Courting Business

Table of contents

1. Cover Page
2. Title Page
3. Copyright Page
4. Acknowledgments
5. Contents
6. Introduction
   1. What Prompted This Book
   2. What Does “Courting Business” Mean?
7. How Is “Accelerating” Business Relationships Different From the Way You’re Already Interacting With Prospects?
8. The Laws of Attraction
9. How Would You Rate Your Courtship Savvy?
10. It’s Your Attitude, Not Your Aptitude, That Determines Your Altitude
11. The Power of Kevin Bacon’s Six Degrees of Separation
12. The Power of a Compliment
13. Stroke, Don’t Provoke
14. Follow the K.I.S.S. Rule
15. Prospects Have to See Things Seven Times
16. Court, Don’t Call
17. Clients Are Prospects, Too!
18. Creativity + Consistency = Courtship Success
19. Keep Your Prospects “Warm”
20. If You’re on Time, You’re Late!
21. Write Down the Time You Have to Leave Rather Than the Time You Have to Be Somewhere
22. People Tend to Be More Willing to Give You Their Time When You Ask for a Specific Amount of It
23. Help Your Prospects With Your Homework: Get Your Competitors on the Table
24. Court Your Prospects by Finding Common Ground With Them
25. Making the Connection Through the Likeability Factor
    1. Enhancing Your Telephone Presence
26. Be Friendly to Everyone—Even on the Subway!
27. Putting the Platinum Rule Into Practice
28. You Don’t Have to Be Bilingual to Speak Your Prospect’s Language
29. Prospects Don’t Care How Much You Know Until They Know How Much You Care
30. Kerchoo! Keep Cold Calls From Creating a Chilling Effect With Prospects
31. The Secret for Getting Your Ideas Accepted
32. Always Leave Them Wanting More
33. If You Don’t Have Time to Do It Right the First Time, What Makes You Believe You’ll Have Time Later?
34. Use a System to Navigate Your Day
35. Analyze Your Business Day
36. Anything You Have Done More Than Three Times in Exactly the Same Way Should Be Empowered to One of Your Team Members
37. Work as Though Your Salary Depends on It
38. What People Really Want Are the Basics
39. Communication Is Everything!
40. Keep Track of Your Communication With Prospects
41. Leave a Good Paper Trail
42. Design a Business Courtship Plan That Will Work With Your Prospects
43. Always Ask Permission for Others’ Time
44. The Early Bird Catches the Worm: Adapt Your Schedule to the Time Frame of Your Prospects and Clients
45. Educate and Inform…and Watch Business Come to You
46. Make Your Net Work for You
47. Own Up!
48. The Art of Preplanning Meetings
49. The Ask, Don’t Tell Principle
50. News Flash: You Act Like You Look, and You Get Results Based on How You Dress
51. Court Prospects the Costco Way
52. Keep Prospects Updated
53. Build a Brain Trust—and Play With Prospects a Little
54. He Who Speaks First About Fees Loses
55. Always Confirm Receipt
56. Become a Contributing Editor
57. Find the Rhythm
58. Interruption or Opportunity?
59. You Are Only as Good as Your Own Team’s Perception of You
60. Once You Earn the Business—Keep It!
61. Ready, Set, Court!
    1. Eight Courtship Pitfalls
62. Cutting In: Winning Prospects From Competitors
    1. An Ode to Joe Canning
63. Accommodate Prospects’ Requests—Quick!
64. What Do Your Eyes Say?
65. Empower the Person Who Answers Your Line
66. If You Cannot Return a Call by the End of the Day…
67. Woo Your Prospects With Notes
68. Who Should Send the Thank-You When You Spring for Lunch?
69. Cream Rises
70. Tuck Them In
71. Stop at the But! (And Other Lessons)
72. Keep Your Eyes on the Target
73. Does Failing Make You Bitter or Better?
74. Sink or Swim
75. If You’re Down, Look Up
76. Belief Makes Things Happen
77. Own Your Success
78. First Expect Prompt Results…Then Demand Them
79. Tolerance Breeds Incompetence
80. Hot Prospects, Cold Prospects
    1. How to Empower Your Prospects
81. Role Reversal: When You Are Being Courted by Vendors
82. Conclusion
    1. Advice From Seasoned Rainmakers
83. Index
84. About the Author