One way to help grow business during the current tough economy is to start practicing the “five foot rule.” That’s the rule that says, “Whenever you’re within five feet of someone, say ‘Hello.’”
Great business developers realize that a major key to developing business is to connect with lots of people that can bring you business. Just saying “Hello” to strangers in non-threatening circumstances leads to lots of business every single day.
Here’s an example. A client of ours, let’s call him Fred the Accountant, was in an airport waiting for his flight. A nicely dressed gentleman sat down next to him, took out his laptop and began to tap away. Fred the Accountant waited for when the gentlemen seemed to be taking a break and then said, “Hello, are you heading home or heading out?”
They struck up a conversation and it turned out that the nicely dressed gentleman owned a medium-sized business and was working on a deal that had some problems. One thing lead to another and Fred had an appointment to meet the following week to discuss solutions to the deal’s problems.
Next time you’re within five feet of someone, say “Hello.” That one word might help grow your business.
Joey Asher
Joey Asher has worked with thousands of business people helping them learn how to communicate in a way that connects with clients. His new book 15 Minutes Including Q&A: a Plan to Save the World from Lousy Presentations” is available now. He is also the author three previous books including “How to Win a Pitch: The Five Fundamentals That Will Distinguish You from the Competition”, “Selling and Communication Skills for Lawyers” and “Even A Geek Can Speak.”