I almost had to laugh. I was listening to Robert Reich on NPR the other day, as he was talking about the true loss that Wall St has suffered in recent times. We've seen the "hits" it's taken with Bear-Stearns and Lehman Brothers, among others, and the resulting roller-coaster-like rebounds as well.

I found his analysis of the real consequences somewhat ironic. At the root of it all, he proposes, Wall Street has "suffered a serious decline of trust". For years, companies have over-promised and under-delivered. Tax-payers and share-holders are the ones who are left holding the bag. The decision-makers at the corporate level appear to be able to hide behind the company name and suffer minimal consequences (they still get their pension, or they just move on). According to a BusinessWeek/Harris poll, a full 67% of Americans don't trust the ethics of large companies; just 26% believe they are straightforward and honest in their dealings with consumers and employees. A more recent poll shows that 72% of respondents feel that Washington is focusing on keeping "big business" afloat. Seems to me that in order to survive in the future, they're going to have to learn to market without sounding like they're marketing!

Now at the get-go I want to explain that I am NOT suggesting sales should in any way be shady, underhanded or manipulative. As Reich points out "trust is its (Wall Street's) most important asset". Trust and integrity should be at the root of any healthy business relationship, and these qualities make up the foundation of what is sometimes referred to as "attraction marketing", and taught by folks such as Ann Seig and Mike Klingler. What I am referring to are sales techniques where - ok, get ready for this - the salesperson actually asks questions to determine the customer's need, as opposed to force-fitting the product or service. Stephen Heiman and Tad Tuleja also describe this wonderfully in their book "The New Conceptual Selling". The emphasis is on building a relationship and finding ways to serve the customer; in short, building trust!

What I appreciate most about this approach to selling is that it challenges me to pull the best out of myself. At times I may need to dig deep to see what qualities I possess and lessons I've learned, or knowledge I have or services I can perform that directly apply to my customer or client's situation ~ and be a help to them! At times, it may mean that there is someone else or some other product or service that can better suit them. But in the long run, let me assure you: putting the customer or client's needs first always ends in a win-win solution! This is what I'm learning in Renegade University.

Now, if this could help the big guys, what do you think it'll do for your business? Providing true value and content, providing real and relevant solutions ~ how could you lose? There's no better way to learn how to do that than going back to school, and there's no better school than Renegade University! If you're interested in checking it out, get in touch with me today, and we can schedule a free walk-thru! Don't think you can depend on government bail-outs when times get tough. Build your own, sustainable, business.