagement with Facebook is driven”.

Texting is considered to be, one of the fastest most used communicator there is to exist. Although it is very convenient, it is depriving the two interactors from a real conversation and relationship. “Someday, someday, but certainly not now, I’d like to learn how to have a conversation” a 16 year old boy say’s because he feels he has no communication skills. Also for instance, if one is unfamiliar with someone and trying to get to know them they will text that person to become better acquaintances. The issue with this is that when a person text, it is impossible to really understand the other’s attitude, emotions or behavior.

Therefore you really truly don’t know them; you could become attached to a person that you really have no interest in. Many can argue that, Technology has so many positive results, and that it doesn’t matter about a few negative ones. I disagree with these rational remarks, human relationships are very important and self-beneficial; we should not continue to destroy something so valuable. In order to fix the problem, technology users should practice more one on one conversation with others human beings. Learn how to accept technology as a benefit not a need.

Why effective communication is important We are more likely to communicate information to one another if we have positive relationships. Parents and other adults who come into the school are more likely to give beneficial support if communication is strong and effective – this, in turn, benefits pupils. It is also important for pupils that we model effective communication skills. This means checking what we are saying sometimes in moments of stress or excitement, so that they can understand what our expectations are in school.

If we ask pupils to behave in a particular way when communicating and then forget to do so ourselves, they will find it harder to understand the boundaries of what is acceptable. Effective communication and positive relationships do not happen by chance. You should think about the way you relate to others and the messages that this sends out. In situations where communication breaks down, misunderstandings can lead to bad feeling.

1. 1:2 The principles of relationship building

The principles of relationship building with children and adults in any context are that if others are comfortable in our company, they will be more likely to communicate effectively. Where people do not get along or are suspicious of one another, they are likely to avoid one another wherever possible. Positive relationships are not something which should be left_ to chance and it is important to consider the ways in which we can develop them. We build relationships with others in school on a daily basis in a number of different ways.

Although you may do some of these without necessarily thinking about it, it is worth taking time to consider whether you do all of the following? Effective communication – this is the key area for developing relationships with others and also covers many different forms of communication (see below)? Showing respect – in order to develop positive relationships with others, it is very important to be courteous and respectful, and to listen to their points of view. Adults and pupils with whom you work may also be from different cultures and have different beliefs or values from your own.

You should ensure that you acknowledge and respect the views of others at all times and take time to remember names and preferred forms of address? Being considerate – take the time to consider the positions of others. You may be working with a child or adult who is under particular pressure at a given time and need to understand why they may have behaved or reacted in a certain way or out of character?

Remembering issues which are personal to them – it will always help to build positive relationships if you enquire a_er particular aspects of another person’s life – for example, if you know that a colleague is concerned about their child getting into a particular secondary school, or if you are aware that it is a child’s birthday? Taking time to listen to others – make sure that you take time to listen to other people, in particular if they are asking for advice or help, or if they need to confide in you. You should always show that you are interested in what they have to say and respond appropriately?

Being clear on key points – when you have conversations with others in which you are giving them information, you should always ensure that they are clear what you have said at the end of the discussion. This is because it can be easy to be distracted from the main point of the conversation. When talking to children, always ask them to repeat back to you what they need to do? Maintaining a sense of humour – although the nature of our work in school is important, we should also sometimes take time to see the funny side of different situations. Laughter can be a good icebreaker and is also a great way of relaxing and relieving stress.

Facebook is a popular web page where anybody can create a free account, similar to an email address. The site allows anybody to add friends, post pictures, and let all their friends know what their doing on an hourly basis. At the beginning, the page appeared to be a great way to keep in touch with people who lived two minutes to two hours to two thousand miles away. The site allows all who have accounts to add friends, some who are suggested by the page itself, and keep in touch through quick, easy Internet access.But is the web site actually helping or hurting the relationships we form everyday? There are many benefits to Facebook. Facebook is the quick, easy way to keep up to date with events that happen every day. Once a person creates an account, they can add their friends and therefore look at the page that is created by that person and see their posts. When a person “posts” something it means that they are writing anything they want for all their friends to see, from song lyrics, to what their plans are for the day, to angry outbursts with a lot of curse words associated.The posts pop on the community wall so a person doesn’t have to go to each individual’s page to see their plans. This feature is beneficial because it allows a friend to discover plans and therefore work with, or around them to be able to see or communicate with that person without having to go through to hassle of keeping in touch every hour or having to send a text to twenty of your friends about what you’re doing that day. Another benefit of Facebook is it allows a person to keep in touch even through long distances.For example, if a person lives across the country, it is difficult to coordinate the time difference, and therefore makes it hard to have phone conversation or text repeatedly back and forth unless it is at a set time that is consensual for both parties. Facebook allows people to keep in touch on each person’s own time through wall posts, and messages, this is especially helpful in families who have ventured off to different areas of the world. Finally, the site is helpful by keeping loved ones in touch.Just as it does with families, Facebook allows person A to say something to person B on their own time but it also lends a hand in reminding loved ones how much they miss or care about each other publicly. As stated by Andrew Sabatini in his article Effects of MySpace and Facebook, “These websites provide a new way for couples communicate and help eliminate geographical boundaries. Both sites allow one member of the couple to get brownie points, through gifts and comments, and get them out of the dog house. (Sabatini) The option for a boyfriend of bringing surprise flowers to his girlfriend when she’s with all her friends is eliminated when the two are separated by hours due to college or job choice or a family vacation. Facebook allows the man to publicly display his affection (though it won’t always work) to his girlfriend through words of endearment and the thought that he doesn’t mind letting everyone know how much he cares for his significant other. Although there are many benefits of Facebook, the site can also create a lot of tension.In the film Catfish, a documentary directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, a 24-year-old photographer begins talking to a family after becoming intrigued with an 8-year-old child painter prodigy. As the main character Yaniv “Nev” Schulman creates a stronger bond with the family he starts to talk to the young prodigy’s older sister via text, phone calls, and of course, Facebook. Without ever meeting his soon-to-be girlfriend, Nev discovers her appearance, her friends, events, and whereabouts through Facebook.However, when Nev travels to visit the family and girl he has been communicating with for months he learns that all is not what he expected. The location where she has said to be staying is not being occupied by anyone, and the mail he has sent her is still located in the abandoned mailbox. Nev and his friend’s next stop is the house of the young artist who inspired the whole film. While there Nev realizes that the girl he had been having a technology-based relationship with is actually the married mother of the 8-year-old sensation. The mother had created a fake Facebook account, added fake friends she had created and posted fake wall posts.Through imagination, and some form of determination this woman formed a relationship with Nev through Facebook updates and text messages. Eric Eisenberg pronounces in a Catfish review, “As social networking becomes more and more a part of every day life for people of all ages, Catfish is a reminder that it’s wise to wonder what’s truly going on at the other end of the line. ” (Eisenberg) The movie simply proves that Facebook can let a person be anyone they want, the pictures, the updates, everything can be a lie, yet nobody will ever know.It’s a concern of trust, but more so of safety. Even though there are many more negative aspects of Facebook, such as the time it consumes from people every day, the things that makes Facebook non-appealing to many is that it creates jealousy, and tension in intimate relationships. On the web site people are able to tag other people in pictures. The website causes jealousy due to pictures because if a person’s significant other is pictured with someone you don’t know, or aren’t comfortable with, or never told you they would be with, the tension rises and questions come up.Another negative effect of Facebook on relationships is how wall posts may not match exactly what a person said. For example, in the article What Effect does Facebook have on Relationships by Lauren Fisher, she says “If your boyfriend told you they were out for the weekend, that was pretty much it. But now you have the ability, should you want to, to scour their Facebook page for updates over the weekend, to see what they’re up to. ” (Fisher) Facebook creates a sense of suspicion, and obsession to check if your partner is actually doing what he or she claims.Furthermore, Facebook has the ability for people to display their relationship status. A relationship isn’t really a relationship these days unless it is “Facebook official”, and a break-up isn’t concrete until a wall post says that they are single. John Norvell declares “…people had ways of telegraphing their status. ” (Hines) Even though people could always easily portray their relationship status through actions and words the simplicity of updating a page in seconds can cause a person to second guess “trying to talk it over” or give them time to reflect on what’s actually happened, and if breaking up is the best choice.As stated before, Facebook can let people demonstrate their care for another, however it can also become an annoying obsession preformed by many, women more so then men. For instance, “One participant of the survey said that her boyfriend calls her a pain when she does it (comments on his wall or message’s him) because she has done it so many times that it has become obnoxious. ” (Sabatini) Finally, and most obviously, Facebook use correlates directly to stress in relationships. Facebook permits a person’s significant other to view how much activity is taking place, and therefore generates resentment, yet it is a no win situation.If a person has too much information it can be questioned on why so much action is taking place, yet if things are hidden or unable to be seen it is also grounds for distress because curiosity strikes. In a study “Accessibility of information: Increased info about the interactions of significant others lead to increased monitoring and jealousy for 19. 1% of participants”, “Relationship jealousy: 16. 2% of respondents were explicitly linked to Facebook use contributing to jealousy”, and “Lack of context: 7. 4% of respondents referenced how Facebook can be ambiguous and that, without context, jealousy can be spurred over misunderstandings. (Parr) There is no easy way out of the Facebook jealousy factor, except to delete your Facebook account altogether, and consequently disconnect from society in a way. In conclusion, Facebook is a very good way to stay in touch with people who are distances away. It helps people keep up to date, and know what their friends are doing for the day. The site allocates couples to show their affection to the public without even leaving their house, and doesn’t conflict with time schedules or location. But to every good, there is a little bad. Facebook creates jealousy left and right.The web page makes questions arise that may not have before the site was created. And the option of hiding crucial information or checking and obsessing over it can lead to destruction in a somewhat other happy relationship. Overall, Facebook has its positives and negatives, just like everything else in life, but a person has to ask themselves, is social connectivity via the internet worth a full hearted relationship? Only time can tell.

Works Cited

Catfish. Dir. Henry Joost and Areil Schulman. Perf. Navid Schulman. Rouge Films, 2010. Film. Parr, Ben. “Study: Facebook Increases Jealousy in Relationships.Social Media News and Web Tips – Mashable – The Social Media Guide. 9th Aug. 2009. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. . Sabatini, Andrew. “Effects of Myspace and Facebook on Relationships. ” http://webrelationships. wetpaint. com/page/Effects+of+Myspace+and+Facebook.Fisher, Lauren. “What effect does Facebook have on Relationships? ” http://www. simplyzesty. com/facebook/effect-facebook-relationships/.Hines, Twanna A. “Is Facebook Helping or Hurting Your Love Life? ” http://www. fastcompany. com/articles/2008/02/facebook-love-life. html.

Amanda Cordova SOC3400- The Family in Transition 29 November 2010 Communication in Relationships Communication plays a big role in how successful a relationship can be. There are plenty of factors that affect the way individuals communicate. The most difficult part about communication in relationships is how the other person corresponds with you. It is all about how you may speak verbally and nonverbally to others.

Many people believe gender and their roles can make an impact. Females are the sentimental ones who want to express how they feel and focus on intimacy.Males tend to use these as excuses of why they should be in charge or have power. Their idea of being tough and strong is to not show their emotions. There are specific ways of expressing one’s self, but they must learn the basics of communication first. Verbal communication is crucial to communicating in general. One thing a speaker must be aware of is their tone.

The tone of someone’s voice can be misinterpreted. Besides tone, word choice can play a role in how positive you may communicate; language is flexible and can be used in different ways.If someone tells another person, “you do nothing, you’re lazy,” the other person may feel upset or useless. In reality, the other person may be busy with work and school and simply forgot or did not have time to do the dishes. Culture can also play a role on verbal communication. A famous saying in one country can be nonsense in another such as “what you said went straight over my head. ” Culture helps create specific dialects for different groups to make communicating more efficient.

If used correctly, verbal communication can make or break a relationship.Unquestionably, nonverbal communication has just as big of an impact as verbal. Nonverbal can affect auditory, visual and physical channels. In most instances, people can hear the other person talking, read their facial expressions and may be touching or receiving a touch simultaneously. Nonverbal communication has fewer rules and has more meanings. Verbal communication is structured with grammar, spelling, and pronunciation such as periods and exclamation marks or “there,” “their” and “they’re. ” On the other hand, nonverbal communication shows they can also convey ambiguous meanings.

In example, a glance at someone could be defined as flirting, contentment, or a sign of warning. Someone’s facial expressions, eye contact, posture, gestures, vocal tone, and clothing are usually things we focus on when communicating in person. Most importantly, nonverbal communication is being used through technology. Through the recent years, people have been relying on e-mail, phones and text messaging to communicate. Some things can be misinterpreted and cause conflict between relationships. Together, verbal and nonverbal communications express meaning and go hand-in-hand with each other.Generally speaking, males and females have different ways of speaking to others comfortably.

What most people realize is that some of the stereotypes about communication between men and women can be true, but also false. Men tend to communicate more “informative, honest, relevant, and use more clear language” (McCornack, 2010). They usually focus on activities, information, logic and negotiation. Men often see a woman’s perspective on emotions as unreasonable. With women, conversations are negotiations for intimacy and avoiding loneliness in which they “try to seek and give confirmations and support, and to reach consensus” (Tannen, 25).They tend to perceive a man’s view as unsympathetic. Both males and females have different ways of communicating intrapersonally and interpersonally.

When a man has done something wrong, they blame outside circumstances before they blame themselves. They talk for more periods of time; this supports the reasoning of having power and controlling it. In mixed groups, men make 96% of the interruptions and the result is that women have greater difficulty presenting their ideas fully (McCornack 2010). Women can feel men are arrogant.Men can feel that women are not assertive; that women contribute less. Women focus more steadily on the speaker, whether male or female. The result is that men can perceive women are uncritical thinkers, or even as flirting.

Since men make less consistent eye contact, they can be perceived as not listening. Since men have less connections between the 2 sides of the brain, it is sometimes easier for men to process information if they are not directly also trying to process meaning behind eye contact. So sometimes when a man is looking over a woman’s shoulder he is really listening intently.Men will smile and nod to show they agree with the speaker. Women will smile and nod no matter what, including if she disagrees with someone. They will smile and nod when they are sad, when they are confused, and even when they are angry. The result is that men will think women are “on board” when in fact they might not be.

Then men, then, are very surprised when the conflict does arise. Women are acculturated to be pleasant and smile–so it is very hard for men to “read” the smile. Women are more apt to say “please” and “thank you. The result is that men sometimes don’t take women seriously. Both men and women have words they use more frequently than the other sex, and some words that few of the other sex use. For example, men use more war and sports-related analogies; women use more imagery and relationship-based analogies. According to Dindia and Allen, both sexes have socially created stereotypes that keep them from communicating effectively (1992:59).

In their minds, they have a predesigned concept of what is the right way to talk to someone of the opposite sex and someone of the same sex.Some key words to remember when conversing with another person are recognition, acknowledgment, and endorsement. Recognition is to declare that the other person exists. Someone may not voice their thoughts because they feel dismissed and overlooked. This can result in ineffective communication; the odds will always benefit one person over the other. Acknowledgement is a direct response, letting the other person know that you heard them. Endorsement is empathizing with the other person; let them know that you understand their view.

Never become defensive or competitive with whom you are talking to.These factors can pollute the atmosphere and create a negative communication climate. The best way to improve communication in a relationship is recognizing one’s own style of expressing themselves. When expressing your feelings to someone else, always focus on talking about the other person’s behavior, your observations, sharing ideas and choosing the right time and place. If there is something bothering you, for example, not putting things where they belong, tell the other person that you are upset with their actions, instead of calling them lazy or inconsiderate.There are also four rules to follow for effective and efficient communication. First, you must say your feelings directly.

Never assume that the person you are talking to knows how you think. Second, express and voice your feelings to your audience. If something is truly bothering you, take a stand and let someone know you are not happy and vice versa. This could work in some of the smallest situations like trying to decide on what to have for dinner. Thirdly, do not push your boundaries and know your limitations. If there is a problem in a parent and hild relationship, the child should never disrespect their parents. Lastly, do not use any foul language or curse words.

If someone feels attacked or disrespected, they are more likely to dismiss the conversation or retaliate against you. There are three different theories that can be applied to communication in relationships. The first one is social exchange theory. Exchange theorists propose that corresponding with others can be controlled by a share of rewards and costs. A reward can be any form of positive exchange that benefits the relationship.Some examples are compromises, compliments and agreements. A cost is a negative exchange for instance critical remarks, complaints and personal attacks.

Whenever there are more rewards for both people, they have made a profit in their relationship. When there are more costs than rewards, the result is a loss on both parties. The second theory that applies to relationship communication is gender role theory. Gender is socially and culturally constructed concepts that are attached to a male or a female. Gender roles are expectations that a male or female must fulfill or perform. Knox ;amp; Schacht, 78-82). Both are supposed to dress a certain way, they must participate in specific activities, and have completely opposite interests.

In many situations, males and females are divided from young ages, teaching children that there is no other way, but to live by the gender stereotypes that society gives them. Gender role theorists believe there is a social construction on how males and females differ. From early ages, males and females learn specific gender roles and behaviors that are considered appropriate for their gender.Males and females are expected to communicate differently because of their interests, causing a conflict in keeping the two from bonding. The last, and most applicable, is symbolic interaction theory. This theory uses a close-up focus on social interactions in specific situations. People tend to use the looking-glass self to solve situations.

According to Knox and Schacht, this looking-glass self concept “involves looking at each other and seeing the reflected image of someone who is loved and cared for and someone with whom a productive resolution is sought” (2010:122).We tend to think about how our parents will feel if we do not go home for the weekend or how making plans with friends over a loved one will affect the outcome. When we communicate in our relationships, most people are consciously wondering how a conversation will be, making an impact on how the discussion will turn out. In the final analysis, communication can be affected by nonverbal and verbal communication and in some cases, gender differences. Verbal communication can share meanings, shape thoughts, manage relationships, and create conversation.Nonverbal communication is how we express our emotions, convey meaning, manage interactions, and help us communicate through our surroundings. Researchers still have not found enough evidence to support whether or not gender plays a role on communication, but social concepts show otherwise.

Both males and females have predesigned thoughts of how the other must act, appear and talk. When we communicate, we need to recognize our own weaknesses and those of others. The way our relationships communicate can determine how our life will turn out.References Dindia, K. , ;amp; Allen, M. (1992). Sex differences in self-disclosure: A meta-analysis.

Psychological Bulletin, 112, 106-124. Knox, D. , ;amp; Schacht, C. (2010). Choices in relationships: an introduction to marriage and family (10th ed. ). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

McCornack, S. (2010). Reflect ;amp; relate: an introduction to interpersonal communication (2nd ed. ). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s. Tannen, D.

(1990). You just don’t understand: Women and men in conversation. London: Virago.

INTRODUCTION

As the competition in the banking sector is continuing to rise, it is becoming increasingly difficult for many banks to achieve growth as before. Facing fierce competition from both customary brick and motor operations and the emerging internet banks, banks fail to meet performance expectations due to poor understanding of their customer’s needs, not making the most of their staff and most importantly tend to not respond to new sales opportunities.

Banks that will be able to overcome these challenges are the ones that most likely will thrive and prosper into the future, this paper examines the importance of good implementation of customer relationship management in retail banking, and how it can deliver increased revenues and cost savings that will drive profitability and shareholder value while dealing with ongoing changes in this sector (North America Region, Genesys p. 14)

Now a day’s banks customers are more familiar with the fact that they have myriad of options on which bank they chose to work with and that banks can no longer dictate terms and conditions and expect full acceptance from their customers. No longer will customers stay in one bank only because it was the first bank they ever opened a deposit account with or simply because it seems too complicated to deal with the hassle of switching banks.

According to King (2010) “the customer of today expects a total customer experience that works for him”. (p. 40). The customer expects the bank to provide him with the services he needs in the most comfortable way since if the bank fails to do so the customer can always decide to cross the street to a competitor bank or simply click on the competitor’s website. Banks must perform a rapid and seamless service that answers their customers’ needs, one that is done with professionalism and offers the most suitable solution to a client’s problem, the bank needs to be prepared for a client to be well informed and know more about the alternatives than the staff itself.

RELATIONSHIP BANKING

The future success of the world’s banks will be inevitably related to the way banks will choose to serve their customers. Products will become less significant in a world where’s a competitor can copy similar products within hours, technology will be imperceptible to clients who live with continuous technological changes, different advertising methods will be focused on core branding only, and the most significant factor that will stand out is the way the banking sector will improve the level of service they offer to their customers.

The reality in which banks will emerge over the next 10-15 years will be as considerably different for these organizations as comparing retail banks today with what they were in past years. For example, in the past, bankers never had to ask the compliance division for approval on a new initiative, gathering credit risk ratings on customers wasn’t a thing of day-to-day activities, and internet banking simply did not exist.

The internet offers to numerous retail banks 50 percent of their new product applications, self-service and electronic banking accounts for about 90 percent of transactions in the developed world, banks receives approximately 50,000 calls from clients to its call centers on a daily basis.

It is safe to say that retail banking sector have gone through tremendous changes in the past decades and in order to thrive in a fierce competition banks needs to adjust themselves to customers’ needs not only in the always changing technological environment, and in the customer services, but also in regards to its approach to sales (King, 2010, p. 264).

DEVELOPING AND MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS

In order to build a long and lasting relationship with its customer’s banks need to consider not only the basic day-to-day interest of the customer when delivering him with products and services, but should take into account that in today’s competitive environment that is composed of sophisticated customers it should consider on building long-term relationship that will be mutually profitable and beneficial to both sides.

Today’s banker is no longer solely a lender of funds but acts as a manager that is responsible on managing and monitoring customer’s credit and noncredit needs. According to Richardson (1992) “A banker must make sure that the bank’s total calling effort is addressing all of the customer’s needs – investment, trust, cash, management, trade” (p. 134). While making sure this entire spectrum of activities is being monitored, the bankers should ensure that their bank is being properly compensated.

Developing relationship strategies, sales planning, sales and follow up are key factors in relationship building. The first essential step in sales planning process is: prospecting (Richardson, 1992, p.134).

SALES IN BANKING

Consultative banking identifies the significance of sales in the banking sector. Bankers are asked to initiate business, to cross-sell, and to function as consultants to their clients if they expect to attain a fair or disproportionately high share of the market.

Consultative banking is an approach to sales that offer bankers with the necessary skills to increase market share profitability and build up long-term relationships in a highly competitive environment. It provides banker with an approach for understanding the bank’s noncredit as credit products, a method for identifying customer needs and leading efficient sales interviews, and a planning and follow-up structure. Consultative banking takes into consideration the sales communication process between bankers and clients, helping bankers look at their products and services from the customer’s perspective. It appreciates the value that the client derives from the sale.

According to Richardson, (1992):

Bankers must conclude sales that are not only in the best interests of the bank, protecting its profit margin, but also in the best interests of the customer. Mutually beneficial relationships should be the rule not the exception (p. 2).

Resistance to Selling

Even though the consultative approach to sales in banking gives away bankers the chance to serve as advisers and consultants to their customers, not all bankers are contented with the idea of selling. Selling seems to many bankers to be a departure from the profession they originally chosen. In the past, bankers had at best passive selling roles in which they waited for business to approach them. However in today’s highly competitive environment, bank managements worldwide have redefined bankers’ role and currently include in their primary responsibilities active sales solicitation as an integral part of relationship management. The changes from reactive to proactive selling has been encouraged by aggressive marketing from within the banking industry, according to Richardson (1992) the reasons vary from “competition from non-banking institutions, inroads by foreign banks, new technology, deregulation, sophisticated cash management in corporations and a changing loan environment” (p. 4).

Many bankers, both new and experienced, find it hard to settle the apparent contradiction that has surfaced in their profession. Many oppose selling basically because they think that all selling is high pressure. As long as they link sales with high-pressure tactics and misrepresentations, they will rightfully reject it as unprofessional and unworthy of banking.

Nevertheless, not all selling is high-pressure or dishonest. Consultative selling is the direct opposite of high-pressure sales. Perhaps by distinguishing the various kinds of selling it will be possible to detach the negative image and contrast it with the positive benefit that can accrue to customers and bankers alike through consultative selling (Richardson, 1992, p. 4).

Image of Selling

Add information from the internet or from bank 2.0!!

Sales Role of Bankers

With sales having such a negative image, it is reasonable that some bankers respond negatively to selling as a primary part of their jobs. Bankers who refuse to accept their sales role, view sales from its worst viewpoint, as selling persons what they do not want, really cannot use, and cannot afford, rather than examining the ways in which selling can be reciprocally beneficial to the customer and to the seller. Bankers need to bear in mind that there is a vast majority of people that expects bankers to consult with them on the financial alternatives available to them, to improve their situations, to bring them new ideas, and to suit their needs. The emphasis on cash management and investment products is an example of the kind of sophisticated services clients demand from bankers.

The purpose of consultative selling is the development of long-term mutually beneficial relationships, as oppose to one-time sales. Consultative selling is distinguished from other categories of selling in its focus on the customer’s rather than on the sales person or the product. There can be no “take the money and run” situation among bankers, since bankers must be concerned in regards to their customers’ financial well-being, and the last thing they want is for customers to overextend themselves. The objective of the consultative sale is to bring to a close deals that are mutually beneficial and mutually profitable, so that long-term relationships can be developed (Richardson, 1992, p. 6).

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

In order to maximize sales opportunities, bankers must be familiar with a wide range of non-credit, credit related, and credit products or services that their bank offers. Throughout the sales interview, bankers ought to mentally scan for selling or cross-selling opportunities. In their sales role, unless they have had an explicit referral or inquiry from a client, bankers cannot effectively approach a selling opportunity with only one product in mind.

Doing a background research prior to making a call is a significant step in identifying customer needs. For instance, while reading a balance sheet or a company’s annual reports, banker may spot opportunities for investment instruments such as Certificates of Deposit, Master Notes, Commercial Paper, and so on. Or when noticing that the professional employees of a company travel a great deal, bankers can identify an opportunity for marketing a Direct Deposit of Payroll (Richardson, 1992, p. 10).

In order to recognize and respond when opportunities arise when dealing with a customer, bankers need to have a general knowledge of the products which are relevant in their market area. Without this basic knowledge bankers will not be able to answer the needs of their customers or prospects and will not be able to speed up processes or to maximize recognized opportunities.

Understanding the variety of products offered by their bank is often a complex and time-consuming task for bankers. Banks suggest a variety of products, an amount that can range from 20 to 200 products to their corporate, international, retail, and personal trust customers. Bankers are not required to know all of the products marketed by the bank, but they ought to be familiar with a basic number of credit and non credit products that are related to their specific market area. In most cases, without adequate product information the alternatives are lost opportunities and lost market share. According to Richardson (1992) “Without sufficient product information bankers are often reluctant to initiate cross-selling calls, and those who do take the initiative find it difficult to capitalize on opportunities and are not as eager to try again” (p. 11).

Resources for Product Knowledge

It might be helpful to examine how bankers extend their product knowledge and what resources are accessible to them. Bankers have individual contact to product specialists; they can attend seminars or product workshops; they can approach their managers with product related questions; they can listen to joint calls with more experienced officers or specialists. They can achieve product knowledge from banking literature or from banking associations, from advertisements by their bank or competitive banks. They can be mentored by managers and even be taught by their customers. They can learn a great deal from their own experience. All of these resources are accessible, but they are time consuming and not always readily available.

Features and Benefits

Features are qualities or characteristics that the bank places into the product; benefits are the values derived by the client. Features and benefits are the core of sales-oriented product knowledge. The best way to understand a product is by understanding its features and benefits, and there is no better way to sell a product than by linking its features to its benefits. Features and benefits assist bankers link the technical aspects of the product with the clients’ needs. They help bankers understand the product from the customer point of view. Understanding and linking features and benefits allows bankers to view products from a sales perspective rather than from a technical or operational viewpoint.

Qualifying Criteria

A significant factor in prospecting is distinguishing the qualifying criteria for the product. Qualifying criteria are the characteristics that make a customer eligible for a product. Without knowing the qualifying criteria for products, banker may miss sales opportunities or waste time discussing products that may not be appropriate for certain customer.

In order to determine whether a client qualifies for a product, bankers should have the following product information regarding specific criteria’s that render the customer eligibility: Volume of transactions, legal or geographical limitations, credit implications, past relationship with the bank, target market, industry focus (Richardson, 1992, p. 16).

For example if a customer would like to enjoy the commission free deposit account under the segment “new customers” for one year and a half, he would have to prove that in the past year he had no accounts under his name at our bank and he will need to transfer his monthly salary which will be higher than a certain minimum amount to be determined by the bank.

Sometimes bankers, in their eagerness to meet customer needs, agree to options that place preventable burdens on the operation and services area and may in fact reduce the quality of service to the customer. This often result in internal difficulties for the operations area, discontent from the customer side who does not receive what he or she thought had been purchased, and strained relations between operations and the line. By understanding the criteria and the abilities of a product, bankers can broaden internal as well as external satisfaction.

Competitive Information

In order for a banker to capitalize on sales opportunities, bankers should have information on their competitors’ products as well as their own. Competitive information allows bankers to point out (and create) their own product advantages. Familiarizing yourself with the competitors’ products is the key of carving out a competitive edge among products that seems to be similar. Without competitive information, bankers cannot contrast their competitors’ strengths and weaknesses with their bank’s competitive selling points. Without competitive information bankers cannot react to objections concerning other offers, nor can they appreciate their own bank’s capabilities. Bankers should know who their major competitors are and also the trade names for the competitor’s products.

Pricing

Pricing is an important feature of any product. Bankers should be aware of not only the fees and balances for a specific product but also the fee parameter, and special situations that require input from the technical specialists to conclude pricing. Bankers must remember that price is a product feature, and when negotiating price they should treat it like any feature by linking it to its benefits. Pricing information is critical not only to the customer, bankers should not be deprived of it simply because it is negotiable based on options or the total relationship. Bankers should be presented with pricing parameters, and instructions to defer price to specialists when the pricing requires input from them (Richardson, 1992, p. 16).

Bankers should be given with names and extensions of specialists in order for them to receive product information when necessary (especially in times of negotiations with customers). Convenient access to specialists is essential if bankers are to make referrals or have their questions answered.

Documentation

Bankers should be familiar with the documents or contracts to be signed and the forms to be completed to guarantee smooth implementation. They should be ready to give details on any complex or unique agreements, such as the loan agreements.

Management should make sure that product information is channeled on an ongoing basis to line bankers in the field; it should encourage the stream of communication from the line to the specialists. The specialists have a great deal of information about the bank’s own products, and bankers who have day-to-day, in person interaction with clients often have a great deal of information about competitive products and market trends and demands. Due of their customer contact, bankers are often aware of market developments and competitive changes before specialists or management. It is important to bring up-to-date information to management and specialist in order for the bank not to lose its market share.

PROSPECTING

A prospect may be an existing client who is qualified for complementary or additional products, services, or credit, or a new entity, may it be a person or a company with the potential of becoming a new client.

Prospecting usually follows up after the sales planning phase, and it involves the process of actively searching out and developing new business sources.

One of the most important sales planning strategies is the development and organization of a practical prospect list. Bankers should identify their market area and determine the types of companies that make up their target market.

Once they identify their market, bankers should develop their prospect lists. These lists usually include information coming from the Bank’s market and research unit, present customers, published materials (trade magazines, reports, annual reports, and credit rating agencies), colleges, organizations, personal friends etc.

The prospect lists should be updated with deletions and additions when adjustments are made and should be presented with a personal input to each profile for identification reasons, examples for basic information include are: Name of a person, company or a business, relationship with the bank or with other banks, annual sales volume or yearly income, customer needs and contact dates (Richardson, 1992, pp.135-136).

Prospect ratio

Bankers need to set the numbers of prospects they should meet with, in order to attain their objectives so that they can schedule their sales activities. Richardson (1992) claims that “bankers should determine their own prospect ratio (hit ratio of numbers of prospects to be contacted to make a sale)” (p. 137). He argues that apart from the factors that influence the market, it is important for bankers to track the number of calls made to the number of sales made, in order to know their success average.

A few examples of prospect ratios could be: The amount of money to be achieved from new clients over a period of time, the amount of prospects to be approached or called to in order get an appointment for a sales interview, or the amount of meetings needed to be conducted in order to produce a new customer (Richardson, 1992, pp.137-138).

Appointment calls

It is preferable that bankers organize their appointments in advance. This is mostly suitable with corporate customers; with small neighborhood businesses or with personal banking customers it may possibly be more acceptable to make cold calls (a call without an appointment).

The telephone is an efficient tool for arranging appointments. When calling for an appointment, bankers should try, in most circumstances, to avoid the temptation to sell over the phone with new customers.

To maximize the benefits of the telephone, bankers should appreciate its strengths as well as its limitations. As one of its major strengths the telephone is a very useful time saver for arranging to meet with prospects. Bankers should also identify the limitations of the telephone and limit their conversations to the kind of information included in the opening of their sales calls, in which they sell the appointment, and not the product.

At all costs – and it may probably cost the appointment – bankers should avoid the trap of trying to sell over the telephone, furthermore Richardson (1992) argues that appointment telephone calls with prospects should be limited to “Greeting, identifying banker and bank, using hinge, stating possible value to customer in seeking banker, requesting the initial appointment, establishing date, time and place, confirming date to tie down the appointment, repeat your name to the customer” (p. 139).

In cases where sufficient information on the customer is still missing it is customary that after the initial stage of the telephone conversation and after stating possible values in opening an account in our bank to ask direct questions regarding the customer background in order to adjust the best terms that will suit his needs.

Telephone Brush-off Objections

Due to prospects’ busy schedules, competitive strains and business pressures, prospects may resist scheduling the appointment and offer “brush-off” objections such as “I’m too busy at the moment”, “I’m rather satisfied with my bank” and “tell me over the phone what you want in order for us to save time”, Usually when such “brush-off” phrases come up it is because they often really saying that they are still not convinced that there is an advantage for them in the meeting.

The customer may not really want a dissertation on the product, but does want to know how he or she will benefit from the meeting. In attempting to resolve the objection, bankers should avoid at any cost selling over the phone and keep away from lengthy product or idea discussions. Since bankers themselves are the most central factor in communicating information, they should not rely on the telephone voices alone to establish rapport, credibility, or suitable for the time necessary for an effective sales interview (Richardson, 1992, p.140).

Usually when facing a “brush-off” objection it important for a banker to repeat the customer’s objection, restate the potential benefit that may occur to the prospect through the sales meeting, and offer a 15-minutes or half-hour introductory appointment in a time and place which is most suitable to the client. Getting the appointment with a prospect is often determined by the banker’s ability to suggest a possible opportunity to the prospect.

Bankers should work toward setting a brief initial appointment and should use their appointment time to motivate the prospect to extend the time or set a full appointment. These first minutes should be dedicated into finding out about the prospect’s financial situation, uncover the prospect’s needs, and interest the prospect sufficiently with information regarding the bank’s ability to meet these expectations.

When the opening 15 minutes are up, bankers should recognize this and ask whether they should continue, or if a second appointment would be more suitable.

According to Richardson, (1992):

The objections and responses show how bankers can keep sight of their objective to sell a personal sales interview and to retain control of the telephone conversation. Trying to sell on the telephone often result in lost opportunities. Proposals in the mail and other non-direct approaches are time-consuming and expensive, and their results are often disappointing. Personal first interviews usually cannot be replaced by phone calls, proposals, or letters (p. 143).

Telephone Calls Preparation

Planning and homework should precede all telephone calls. Preparation is essential if the time, effort, and potential of telephoning are to be realized. Bankers should be prepared with names, dates, and data. In some cases even the smallest pieces of information can be beneficial when closing a deal, insignificant as they may seem.

The calls should be taken from a relatively quiet and uninterrupted location and notes should be taken regarding new or additional information given during the conversation. It is essential for bankers to make sure they are keeping track of their progress when dealing with the customer and make sure that they are maximizing present opportunities and following up as promised or required. The telephone can be a powerful tool when planning a sales or a follow up strategy.

Even though the telephone is an essential part of the deal but acts only as a primary stage before the meeting itself, it can be used to begin and maintain a sales dialogue and reach agreements when face-to-face meetings are not possible because of geographical distance and time factors. When using the telephone to sell it is important to make a checklist prior to the call, take notes during the call, and confirm agreements in writing (Richardson, 1992, pp. 148-149).

NURTURING THE ACCOUNT

The relationship is instigated after an agreement has been reached and the contract has been signed. Relationships must be cultivated and nurtured if they are to survive. The objective of nurturing is to preserve and develop relationships and to establish long-term relationships that are beneficial to the customer and to the bank. Nurturing is a vital part of relationship management, since it is the vehicle for follow-up, cross-selling, problem solving and overall account preservation. One of the most significant functions of bankers in cultivating the relationship is to monitor the decision makers and the organizational structure. They should as well monitor the total calling effort of the bank to maximize the full profit potential of the relationship.

Follow up

Follow up is a mechanism for guaranteeing customer satisfaction and therefore is essential to relationship management. As relationship managers, bankers should function as a liaison between the client and the bank to facilitate a smooth start for a new product or service and to monitor the activities of their relationships. If problems arise, Bankers should resolve them and offer customers with the service and personal attention they require. Consistent effective follow up is the weakest link in many businesses. Bankers that offer their customers an efficient and timely follow-up and follow-through are almost always guaranteed of creating their own competitive edge over a large segment of their competitors. To facilitate follow-up, bankers are ought to update their records and complete call reports immediately after the call, initiate appropriate internal contacts with product areas, develop internal leverage for credit approval, reply in a timely manner, and record monitoring and follow-up activities in their own calendars to trigger future activities. Follow-up actions can consist of providing information to the customer, setting an appointment with a specialist, or installing a new product or service. If there is no specific follow-up, bankers should put a memo in a tickler file and initiate the next personal or telephone nurturing call within a reasonable time p, regularly at least once a quarter. Energies, progress, and opportunities can be wasted unless there is closely controlled follow-up. Follow-up (a personal visit, telephone contact, a letter, an e-mail, clipping and sending of an article) is as significant to sales as sales planning, the making of sales calls, or completing sales, particularly in a highly competitive environment. Follow-up divides professionals from everyone else.

Cross-Selling

Cross-selling is an important by-product of nurturing. Since nurturing calls are excellent ways to recognize and maximize cross-selling opportunities. The term cross-selling refers to providing additional bank products and services to current clients.

All customers who have an account with the bank are targets for cross-selling. According to Richardson (1992) “Nurturing provides a way to expand relationships, since present customers are the best sources of additional business” (p.150), customers who have a relationship with the bank can often benefit from products that complement their present systems or form a new products that can meet their other financial and banking needs. For example, a customer who likes to be frequently updated with the present condition of his account will enjoy the SMS service that informs the bank’s customers of specific transactions that have been conducted in their accounts, according to their wishes.

Cross-selling is a vital factor in developing and keeping market share. Research has demonstrated that the bond between customers and the bank is strengthened significantly with each additional credit and non credit product. Because of the changes in the banking industry, customers have begun to expect their banks to be able to please the full spectrum of their financial needs. Bankers can capitalize this by initiating ways to integrate services and increase customer convenience.

Cross-selling results are not a matter of coincidence or simply being at the right place and at the right time. Bankers need to create their own luck by broadcasting their range of product knowledge and refining their communication skills so that they can recognize and maximize the opportunities that exist with each of their customers. They should take advantage of their product knowledge, customer knowledge, and consultative selling techniques to build relationships. To assist bankers in their cross-selling efforts, banks provide computerized systems that provide access to information on present customers, from which cross-selling opportunities can be determined. Relevant information can be used to identify the customer’s present relationship with the bank and to project cross-selling opportunities.

Cross-selling sets long-term relationships. It is the vehicle for not only keeping market share but also for expanding it. It helps bankers lock in their customers and block their competitors. In today’s banking environment, banks are forcefully seeking one another’s market share. The constant relationship that once existed in banking is not a part of the banking climate of today. Today’s bankers need to earn their customers’ loyalty by building a total banking relationship and they must help build in loyalty by satisfying needs through the cross-selling of credit and non-credit services. The noticeable advantage of cross-selling, as a relationship strategy, mainly for priority accounts, is that it reduces the customer’s need or desire to look to other financial institutions for financial services (Richardson, 1992, pp. 150-152)

Nurturing Calls

Nurturing calls are calls to the present customers. They are vital to the banking sector and these customers are considered to be the best prospects in cross-selling.

Nurturing calls need to be more than “what’s new” or “hello” calls. Often bankers go unprepared for a nurturing call. The purpose of the nurturing should be to identify and satisfy needs. Nurturing calls that do not result in uncovering problems may not uncover opportunities. Bankers must look for existing problems, bank related or company related. Bankers who can aid in solving problems that the customer has can strengthen and expand the business relationship. When problems are understood and addressed, bankers can make recommendations that satisfy customer needs, while at the same time they promote the products or services of the bank and increase the bank’s market share.

Nurturing call involve specific preparation. Bankers should refer to sales call reports, files, and records from the period where they have conducted the last call, to analyze and evaluate the status of the relationship.

Bankers have to complete call reports, not just to “push paper” but to keep track of information that was gathered during the last contact. Memory shouldn’t play a role when contacting a customer. Far too much costly information is lost when entrusted to memory. Call reports when they are completed and filed appropriately, can give bankers or their colleagues instant and complete recall. As bankers open their nurturing call, bankers should: Greet customer, summarize status to date, ask about customer satisfaction, look for problems and if a problem arises discuss it, and provide informative data.

In case there is a need for further assistance from the customer side the banker should meet with the support personnel, plan next step or corrective step, be alert for opportunities to cross-sell, and strengthen contacts with the customer.

Nurturing is a part of sales planning, sales implementation, and sales maintenance. It is the sign of a healthy customer relationship. While nurturing, bankers reinforce the confidence that customers exhibited in choosing them and their bank initially. Nurturing strengthens established relationships and converts new accounts into a long-term relationship. Bankers who nurture their accounts are less likely to lose them, and that of course is the purpose of relationship banking (Richardson, 1992, pp. 152-153)

CONCLUSION

References:

Connell, R. Measuring Customer and Service Profitability: In the Finance Sector . London: Chapman & Hall, 1995.

Divanna, J. The Future of Retail Banking: Delivering Value to Global Customer. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.

King, B. Bank 2.0: How Customer Behavior and Technology Will Change the Future of Financial Services. Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Business , 2010.

Richardson, L. Bankers in the Selling Role: A Consultative Guide to Cross-Selling Financial Services . Canada: Wiley & Sons Inc, 1992.

Ritter, D. Relationship Banking: Cross-Selling The Bank’s Products & Services To Meet Your Customer’s Every Financial Need. New Jersey: Probus Publishing Co., 1993.

Few things go as well together as fish and chips, mint and lemon, or brunch and Fridays, but when it comes to your , you can probably count on a couple of fingers just how many truly great and satisfying relationships your firm has garnered over the years. One great relationship all power brands have in common is the client-agency relationship. But in the Middle East, where relationships are everything in business, client-agency relationships here seem to be overlooked or plainly undervalued.

It seems to be fact totem of the region’s creative industry that long lasting client-agency relationships are as rare as legible government- sponsored safety campaigns. All too often, creative works are commissioned in a similar way to nuts and bolts- the lowest cost is the best; if you’re considering only the immediate cost of creativity, those guys in accounts are going to have a supremely detrimental affect on your .

What brands in the Middle East fail to appreciate is the essential nature of client-agency relationships in creating business advantage: the industry’s best work is the result of . For example, Honda’s brand image has been forged largely thanks to the insightful and often large-scale creative muscle of Wieden+Kennedy. For decades, some of Apple’s most iconic advertising resulted from its founder’s partnership with TBWAChiatDay. The firm was so instrumental in crafting ’s image that Steve Jobs sacked the incumbent agency and reappointed TBWAChiat Day when he was brought back to lead the firm in 1997.

Related: 

What power brands like Apple and Honda understand is the power of harnessing creativity and the passion of creative people in the pursuit of their business objectives. To remain relevant, brands have to evolve consistently and this evolution takes deep understanding of a brand’s DNA and soul. In the Middle East, the sense of permanence is a relatively new thing and things change like sandiness in a breeze, more often to the detriment of a brand’s consistency. Considered evolution becomes chaotic revolution and the equity and trust a brand has struggled to build is lost.

All brands have to evolve to remain relevant to a changing society and its evolving expectations. has to be done in tune with its strategy. This work takes deep insights and careful consideration, which isn’t going to happen when the agency is changed every time the pitch calendar chimes. Changing annually just because “it’s time” results in ego-driven work winning out over consistent evolution.

While agencies might not like to admit it, when new creative teams win an account, they want to put their stamp on the brand, to change it, to take it in a new direction. This is often contrary to the interests of well-established brands. That is not to say that many brands in the Middle East don’t need a radical overhaul, but that all too often, brands with well-established aesthetics change their tone of voice all too quickly, to the detriment of their established equity and trust.

Related: 

Building a trusted relationship with an agency ensures they understand your brand and are invested in your success. The creative team begins to appreciate what makes your brand tick, its likes and dislikes, things it should and shouldn’t do. This kind of learning takes time, and when you change an agency, you lose this learning and have to restart educating a new team. Building on top of this learning, however, is where the great creative work happens. Insights about the essential nature of your brand and how these can best be coupled with insights about your consumers is the fertile ground for growing truly engaging communication and innovations.

When you feel like a team understands both your brand and your consumer, you begin to trust them when they push you to create the communication that’s unique and can cut through the noise. Honda’s “Love/ Hate” campaign is the product of a trusting relationship, as is TBWA ChiatDay’s “Think Different.” The latter challenged formal linguistic relevance in a way that most clients would not support; the former used negativity as a thematic device, which is typically a total brand no-no. These award-winning works can only come when a brand trusts its agency to know its brand and its consumers implicitly. Some might say this work is risky, but Honda and Apple had such trust in their agencies that they were able to play closer to the edge than many mainstream brands were thought capable of, and the results were impactful.

The future of your brand should be entrusted to people who care about it. Guns-for-hire, who are only in the fight for a single round, are not the . It’s like expecting the bit of fluff you picked up at the bar the other night to stick by you when your credit card is maxed out- unlikely. Long relationships benefit both parties tremendously as you can both learn what each other need to grow. In all relationships, there are going to be good times and bad, but if you work the issues out, you will find that the relationship, like a good marriage, can be deeply rewarding, in the way a series of dates can never be.

Related: 

Every successful entrepreneur knows that relationships are key. No business is made in a vacuum, and the way you interact with clients, employees, coworkers and other entrepreneurs can give your business life or bring it to its death.

Unfortunately, there’s no perfect how-to on building the right kind of relationships. For example, you could meet someone who could potentially become a huge client for your startup. However, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, or possibly even having poor body language, can end the relationship before even starts.

Entrepreneurs also have to be concerned about who they’re building relationships with. If your largest client is somebody that you can’t trust, then you need to ask yourself: is our business safe with this person? Putting your faith in the wrong people can put your business in a pretty tough spot.

With all this in mind, there’s little that you’ll get very far without some good connections. You never know what a connection can offer and the bigger your network, the better.

Engaging with others.

One of the first things you’ll need to do after you start a business — and likely even before you start a business — is connection building. Finding the right connections can help you and your business succeed. But where do you find these connections, and once you find them, how do you form the relationship?

The best way to find good connections is through networking. There are plenty of ways to approach this — you could ask your friends and family if they have anyone who could help you, you could research possible connections on your own or you could go to networking events.

If you aren’t good at networking, then don’t let this step deter you. Not many people are born ready to network and building a real business connection with a complete stranger can be a difficult process. But practice makes perfect — besides, these are connections you’ll need to succeed. You can’t afford to let these people slip away. If you’re quick to adapt, then you’ll quickly learn the ins and outs of networking. If not, there are plenty of helpful guides around the internet that can give you tips.

Sometimes, the networking is the easy part — but finding the people to network with is difficult. If this is your issue, consider checking out this list of helpful organizations. Not only are they great for networking, but you could also end up learning some other useful skills along the way. Also be sure to check out any local entrepreneurial networking events. They happen all the time, and a quick search online can help you find anything nearby that could help.

Building value.

One tip I can give to those who aren’t the best at networking: Be valuable.

Related:

Just take a moment to understand how the entire process of networking works. Normally, it will be you and a complete stranger. There’s a good chance that you want or need something from them or someone they know, which means that they’re valuable to you.

If you walk up to this person and immediately ask them to give something to you, what do you think they’ll say? If they yes, then you’ve found one of the most generous people in the world. If they say no, then you’ve met a rational human being.

When a stranger walks up to you and asks you to listen to their business pitch, asks for the contact of someone you know or asks for funding, your normal response would be “no.” In all honesty, this should be your reaction. After all, you’re not going to give up something important to a stranger just because they asked.

The same works for when you’re networking. Recognize that whoever you want to approach is a person, and you’re a stranger to them. Make yourself valuable. When you approach them, try to build a genuine connection. Ask them about their business and their goals, and if you’re at a networking event, ask them why they came. Everyone who goes to a networking event is looking for something — if you can help them out, then they’ll be much more likely to help you out.

If they aren’t looking for anything, perhaps they’ll learn something about you during a normal conversation. If you build a connection with them, they’ll be more likely to help you with what you need.

Working with other entrepreneurs.

One of the greatest parts about is that it’s always changing. This keeps things dynamic, sure, but it also means that the field is constantly innovating — and innovation is good.

An innovation that I’ve noticed going on in the interconnectivity of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are becoming more likely to work with each other instead of against each other.

This is happening because entrepreneurs understand the importance of relationships. Every relationship you build is a connection that could help you down the road. If I were to connect with an entrepreneur who wanted me to help get them exposure, then I’m immediately proving myself valuable to them. This increases the chances of them helping me if I need to tap into their network.

Just remember that you can be valuable to anyone — you just need to prove it to them. If you want to have someone help you, help them first. The more you do for others, the more they’ll do for you. People are built to work together in a community and a network is no different.