Stand Out From The Rest

All of us have competitors, whether it's someone who is pumping out a similar product, or someone who wants to snag our top job candidate. Whatever the competition, we want to win. Be known in the marketplace as the company with the fun group of professionals who are not only intelligent and hardworking, but who are nice and empathetic.

Find opportunity where competition fell short. If prospective clients share how they've been burned in the past, show proof of how your company excelled. Make your company a one-stop shop for customers. For instance, if customers use your product or service as one part of a larger process, consider offering those other points of that process.

Be selfless and offer expert knowledge and suggestions. Building rapport early is key to not only facilitating communication, but building a credible reputation. Deflecting that sale and giving up half a million dollars may seem crazy now, but circumstances can change and they could be a $50 million client five years down the road because of that built trust.

Picture being in their shoes and develop a sense of empathy. Would you want to receive three calls from the same person in one week? Or would a hand-written letter make more of an impact? Being respectful of a person's time and treating them like an actual human rather than a sale can go a long way.

Have good posture. Experts say that first impressions are based on 60 per cent non-verbal communication and 40 per cent verbal. Whether you want to stand out at an interview or get noticed by a member of the opposite sex, just hear me out and follow the directions.