Follow Up for the Best Relationships

Sometimes you learn the best lessons when you fail. Take Julie Lech Boura. She owned her own health-care business, a prevention program for older adults, but eventually she had to shut down shop. She had no need to worry, though. Boura's second company, TeamQuickSilver, is a success thanks to a lesson

"It was sad to close [my first business], but I learned the importance of resourcefulness and networking and how to apply them," she says. And with her new company Boura has taken those skills to the next level, using them to build relationships with current and potential customers. TeamQuickSilver is an independent distributor for Nikken, a company that makes alternative health-care products. The independent-distributor relationship allows her to have her own company and a team of people to mentor and with whom to work. It also lets Boura avoid doing her own manufacturing, accounting, or lawyering; the parent company takes care of those burdensome tasks so Boura can focus on what she does best.

"I try to connect people to the company and to each other when they need more information," she says. Because her clients and other independent distributors often have questions about alternative health care, Boura works hard to follow up and provide them with the information that they need. "I develop relationships with people, get their questions answered, or point them to research. If you invest in them, you build a stronger relationship."

And that means more future sales and more word-of-mouth referrals to other potential customers. But Boura explains that she's more interested in the relationships and she works hard to build them. "My goal is to develop friendships more than to just move a bunch of products," she says.

Sometimes she spends months creating a healthy relationship with someone. For example Boura met one potential distributor through a class she was teaching. At first they merely spoke on the phone every other week or so. "She only had so much time, so I needed to respect that."

Eventually they met at a local coffeehouse, and Boura spent even more time mentoring her. But the time paid off. "This lady had huge business potential. It was exciting watching her grow," Boura says. "By following up with her, I was able to get her questions answered, introduce her to other people in the same situation, basically just mentoring her, encouraging her, inviting her to training events, and giving her reading material."

But the same tactics don't work for everyone. "A lot of it will depend on how you meet somebody and the method that works for them." Boura says she's also used email and the Internet to connect to people.

Her advice to others starting their own businesses: "Don't be so worried about the bottom line," she says. "Your business grows in the moments between sales."

As Julie Boura demonstrates, the art of selling is a holistic practice that takes time to develop. Even entrepreneurs in less sales-intensive businesses can take a cue from the basic principles of strong selling. Read our article How to Be a Better Salesperson for a refresher on the main practices of good selling.