Relationship Edge in Business: Connecting with Customers and Colleagues When It Counts » (Older Edition)

JERRY ACUFF is President of Delta Point-The Sales Agency, a Scottsdale, Arizona— based consultancy that helps market-leading companies find new and innovative ways to market products. 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 who has worked closely with senior executives to develop bestselling business books. In addition, he has been editor of two business magazines and an international marketing newsletter.

Most people know instinctively how to build positive, long-lasting relationships with spouses, friends, and even co-workers–but few of us know how to consciously and systematically build and maintain positive business relationships. The Relationship Edge in Business shows you how to build positive personal relationships and repair damaged ones with a straightforward, three-step process that anyone can learn to apply to his or her work life.

Personal relationships are the building blocks of business success. A business grows by expanding and improving its network of relationships with customers and other stakeholders. And the same holds true for employees; their career opportunities grow as they improve their relationships with co-workers, managers, and customers. By mastering the simple techniques provided here by Jerry Acuff, you too can learn to ramp up your business, improve your career prospects, and increase your ability to persuade people.

Acuff provides real-world principles for developing strong, positive personal relationships with the key people in your business life–while becoming a more effective, persuasive person in the process. But the relationship edge is about much more than friendship and persuasion; it’s about maintaining meaningful, truthful dialogues with those around you. One of the most important lessons you’ll learn is that the more truthful and direct you are with customers and colleagues, the more truthful they’ll be with you–and the more likely you are to find meaningful solutions to the business challenges you share.Acuff’s practical, actionable three-step process shows you how to:

• Develop the right mindset–understand that personal relationships are vital to business success
• Ask the right questions–discover the common ground you share with others
• Do the right thing–be truthful and straightforward or you’ll undermine the goodwill you’ve worked so hard to build

With real case studies and step-by-step guidance, The Relationship Edge in Business offers the tools and advice you need to develop strong, rewarding relationships with customers, co-workers, and managers. With practical, concrete information on the mechanics of interpersonal relationships in the business world, you’ll be well on your way to doing business better and more productively than ever.

Publishers Weekly

Acuff, president of the Delta Leadership Group, believes that everyone can succeed at any livelihood by mastering the art of relationships. Acuff, who had a long career in pharmaceutical sales, defines the three keys to "relationship edge" as having the right mindset, asking the right questions and doing the right thing. The book develops these principles and uses real-life examples to show readers what types of behavior and conversations lead to success. For example, a sales person can offer to help a prospective customer without pitching a particular product, and often, because of this "goodwill," the would-be client ends up a steady customer. An employee at a large company makes a point of treating everyone equally, sending birthday greetings to staff in different departments. When her position is eliminated, she has a number of colleagues she can ask for help in finding a new job. Acuff says that asking other people about their lives outside of work is often a crucial step in forming a lasting business relationship. He includes a list of questions designed to stimulate conversation including "What do you do when you're not working?" "Do you actually get to see any teams play?" and "Where is your favorite place to vacation?" The author's reliance on quotes from just a handful of people, generally not well known, is a little tiresome, but overall, Acuff's casual, low-key writing style is appealing. The book should be particularly helpful to less experienced business people, who are more likely to try the recommended strategies than seasoned executives. (May) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.