Search Results for: blog hows your handshake

Is Yours a “Shake Hands” Kind of Business?

Recently, I was involved in a quick chat about how the business world has changed and the person I was talking to told me that she was impressed at how many hugs she got while working. As she explained it, “I’m just not in a hand-shaking type of business anymore, now it is all about hugging.” I realized that I do make some “classic” assumptions about running a home business and one of them is that business relationships are founded on the handshake. This isn’t necessarily true for many… Strange that it wouldn’t dawn on me since I do conference … Continue reading →

Keep Your Business Message Positive

Despite all the mud-slinging and negatively slanted reality shows and sensational media stories, people do respond to pleasantries. Especially when it comes to where they spend their money. If you’ve ever stopped to think about all those commercials and successful corporate advertising campaigns, you will notice that they all have one thing in common–they approach the message from a positive perspective. What message is your home business sending? Is it a positive one? Perhaps you have been so busy with day-to-day details of running a business that you have not really taken the time to think about what the message … Continue reading →

Follow Up With Proof

If you are making claims and statement in your business marketing (and most of us are), there comes a point when you have to follow those claims and statements up with proof. You are going to have to back up what you say by proving it to the customer if you are going to build your reputation on honesty and follow-through. I don’t necessarily think that the “proof” needs to be dramatic. For example, I tell clients and prospective clients that I am good with deadlines—in fact, I’ve never missed a deadline in my professional work and I am rather … Continue reading →

Cultivating a Reputation for Honesty and Integrity

While you may feel and be a person who is honest and trustworthy in your home business, you may not be getting that point across to your clients and customers. There are some communication and body language techniques you can cultivate to let your customers and clients know that you are a trustworthy and honest person of character and someone with whom they can have confidence doing business with: It is important to be direct and honest with customers and clients from the very first interaction. Be careful that you don’t make any promises that you won’t be able to … Continue reading →