The Relationship Edge: The Key to Strategic Influence and Selling Success, Third Edition

Chapter 14. AND WHAT IF YOU'RE THE BOSS?

The process I've presented in the first 13 chapters should help virtually anybody build better business relationships and thereby be more effective (and happier) at work. But what if you are the boss? How does a manager incorporate these ideas into the organization's fabric to improve the effectiveness of the organization's relationship-building?

I talk about sales managers throughout this chapter, but clearly the issues affect more than the sales department. This process is especially relevant for customer service departments, law practices, management consultants, accountants, matrix organizations—any business or job function where relationships play a large role in success.

I will talk about the six drivers of business success, the problems I see with much sales training, what a manager must do to implement relationship-building within the organization, and conclude with a guide to coaching relationship development.

All of this begins, of course, with the manager's mind-set. If managers do not truly believe that building strong business relationships is a valuable skill, they will have a difficult time convincing others. They can go through the motions, even say the right things, but without their own conviction the message comes across as just another management fad. Experienced employees will know that if they keep their heads down, it'll pass like a bad cold.

With the Link 20 questions, managers now have a tool by which they can measure ...