Carolina Business Articles

Ten New Year's Shmooze-olutions For Business Leaders

Want A More Prosperous 2006? Focus On Building Strong, Emotion-Based Relationships.

      A new year is upon us. Time to think about your most important business relationships and to set some goals for 2006. In fact, according to sales consultant Richard Abraham, you should make this year the year of the relationship.

      Strong relationships are the backbone of a strong business, says Abraham, the author of Mr. Shmooze: The Art and Science of Selling Through Relationships. All transactions are ultimately driven by emotion. Shmoozing is all about contact, passion, and giving. The better you shmooze, the more you sell. The more you sell, the more prosperous you become. It's brilliantly simple.

      Abraham's book conveys his lucrative philosophy in the form of a story told from the point of view of an intern working with Mr. Shmooze. This larger-than-life character - a real-life composite of the greatest salespeople the author has encountered in his own career - amazes the narrator as he sails through his unconventional business meetings spreading laughter, humor, and even joy.

      Although his book is aimed at salespeople, Abraham is quick to point out that anyone who communicates with prospects or current clients should perfect the art of shmoozing. Here are his top ten New Year's Shmooze-olutions for the upcoming year:

In 2006 I Resolve To ...

       1. Find out what my clients' passions are - away from work - and feed those passions in any way I can. Let's say you notice a framed photo of an unusual looking dog on your client's desk. A bit of probing reveals that it's his Russian Wolfhound, Anastasia, a pet upon whom he dotes. Keep that tidbit in mind and look for ways to use it as shmoozing fodder: send him a book on exotic dog breeds, a website link to a Wolfhound rescue agency, a $25 off coupon from a pet portrait photography studio.

      2. Touch all of my key customers no less than once a month - preferably more. There is always a reason to get in touch. If you can't think of a legitimate business reason to visit, call, or email, then come up with a fun or personal one. In March, send her a St. Patrick's Day e-card. In June, stop by her office to drop off a nicely wrapped gift for her son who just graduated high school. (You have all the pertinent info on VIP customers' family members in your file, right?) In September, call to invite her to your company's informal Labor Day bash.

      3. Surprise and delight my clients in ways that lift their spirits. One key to client delight is practicing the art of elevation, says Abraham. With every interaction, go beyond the expected. Kick it up a notch. Don't just send your client a birthday card. Instead, show up at her office with an ice cream cake and enough paper plates to share with her coworkers. Take pictures of everyone laughing and enjoying their cake break. The next day, get them developed and send them to her office - the photos will be a long-term reminder of you and your company.

      4. Thank my clients, personally, for the positive impact they are having on me and my family. Don't allow feelings of self-consciousness or embarrassment to derail you. A sincere, heartfelt thank you is always appreciated.

      5. Ask each and every client, What else can I be doing to be of further/better service to you?" Don't assume you're already doing everything right. It's amazing, says Abraham. Most clients won't voluntarily tell you when they're unhappy or when they need more from your relationship. But ask and you shall receive.

      6. Be a world-class listener. Don't make the mistake of over-talking to convince a client or prospect that you have the product or service he wants. Unless you listen, you won't know what he really needs. Besides, listening will help you uncover important clues about his family members, his interests, his passions - clues that can yield future shmoozing opportunities. And one more thing: Sometimes people just need to vent, says Abraham. They appreciate, and remember, when someone listens with concern and compassion. When a client opens up to you, treat it like the honor that it is.

      7. Treat every customer like he/she is my only customer and my life depends on him/her. (It does!) Customers can tell when you are taking them for granted or going through the motions, says Abraham. Focus only on the customer you're with at the moment. Don't let your mind wander! Actually, that's a good rule for interacting with everyone in your life - client, partner, family member, or friend.

      8. Make my presentations short on features and long on benefits. Never forget that you are here to serve. If you do sales presentations, always come back to how your product or service can improve the customer's life. If you lead salespeople, instill the benefits over features principle in them - you can't reiterate it too often! You may think this is a simple truth that every salesperson knows. But you'd be amazed how many of them forget it, reflects Abraham. They fall into a ‘features' mindset without even realizing it has happened.

      9. Smile more. Smiling is the universal sign of trust and goodwill, in every culture. Many psychologists have proven that the very act of smiling makes you feel happier, Abraham says. So this year, vow to smile more - make it your game face. It will become second nature and you'll quickly realize you're forming stronger, healthier, and yes, more lucrative, relationships.

      10. Leave customers feeling better than you found them, every time. We are on the planet together, right now, working, struggling, laughing, crying, every day, Abraham writes in Mr. Shmooze's unforgettable voice. I love these people and I want them to know it. Every time! Everyone makes decisions about who will be their friend, who will be their partner, who they will take a call from, and, in business, who they will buy from based on two basic sensations: pleasure and pain. If they associate you with pleasure, you win!

      Average salespeople and service providers are transaction-oriented, Abraham points out. The world's best salespeople and service partners relentlessly build relationships, knowing that transactions will follow naturally across the bridge of trust and goodwill. The best news about shmoozing? There's nothing manipulative about it.

      Shmoozing is about giving, says Abraham. In its purest form, it's simply making people's lives better. And here's the key: the universe is set up in such a way that when you help others, they want to help you in return. So shmoozing, in this context, is a beautiful thing and a heck of a lot more fun than being clinical and ordinary. Try it. You'll find that not only is it profitable, it's rewarding on a very deep and personal level. There is no better way to live.

      Mr. Abraham is president of The Richard Abraham Company, a company he founded in 1981. He became interested in the dynamics of the selling process through his involvement in the development and marketing of over $1 billion of commercial real estate.

Onslow County: The Ultimate Natural Playground

Military Past And Present Embraced

    Topsail Island is a 26-mile long barrier island spanning the Atlantic coast at the border of Onslow and Pender Counties. Topsail Island enjoys a colorful history beginning with the Tuscarora Indians who used the island as a hunting ground. According to local legend, swashbuckling pirates like Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet made the waterways their home in the late 1600's as they sailed out to attack merchant ships passing the Atlantic Coast. Today, coastal wildlife flourishes on some of the most pristine, uncrowded beaches along the east coast, accompanied by stunning North Carolina sunrises and sunsets.

      Behind the island on the mainland side of the intracoastal waterway are the small river-towns of Sneads Ferry and Swansboro. Though still fishing villages at heart, they are now becoming a favorite for those seeking a small town retirement lifestyle or a home on or near the waterfront but not on the vacation resort island itself.

      From Swansboro, visitors can take a passenger ferry ride to Hammocks Beach State Park on Bear Island, and experience one of the most unspoiled beaches on the Atlantic. With 892 acres and 3.5 miles of pristine beach, Bear Island offers backpacking and primitive camping opportunities, as well as swimming and surf fishing.

      The Onslow County Museum's permanent exhibition The Water and the Wood depicts the rich history of the area. We chose water and wood as the themes because they represent the two resources that are the thread of continuity that has supported all the development in this area, explains Lisa Whitman-Grice, museum director. From the Native people who lived off the land, to the colonial settlers, to the Marines who chose this area for its geographic benefits and natural resources, to our thriving tourism industry of today.

      Stand in awe at the 38-foot dugout canoe crafted by Native peoples at least 700 years ago, found preserved in the mud at the bottom of the New River. The museum's newest exhibit Coastal Lifeways and Maritime Heritage highlights the hardships and triumphs of the generations of farming families who fish the intracoastal waterways during the off-season to supplement their livelihoods, depicted through ship models, fishing implements, and poignant photographs.

      The collection also includes a painting of Captain Otway Burns, a local folk hero. Captain Burns was born in Swansboro in 1775, earning the reputation of a skilled seaman from an early age. When the War of 1812 broke out, Burns came to the aid of his country by operating a privateer vessel to prey on British ships and commerce. He destroyed and captured millions of dollars worth of British shipping and had a $50,000 price set on his head by the British. After the war Burns turned to shipbuilding and later served in the North Carolina legislature. His heroic exploits made Captain Burns a national legend, with two US Navy warships named in his honor, along with two North Carolina towns; Burnsville in Yancey County, and Otway in Carteret County.

      Our residents are tied to the environment, explains Ms. Whitman-Grice, the health of the waterways support their livelihood. They are always conscious of, care for and love those waterways. They are a part of their family stories. The City of Jacksonville is proud to be a part of the nationally recognized Wilson Bay Initiative. In the past, Jacksonville practiced accepted solutions of the day by dumping their wastewater into the Wilson Bay, part of the New River system. Pat Donovan-Potts, then a biology teacher with Coastal Carolina Community College, along with some of her students concerned about the health of the bay, started implementing a clean-up project that was the brainchild of Dr. Jay Levine of NC State School of Veterinarian Science. Oysters were introduced into Wilson Bay with the intention of using their natural digestive process to filter the water. Wilson Bay, once dead and lifeless, is now a flourishing ecosystem, as evidenced by the fact that the oysters are reproducing on their own, a strong sign that the waters are clean once again.

      Today, the city employs a land-based wastewater treatment process, and the old wastewater plant is being converted into an education center called Sturgeon City. The original wastewater treatment plant encompassed 27 acres, explains Ms. Donovan-Potts, now of the City of Jacksonville. We've reclaimed half of that acreage as a city park, with an amphitheatre, a viewing mound of Wilson Bay, natural wetlands and picnic and recreational area. We offer educational programs for students, as well as facilities for hosting conferences, board meetings or teacher workshops. The city is currently mounting a campaign to raise funds to re-vamp the wastewater treatment plant buildings into an environmental center, including an aquarium.

      Mike's Farm, at 767 Luther Banks Road in Beulaville, is the largest agri- tourist attraction in the area, celebrating Onslow County's rich agricultural heritage. Popular with school groups as well as families, Mike's Farm offers hayrides, strawberry patches, Christmas trees, a petting zoo, and a bakery and family-style restaurant, as well as an interactive exhibit portraying farm life in Onslow County from the 1800's to the present.

      In 1941, the US Marines landed in Onslow County, constructing the 150,000-acre Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River, forever enhancing the fabric of the region. Onslow County is now the home of the largest expeditionary Marine force in the world. On Topsail Island, the Assembly Building, at 720 Channel Blvd. has been converted to the Missiles and More Museum, with permanent displays highlighting Onslow County's role in the history of military technology. At the end of World War II, the Navy established test facilities at Topsail Island for Operation Bumblebee, a top-secret, experimental project to develop and test ramjet missiles, which advanced the nation's jet aircraft and missile programs. So successful were the tests conducted at the Topsail Island site that the ramjet proved its value, opening the way for the advance of supersonic jet aircraft design, bringing the United States to the threshold of modern space technology. Operation Bumblebee led to the maturing of supersonic aircraft and shipboard missile design in the mid-20th century.

      The Montford Point Marines Museum in Jacksonville preserves the legacy of the Montford Point Marines through a large collection of photographs, documents, papers and artifacts, capturing the unique history of African-American Marines. The Museum depicts the history of Camp Johnson (formerly known as Montford Point), the training facility for Black Marines from 1942-1949.

      With close to half of its population being represented by the Marines, Onslow County's economy and society are inextricably connected to the military. The Jacksonville-Onslow County Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee (MAC) serves as an informal link between military personnel and the Jacksonville City Council, Onslow County Board of Commissioners and state and federal legislators. MAC strives to maintain and continually improve the relationship between the military and civilian communities through programs designed to remind members and the majority of citizenry that it is a privilege for this community to serve as the home of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, the Marine Corps Air Station New River and the Fleet Marine Force stationed in Onslow County. Each month, the committee honors a service member who exemplifies what it means to be a Marine/Sailor.

      Project CARE combines the efforts of various local government, military, Chamber of Commerce and community organizations to provide assistance to families of deployed military, assistance to local businesses that may suffer because of large scale deployments and a means of boosting community spirit through appreciation events and other activities during the difficult times that face military communities. Since its activation in January 2003, military communities throughout the nation have adopted Project CARE's approach. It has generated support from many sources and was named as a beneficiary of the inaugural Marine Corps Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament, part of the nationwide Celebrity Players Tour, with donated funds from these events and other sources being used to establish a Project CARE endowment. This fund, managed by the North Carolina Community Foundation, will be used to provide assistance to military families on an ongoing basis during times of deployment.

      From beaches to quiet towns on the intercoastal waterways, from shopping and dining to fishing and swimming, Onslow County represents one of North Carolina's thriving communities, providing visitors, residents and their valued military with a plethora of activities that celebrate their natural assets and history.

      Christine Bonin is a freelance writer in Cary, NC and can be reached at bon2l3@bellsouth.net.

Reprinted from Carolina Business online.