What do baby showers have to do with business?
When relatives are involved, it’s all about building and maintaining relationships just as you do with your prospects and clients! So although somewhat inconvenient, we rented a car and did a 24 hour turnaround to and from L.A.
I communicated positively about the entire experience, kept a mindset of “It’s going to be great”, and took a leadership role in the event by baking, as well as co-hosted or collaborated for a successful event. Set-up and clean-up were cheerfully volunteered.
This was an effort to build my brand of “great relative” by conveying positive marketing messages to the guests about the event and people involved. A couple of relatives from the other side of the family are from Mexico. I had a terrific time getting to know them better, and networked or made a few new acquaintances.
The reason I write this is clients frequently ask, “What do sales and entrepreneurial skills have to do with personal matters”? The answer is, “Everything”! When you have the ability to “sell” your endeavors to your family (they cease believing you are crazy) – you then have the confidence to sell to anyone, thus affecting your business development in a positive way.
My advice for today: challenge yourself to begin selling to your most difficult relatives and you will soon be on the path to closing more sales. Even if it isn’t always smooth with some relatives, in business you will soon learn to enjoy the Smooth Sale!
