In the frantic and noisy world of commerce these days, the ability of companies to cut through by differentiating via relationships and solution selling is even more challenging.

Relationships create environments where meaningful exchanges of support and products serve to develop organisations’ bottom lines in addition to peoples’ needs for community and fulfillment.

It was Zig Ziglar who said, “People buy off people they like, know and trust”, relationships must work both ways to ensure mutual benefit or it becomes like an unbalanced see saw with something breaking or someone falling off.

The three keys to relationships are:

1. Regard – what are others trying to achieve and empathy for appreciating their perspective.
2. Respect – why others are working towards their goals and how can you help.
3. Results – understanding personal and professional goals of others.

The alignment of values between two organisations leads to significantly more success with the right balance of Regard, Respect and Results.

Many years ago, the company I worked for found that our ideal and most profitable customers were similar in size, scale and ownership structure to ours – this combined with (often unsaid) understanding of values led to positive and substantial results for all.

**Charlie is an expert in developing external sales teams and people, particularly where relationships and solution selling are the key differentiators. www.charliepidcock.com.au

After starting my own business a few years back, I have spoken to so many people about “profit” or a distinct lack of it, many of them are “busy” but most are not maximising their potential when it comes to generating sufficient amounts of it.

The “Lucky” Country
After nearly 50 years of economic prosperity apart from the odd blip (eg “the recession we had to have”) Australia has enjoyed an unprecedented degree of economic stability and earned the envy of the rest of the world.
The way the society (via the press) demean “Profit” is irresponsible, detrimental and disgraceful. Slagging off about the HUGE profits made by companies making no reference to the amount of investment or number of people they employ is wrong, but it sells papers, generates uninformed debate and feeds (rather than starves) our tall poppy syndrome. 

Self Fulfilling
A lack of investment in the development of front line teams has created an environment of “cost plus” selling where sales people think 25% (for example) is a good trading margin (because overall it is 18%) when 35% or more could have been on the table.
This lack of awareness stifles profit growth via selling on price rather than value which it is the top of a very slippery slope.

Financial Literacy
These challenges for businesses specifically and society more generally has created an opportunity for good businesses to improve their overall financial literacy, not just in a limited number of functions.

More effective margin management has a huge impact on the bottom line in addition to improving the intestinal fortitude of front line sales teams who can then begin to understand how much control they actually have.

The reality is that profitable (or healthy) companies give pay rises, increase bonuses, help with mortgages, feed our families and send us on holidays – who doesn’t want more of that?
We all need to get better.

**Charlie is an expert in developing external sales teams and people, particularly where relationships and solution selling are the key differentiators. www.charliepidcock.com.au

Some time ago I wrote about the keys to successful networking which I have spoken to a few times over the last couple of months.  It is a topic that is dear to my heart - I am hard wired to connect and help people wherever and whenever I can. I am quite sure some of this is nature (paternal & maternal grandfathers), and some of it is nurture having both parents in the health profession.

Fast forward to last week where I heard Narelle Gillies present a wonderful session on ‘Awareness’.  Her session was all about working to your strengths rather than worry about trying to fix your, or others,  weaknesses and was backed heavily by more contemporary research than past and current practice. This shift in mindset is helped by looking at the language we use on ourselves -  what others have said about us; we are not good at or will never accomplish; and have hung onto over many years.

I reframed  my self-talk:

• “Disorganised” = “Creative”
• “Stubborn = "Dedicated”
• “Not a team player = "Independent”

This made me reflect a little more about my own strengths, weaknesses and most importantly my internal dialogue. Self-discovery is most certainly not an easy journey.

Socrates said many years ago: know thyself.

When you work out your super power, whatever it is, practice and use it daily in pursuit of your purpose, you will become unstoppable and even more importantly - content.

**Charlie is an expert in developing external sales teams and people, particularly where relationships and solution selling are the key differentiators. www.charliepidcock.com.au