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Scarlett Letter #22: Getting by with a little (business) help from a friend…

Yesterday, I noticed that someone had entered my website using the search string “how to ask friends for business”. Now, as a business development professional for over 19 years, you’d think that I’d have great answers to that question. But for some reason, it’s always been a bit tricky for me to ask friends for business, which is crazy considering many of my prospects have converted into friends over time. {Which, incidentally, IS the goal of proper relationship-building. Yet, it doesn’t always serve me well, when I then become hesitant to ask those prospects-turned-friends for real business!}

Awhile ago, my article was published on this topic: Client or Personal Friend? How to create boundaries between business and personal relationships.

Right now, the economy is still in flux and there are no guarantees that Q1 2010 will bring sunnier days. Having the ability to respectfully ask your friends for business is especially key in tough times. I’d very much like others’ opinions on the subject. Please feel free to send me a direct email, or to post your comments on this site.

           

Tags: Anne Scarlett A/E Marketing, linkedin, Networking, Relationships, Sales, Scarlett Consulting AEC business development

One Response to “Scarlett Letter #22: Getting by with a little (business) help from a friend…”

1. Jason Burke

   July 9th, 2009

   You are definitely on the right track. Your prior post included one point that I think is the most universal: ask your friends for help. This does at least two things: it opens up the conversation to discuss what you do (perhaps these people don’t even know that you’re a photographer for instance) and it shifts the “balance of power” ever so slightly. Your friends feel like they CAN help you, and are in a position of being something of an expert themselves. The psychological impact of having the confidence to ask for help in the first place is quite powerful.

   In my case, for anyone who is not in engineering or other professional services, the concept of project management itself seems a bit arcane. But if I can approach the subject by explaining what I do in basic terms and asking, “Do you know anyone that could use something like that?” I have accomplished so much with so little effort.

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