Thinking Out Loud

Relationship marketing is a term coined over twenty years ago and shined a light on the client/customer relationship. Previously, marketing attention was primarily on making the sale, although successful businesses recognized that an on-going relationship with the customer was essential to success.  But as business became more competitive customer retention had a stronger place in marketing programs and more resources were put into staying connected to customers.

I’ll be sharing a new tool at the Hancock County Trade Show & Business Conference on Thursday April 24th, 2014 that gives focus to the client/customer relationship and how to navigate it successfully after the sale.  For more information, click here.

We have a lot of small family businesses in Maine, where owners recognize the importance of building and maintaining businesses relationships. Those relationships are with family, friends, neighbors, and tourists. Success depends on word of mouth marketing and reputation, so good communication is essential.

The Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce has invited me to present a workshop (click here) on April 1, 2004, Communication: A Key Component to Business. We’ll be in a beautiful location overlooking Frenchman Bay, exploring different communication styles, and discovering what it takes to achieve communication success.

The Maine Association of Nonprofits offers a wide range of SkillBuilder programs as part of their effort to strengthen the workplace in nonprofit organizations. On October 31, 2013, I’ll be presenting a program (click here) in Lewiston, Maine on Communication Styles and The Professional Development conversation. Professional development conversations can have a strong impact on company culture, investing in the individual and the organization. But too often, supervisors without proper training conduct these conversations in a cursory manner. The Communication Styles Framework gives them some concrete tools to engage in a meaningful, mutually beneficial conversation and builds a stronger working relationship.

The Maine Center for Entrepreneurial Development is sponsoring a workshop on Aligning Leadership and Communication Styles. This is the second program I’ve done at MCED. Don Gooding is the Executive Director, a true visionary and hardworking guy. The education and support they give to entrepreneurs is exceptional–real hands on involvement. The program that I’m presenting will help leaders understand their communication strengths, how best to use those strengths, and explore the obstacles they encounter that interfere with effective communication.  Visit the MCED website (click here) to learn more about them and the workshop.