educate the boss about its value . Your best strategy , then , is to develop a relationship with the company head ’ s assistant or a wellplaced manager , to dramatically boost your chance of making a deal . And the best way to do that is to give thoughtful corporate gifts .
Who are your allies ? Gifts are a great way to connect with staff members who work hard for little recognition . Depending on the organization , you might find the best allies in division heads or assistants , event planners or junior team members looking for ways to get noticed . Showing appreciation and respect for their time helps earn their trust and assistance .
John Ruhlin is the founder of Ruhlin Group . John ’ s company is trusted by the leaders of fast-growing companies to develop relationship-building strategies and VIP gifting programs to increase referrals and strengthen retention with their most important clients , employees , and prospects . His book , GIFTOLOGY : The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise , Increase Referrals , and Strengthen Retention , was released in June , 2016 .
Visit ruhlingroup . com
Assistants make especially powerful advocates . They ’ re most likely to remember reps who send gifts or add thoughtful touches to their interactions , and they ’ re willing to reciprocate by getting proposals in front of decision-makers .
Internal allies can also spot the right openings and say , “ Now that you ’ ve wrapped up that project , do you want to spend a couple of minutes talking about company X ?” That will be far more effective than sending the CEO 10 emails or calling every other week .
TO MAKE THESE CONNECTIONS , USE THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES TO ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS WITH KEY INFLUENCERS :
1 . TREAT THEM WITH RESPECT .
When building relationships , many entrepreneurs talk down to everyone except the head decision-maker , and that ’ s a big mistake . Employees in junior or administrative positions are far from insignificant , and treating the boss ’ team badly all but guarantees that your deal will fall through .
Give gifts to event planners , administrators and other support staff at the same caliber as you would
executives . They ’ ll appreciate it more than their bosses will ( because these gifts are totally unexpected ), and they ’ ll often want to reciprocate by helping you get your proposal through . Don ’ t overlook the people who surround your target prospect ; they hold more power than you realize .
2 . DEVELOP THE RELATIONSHIP . IT ’ S NOT ENOUGH TO SEND ASSISTANTS NICE GIFTS EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE .
Be helpful , with no strings attached . Help them in their job searches , or offer to be a connector when they ’ re looking for new opportunities . I always oblige when clients ’ assistants ask for recommendations . These people frequently act as bridges to the decision-makers in their next jobs as well .
I was once wooing an NBA team head for a potentially massive account . As part of my regular interactions with his assistant , I sent her a quality knife set as a gift . She spoke so highly of my company after receiving it that , seven months later , she opened the door to six other divisions within the team , and we landed a six-figure deal as a result .
3 . APPRECIATE DECISION-MAKERS ’ FAMILIES .
We all have someone in our personal lives who influences our opinions . So , establish relationships with other people ’ s personal influencers . I like to send a special subscription gift , such as a custom leather tote bag or handmade cutlery , to my clients ’ spouses . They ’ re always touched that I thought of them , and that goodwill deepens my company ’ s relationship with the client .
Surprising people with gifts isn ’ t just a feel-good strategy it ’ s sound business advice . When an assistant or spouse receives an unexpected present from a company , he or she develops a sense of loyalty to that brand . These people talk it up to the decision-maker and foster a positive association going into sales talks or negotiations .
So , in the end , CEOs may make the final decisions , but successful relationships begin with their inner circles . u
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