Face it! In this day and age connection matters. It is not enough to call on your customers, serve your customers and build relationships. 
You have to go further: you must connect.
The formal definition of ‘connect’ is to join together, be of service to, become united and viewed by others as related. For me, the simple fact is to connect you must establish a bond. A bond that makes it clear to the individuals involved, clear to others who know them, and clear to the community, that your business and your customers “go together”.
So how do you create that bond, how do you connect? In order to make connections you need to understand connection.
First, Slow It Down! Connection is not something that happens overnight. Connection is about trust, so it takes time to build. You must take time with your customers, truly get to know them, who they are and what is important to them.
Two, Make It Natural! Connection is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Sales and service training are great, but you need to keep it within reason. Using scripts, forms and questioning that have you engaging in the same conversations over and over will make relationships forced rather than natural.
Third, It Is About Serving! Them, that is. Yes, you need to understand that connection is not about you. To connect you have to invest in your customers, be willing to put in the time and effort to understand how you can best help them achieve their goals and their dreams.
Fourth, It Is Just The Beginning! Connecting is not something that you do one or two times and then you are done. It is long-lasting, and never ending. It is not a task we do, it is a lifestyle we live.
Connection is one of the most important skills you need learn if you want to Turn Your Prospects Into Customers and win in this Trust and Value Economy.
