Articles
Explore over 350 articles that will help you grow your client relationships and improve your personal effectiveness.
C-Suite Strategies Part II: Power Questions for Top Executives
By Andrew Sobel Welcome to Part II of my special, four-part series on building relationships in the C-suite. (Part I, Adopt the Executive Mindset and Gain Access, is available here). I’m sharing this series to inaugurate the release of my popular eLearning program, Building Your Clients for Life, to individual users (see more below). A single, trusted […]
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C-Suite Strategies Part I: Elevate Your Mindset and Gain Access
By Andrew Sobel Welcome to Part I of my new, four-part series on building C-suite relationships. In these short but content-packed articles, you’re going to learn a host of proven strategies for developing and sustaining relationships with top executives. I’m also really excited to share with you the release of my popular eLearning program, Building […]
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Nine Ways to Dramatically Differentiate Yourself from the Competition
By Andrew Sobel “How can I differentiate myself from my competitors?” That’s a question I get asked a lot by my clients. The answer is usually, of course, not one single thing but many things. Here are nine to help you set yourself apart: 1. Know more about your client than anyone else. Learn more […]
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How to Easily Make Time for Relationship Building
By Andrew Sobel Relationship building is in some ways analogous to diet and exercise. How many of us have made resolutions to eat better, exercise, and lose weight? We all have. And how many of us met our goals to our complete satisfaction? Very few of us. Why? Because diet and exercise is not a […]
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How to Get Clients–or Anyone–to Root for You
By Andrew Sobel Our business culture prizes smarts, expertise, and drive. Nothing wrong with that—these qualities are pretty important. As a consequence, however, many of us assume that these very same qualities create personal loyalty. They don’t. People root for you when they feel what I call “emotional resonance.” It’s when they’ve gotten to know […]
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10 Strategies for Resolving a Client Dissatisfaction or Crisis
By Andrew Sobel It happens to every professional who deals with clients. Something goes wrong with your product or service delivery. Your client’s expectations are not met. They are unhappy with some aspect of the relationship. Here are ten tips for dealing with an unhappy client and starting the process of resolution. Respond rapidly. If […]
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Is Your Organization Really Client Focused? Answer These 14 Questions
I once advised a large professional services firm that wanted to reinvigorate its growth. Their slogan, which was plastered on posters and coffee mugs, was “Keep the Focus on the Client.” Like many organizations, however, there was a big gap between what management said and what people actually did. The most coveted career paths, for […]
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Eight Cringeworthy Questions You Should Never Ask
I’ve heard this a hundred times: “There are no bad questions.” Sorry, but there are indeed bad questions. And, there are good questions that go bad when used at the wrong time. For example: “Why?” It can be a great question—or a critical, negative one if used improperly. Here are eight questions you should avoid: […]
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