Summary

Get a practical, actionable, three-step process to build and leverage important relationshipsMost people know instinctively how to build positive, long-lasting relationships with spouses, friends, and even co-workersbut few of us know how to consciously and systematically build and maintain positive business relationships. For years, The Relationship Edge has successfully shown people how to build personal relationships and repair damaged ones with a proven three-step process.This completely updated third edition offers a fresh perspective on that process and includes more contemporary case studies, as well as how to build and nurture relationships online. Develop the right mindsetunderstand that personal relationships are vital to business success, both offline and online Ask the right questionsdiscover the common ground you share with others Do the right thingbe truthful and straightforward or you'll undermine the goodwill you've worked so hard to build Jerry Acuff, the author, has a proven record of success with previous editions of The Relationship EdgeWith real case studies and step-by-step guidance, The Relationship Edge, Third Edition offers the tools and advice you need to develop strong, rewarding relationships with customers, co-workers, and managers. Jerry Acuff's latest version is packed full of practical, concrete information on the mechanics of interpersonal relationships in the business world, all designed to have you doing business better and more productively than ever.

Author Biography

Jerry Acuff is CEO of Delta Point, Inc., a Scottsdale, Arizona–based consultancy that helps market-leading companies find new and innovative ways to market products. Over the last fifteen years, he has spoken and consulted extensively on the issues of sales excellence, change leadership, and customer-focused organizations. A graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, he has also served as Executive in Residence at the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

Wally Wood is a professional writer and the former editor of two business magazines and an international marketing newsletter.

Preface	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Relationships Are Everything	p. 1
Breathe AIR into Relationships	p. 2
Learn to Build Relationships	p. 5
Payback Time in Memphis	p. 7
Relationships Can Trump Price	p. 8
Four Fundamental Selling Truths	p. 10
Meaningful Dialogue Comes with Trust	p. 12
Climb The Relationship Pyramid	p. 15
The Relationship Pyramid Levels	p. 17
You Need Knowledge, Integrity, Actions	p. 25
Key Points about the Pyramid	p. 27
How To Build A Relationship	p. 29
What You Think Is Step 1	p. 30
Learn Strategies, Not Tactics	p. 40
Ask The Twenty Questions	p. 53
Start with a Self-Check	p. 55
Sharing Creates the Relationship	p. 56
Learn What Someone Treasures	p. 59
Thirteen Facts about Human Beings	p. 61
Let the Other Person Talk	p. 63
Sell by Not Selling	p. 65
Start with These 20 Questions	p. 66
Memorize the Questions, but Think FORM	p. 69
Tell Me Something That Will Surprise Me	p. 70
Respect Their Time and Opinions	p. 72
Plan What You Will Ask	p. 73
Ask The Questions Properly	p. 77
Motives Matter	p. 78
Setting Up a Good Question	p. 79
Analyze the Bridge to the Question	p. 80
What Do You Need to Achieve Today?	p. 82
Ask Personal Questions First	p. 84
Hold Up a Book	p. 87
Don't Suggest an Answer	p. 88
Find Common Ground	p. 89
Make Them Think	p. 93
Stimulate Real Thinking	p. 95
Ways to Gain Respect	p. 96
Probe For Small World Connections	p. 99
Connect for Yourself	p. 100
Use the Small World Phenomenon	p. 102
Connect for the Other Person	p. 106
Connect with Difficult People	p. 108
Probe for Connections	p. 109
Build Relationships On Actions	p. 112
Show You Genuinely Care about Other People	p. 114
Business Gifts Are Not Unselfish Acts	p. 115
Be Alert to Opportunities	p. 117
Map Your Key Relationships	p. 136
Map Relationships with Four Groups	p. 138
People Inside the Organization	p. 139
People Outside the Organization	p. 141
People Important to Your Career	p. 144
People Who Are Upset with You	p. 146
Build Relationships Strategically	p. 152
Hop From One Pyramid To Another	p. 156
Pyramid Hopping Is Not Networking	p. 156
Friendly Is Not the Same as Friendship	p. 159
Pyramid Hopping in Practice	p. 160
Pyramid Hopping Requires Questions	p. 161
Pyramid Hopping Usually Requires Specifics	p. 164
Gain Respect Thirteen Ways	p. 169
Identify Qualities You Respect	p. 170
Thirteen Ways to Gain Respect	p. 173
Examples of Building Respect	p. 174
Be Genuinely Interested in the Other Person	p. 175
Do What You Say You Will Do	p. 176
Be Knowledgeable, Be Inquisitive, or Be Quiet	p. 176
Control Your Emotions; Anger Manages Everything Poorly	p. 177
Be Honest and Straightforward	p. 177
Be Objective and Avoid Appearing Biased	p. 178
Be Persistent, but Never Be Aggressive	p. 179
Be a Learned Person with Some Expertise	p. 180
Be Courteous to Everyone	p. 180
Always Listen Intently to the Other Person	p. 181
Seek to Understand Other People	p. 181
Do Things That Demonstrate Your Unselfish Nature	p. 182
Find Out What People Want, and Help Them Get It	p. 182
Write Clear, Specific Goals	p. 186
Understand Your Goal-Seeking Mechanism	p. 187
Goals Have Five Characteristics	p. 188
Be Clear about What You Want	p. 189
Write Down Your Goals	p. 191
Set Goals in Line with Your Gifts	p. 191
Don't Let Others Discourage You	p. 194
Take the Pressure Off Yourself	p. 195
Maintain Your Meaningful Relationships	p. 199
Create Time for Relationships	p. 202
Help Others to Succeed	p. 205
Keep the Dialogue Continual	p. 206
Make Contact When You Don't Need Help	p. 211
Use Social Media to Build Relationships	p. 215
The Goal Is to Offer Value	p. 216
Form a Network of Relationships	p. 218
Don't Friend or Link to Everyone	p. 220
Six Tips for Better Social Media Relationships	p. 222
And What If You're The Boss?	p. 226
The Six Drivers of Business Success	p. 227
Problems with Command and Control	p. 236
Job Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction	p. 238
Problems with Sales Training	p. 239
Selling Is Learning and Teaching	p. 241
What Managers Should Be Doing	p. 243
A Coaching Process for Relationship Development	p. 244
Build Relationships Routinely, Consciously, Deliberately	p. 248
Notes	p. 249
Index	p. 252
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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