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www.HartfordBusiness.com January 23, 2017 • Hartford Business Journal 21 THE RAINMAKER Don't leave potential customers wondering By Ken Cook "I t's the third time they've called this week. I'm just too busy to deal with it. Hopefully they'll eventually give up." Sound familiar? Too frequently we're in a business situation where one party is waiting on the other party to do something, decide something, or take some action. I can't tell you the number of times I've won- dered what's going on merely because I've heard nothing. And, I've usually imagined the worst- case scenarios. "They definitely are not going to do business with me. This sale is lost, and I needed it to make my numbers this month. Why won't he return my call?" It's like waking up at 3:30 a.m. and not being able to get back to sleep. All of the really bad stuff pops into your head. If you are the one responsible for the next step, don't leave them wondering. And don't let indecision or no decision add to your stress. If you are responsible for the next step, take action. You can do one of three things: Say yes and move the project forward; say no and end the project, or say maybe or not now; and put the project on hold. Making a decision is respectful of the rela- tionship. It recognizes the time and invest- ment each person has put into a situation. The decision, even if it is an "on hold decision at this time" facilitates the connection and trust you have built into the relationship. A decision is also liberating, both for you and for the other person. You know where that proj- ect now stands. No longer is it on your to-do list; it is now on the done list, or at worst pending list. The other party is not left wondering. Instead of imagining all of the worst scenarios, they now know the disposition of the situation. They know if the project is moving forward, not moving forward, or put on hold. Also, (and I can't emphasize this enough), making a decision, even an "on-hold" decision, is just plain polite. The basics are simple. Be honest in your response. You have either made a decision and you present that. Or, you have not made a decision and you state that. You say you want more time, more information, more help with the situation, whatever is needed. The exception to all of this is the cold caller. A cold call is just an interruption. It is someone who has no relationship with you, inserting themselves into your daily routine without invi- tation. A cold caller does not require a return call or response. They've done nothing to deserve the moments of your time required to respond. In today's world of connectivity and infor- mation there is no reason to make a cold call. Rather, research the person with whom you want to connect. Find a way to get a warm introduction. Then, be patient. The warm intro- duction process has to go through the same level of decision making described earlier. The bottom line: Everyone appreciates how busy everyone else is, because they are busy themselves. In the midst of this hectic environment, ease the burdens and respect the relationships. Make decisions. Don't leave someone wondering. n Ken Cook is the co-founder of How to Who and co-author of "How to WHO: Selling Personified," a book and program on build- ing business through relationships. Learn more at www.howtowho.com. Ken Cook BIZ BOOKS Essential daily exercises to become more successful "T he Entrepreneur's Book of Actions — Essential Daily Exer- cises and Habits for Becoming Wealthier, Smarter and More Successful" by Rhett Power (McGraw-Hill, $26). With weekly to-do advice broken down by days, Power creates an easy-to-follow 2017 (and beyond) guide for running your business without ruining your life. Here's the agenda for the first few weeks: Weeks 1 and 2: "Passion and Purpose" and "Stepping stones" deal with self-aware- ness and motivation. Start with "Why do you do what you do?" Your answer should define the purpose for your business and personal lives. It should address what makes you happy, what you're good at and what you should be better at. With purpose defined, think about what you need to do more of and less of to add value to the lives of those around you, and your community. Prioritize a one-step-at- a-time plan. Make a checklist and review it daily to maintain focus. If you didn't achieve what you wanted, write down what stopped you. (Power firmly believes that many "stops" are self-inflicted by mood, which affects atti- tude.) In the short term, expect your "stop" list to grow because you'll be more aware of what's holding you back. Long term it will shrink as your awareness results in actions, which minimizes their impact on progress. Motivation also involves looking at the company you keep. How many of your friends are uppers? Down- ers? Work your world around the uppers and put the downers on the "to-don't" list. An added ben- efit of surrounding yourself with uppers — you'll see change as opportunity, not as a problem. Power suggests a way to hold yourself accountable for your actions: Each day, give a friend or coworker some money to hold. If you complete your to-do list, you get the money back. If you don't, the friend keeps the money. Find ways to reward your achievements, too. Include those who helped you earn the reward. Key takeaway: "What will you be remem- bered for if you never push yourself to be anything more than you are today?" • • • "The Great Management Reset: 27 Ways To Be A Better Manager" by Les- lie Kaminoff (Morgan James Publish- ing, $16.95). The chapter on "Change Management" stands out because change disrupts the sta- tus quo, which affects a manager's plan to handle many other management tasks. To put that disruption in context, make a list of the what, how and who are affected by each of these internal change events: budget adjustments (up or down), rapid organiza- tional growth or decline, staff turnover (not only in your department but in those involved in your projects), deadline and priority shifts, scope creep and new procedures. Your lists point to the need to have viable and flexible plans in place to deal with the "people" issues of change (e.g. shock, rejection, resetting expectations, acceptance, etc.). The four Cs to managing the peo- ple-side of change are: 1. Communication — Tell people what's happening, "how it's going to affect them and what life is going to look like on the other side." As the change unfolds, keep people updated. 2. Community — Change often results in taking the eye off the ultimate goal. Empha- size that the change presents an opportunity to explore new ways to achieve the goal. Peo- ple's acceptance increases when they see that the manager has created a support system (e.g. resources, revised processes, assign- ments/projects, timelines, etc.) for execution. 3. Camaraderie — By adopting a "we're in this together" approach to exploring those new ways, staff will continue connecting with each other and the tasks at hand. Encourage communication among the staff and feed- back, which can be used to feed-forward. 4. Coaching — You need to rec- ognize where individuals are on the change buy-in scale and let them express their views and concerns. You're responsible for helping them deal with "what's happening" and their roles. The bottom line: It's up to managers to help staff "turn the page." n Jim Pawlak is a nationally syndicated book reviewer. Jim Pawlak ▶ ▶ What will you be remembered for if you never push yourself to be anything more than you are today? ▶ ▶ Making a decision is respectful of the relationship. It recognizes the time and investment each person has put into a situation. Send Us Your Letters The Hartford Business Journal welcomes letters to the editor and guest commentaries for our opinion pages. Electronic submissions are preferred and welcome at: editor@HartfordBusiness.com.