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The Connectors: How the World's Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life [Hardcover]

Maribeth Kuzmeski (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)


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Book Description

September 22, 2009
Learn the relationship-building secrets that lead to lifelong clients, repeat customers, and endless referrals

In today's commoditized marketplace, no matter what product or service you sell, there's probably someone somewhere able to offer it cheaper, faster, and maybe even better. So how do you differentiate yourself from your competitors? The Connectors shows that the only thing that truly sets you apart is the quality of your relationships with your clients and customers.

Everyone knows that relationships are important in business. Yet most people would admit that their relationships could be better—but don’t spend time working on the underlying skills. This book explains how to develop better, more profitable connections—as illustrated proven by some of the world’s most successful professionals. Even if you're not a “people person,” you can dramatically grow your business or your career through a few simple approaches to relationship-building.

The Connectors presents a five-step methodology that lead to lifelong clients, repeat customers, and endless referrals. Inside, you'll learn how to:

  • Stop networking and start truly connecting
  • Create an avalanche of referrals and an army of happy customers
  • Become a "connector," even if you’ve never been a "people person"
  • Find your social IQ—and improve it
  • Put relationship-building principles to work daily
  • Focus on others and reap the rewards yourself
  • Ask the right questions—and sell without selling
  • Differentiate yourself through the impact you have on others

In The Connectors, Maribeth Kuzmeski, founder of Red Zone Marketing, LLC, and consultant to Fortune 500 firms, shows you how to build profitable, long-lasting business relationships.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

What makes the world's most successful individuals so good at their jobs? What do they do that others don't?

The Connectors answers those questions with the kind of straightforward wisdom that business strategists so often overlook. Forget marketing tactics or business school best practices. Those are handy, but it's really people—and the relationships you build with them—that form the cornerstone of long-term success, sales growth, and excellence. Whether you're a salesperson, an entrepreneur, or an executive, your ultimate job is to bring in clients and keep them.

Competition is brutal. No matter what you sell, there's probably someone somewhere selling it cheaper and faster than you can. So how do you differentiate yourself from your competitors? The Connectors uses practical exercises and case studies to show you how to set yourself apart from the rest by building high-quality, profitable relationships with your clients and customers.

The Connectors presents a five-step methodology that helps you build the kind of high-quality relationships that lead to lifelong clients, repeat customers, and endless referrals. Inside, you'll learn how to:

  • Stop networking and start truly connecting

  • Create an avalanche of referrals and an army of happy customers

  • Become a "connector," even if you've never been a "people person"

  • Find your social IQ—and improve it

  • Put relationship-building principles to work daily

  • Focus on others and reap the rewards yourself

  • Ask the right questions—and sell without selling

  • Differentiate yourself through the impact you have on others

In addition, The Connectors includes a wealth of valuable relationship-building tools, including tips on using software; smart strategies for keeping in touch; speaking tactics that really work; and self-coaching exercises that will change the way you develop relationships.

From the Back Cover

PRAISE FOR THE CONNECTORS

"The Connectors is truly a book after my own heart! BNI across the world has been built on similar concepts. This great book takes an in-depth look at what it takes to create valuable business relationships. It's packed with advice that will help you improve your current relationships and create great new ones!"
Dr. Ivan Misner, founder and chairman, BNI; New York Times bestselling author

"The Connectors helps readers put their best self forward to create strong, positive, profitable relationships. In a world where who you know and who knows you matters, Kuzmeski's great advice will help you lay the groundwork for building relationships that last."
Jon Gordon, author of the international bestseller The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy and Training Camp: What the Best Do Better Than Everyone Else

"Every sales superstar I have ever met knows that relationships can be developed only by becoming a master connector. You won't find a better handbook for connecting anywhere!"
George Ludwig, international speaker, trainer, corporate consultant, and bestselling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business

"Ineffective connectors do not make great leaders. They do not make great entrepreneurs. They do not make great salespeople. And so on. In The Connectors, Kuzmeski presents her relationship-building formula and then chapter by chapter shows readers how to use their relationships and connections with others to take their business life to the next level. It's great advice from which we can all learn."
Quint Studer, CEO and founder of Studer Group; bestselling author of Results That Last: Hardwiring Behaviors That Will Take Your Company to the Top and Hardwiring Excellence: Purpose, Worthwhile Work, Making a Difference

"The lessons you'll find in The Connectors are invaluable. The book is chock-full of actionable advice that teaches readers how to use their own talents and unique qualities to positively impact others and thus improve their bottom line. Kuzmeski's promised result is simple. By branding yourself as a true connector, you can keep them coming back to you time and again without ever having to ask. If you want to learn how to truly connect with your clients, employees, coworkers, or anyone in your business life, read this book!"
Robin Fisher Roffer, CEO and founder of Big Fish Marketing; author of Make a Name for Yourself: 8 Steps Every Woman Needs to Create a Personal Brand Strategy for Success and The Fearless Fish Out of Water: How to Succeed When You're the Only One Like You


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (September 22, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0470488182
  • ISBN-13: 978-0470488188
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #636,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Maribeth Kuzmeski and her firm, Red Zone Marketing consult and speak for businesses from financial services firms to Fortune 500 corporations on strategic marketing planning and business growth. Maribeth has personally consulted with some of the world's most successful CEO's, entrepreneurs and professionals. An internationally recognized speaker, she shares the tactics that businesspeople use today to create more sustainable business relationships and sales and marketing successes.

Maribeth has written 6 books including And The Clients Went Wild! (Wiley, 2010), and The Connectors (Wiley, 2009). Her newest book is written with her teenage daughter, The Engaging Child: Raising Children to Speak, Write, and Have Relationship Skills Beyond Technology (2011).

She is an international keynote speaker and is a regular media contributor appearing on Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS, WGN-TV, and in publications including The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, New York Times, Entrepreneur, and Forbes. Maribeth is also very involved in charity and has her own foundation supporting youth leadership and education, The Red Zone Leadership Foundation.

She has a degree in journalism from Syracuse University and an MBA from The George Washington University. She also has her Certified Speaking Professional designation from the National Speakers Association. Maribeth lives in the Chicago, IL area with her husband Rich and 2 teenagers.


www.RedZoneMarketing.com
www.TheConnectorsBook.com
www.AndTheClientsWentWild.com
www.TheEngagingChild.com

 

Customer Reviews

18 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Wanting to build better business relationships, November 21, 2009
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This review is from: The Connectors: How the World's Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life (Hardcover)
I ordered this book after reading a review that I read on Amazon.com. I am not a great reader, especially when it comes to books that are highly technical in nature. The Connectors, albeit not the easiest read that I have ever had, was quick, insightful, and full of extremely valuable tips, and not a difficult book to read. I am in the process of trying to implement a few of the "Tips" outlined in the book currently. I would highly recommend The Connectors to the non-technically oriented business leader that is looking to build on and strengthen current business relationships with exisiting and previous clients.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Contains Excellent Insight into Relationships, October 10, 2009
By 
Jeffery L. Mowery (Libertyville, Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Connectors: How the World's Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life (Hardcover)
I have read many books on the subject of leadership and marketing and found this book to be very informative. There are two things that I particularly liked.

The first was Chapter 6 which is devoted to the often lost art of listening. In this busy work, we often get so focused on the task at hand that we do not spend enough time listening to our clients and colleagues. This chapter reminds us of the unique power of listeing and the leverage that it can create in building relationships.

The second is the use of the self-assessments throughout the book. At the end of many of the chapters, the author invites the reader to make an honest assessment of themselves in certain areas such as social intelligence, the questions that they ask, etc. If you are reading a book like this, then you are looking for ideas on how you can improve your ability to connect. These assessments point you in the right direction.

I highly recommend this book as it contains many ideas how one can become better connected.
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12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Lots of old, extremely good techniques modernized and repackaged, October 8, 2009
This review is from: The Connectors: How the World's Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life (Hardcover)
I received a review copy of Maribeth Kuzmeski's new book, "The Connectors." The book is essentially about good salesmanship. She draws from true-life examples and brings them to life for the reader using short quizzes at the end of each chapter. These quizzes are basically designed to help you to be a better connector -- a connector being a good sales person, a person who deals effectively with other people, especially in business.

The first thing I noticed about the book is that it's not terribly well written. Some of the sentences are clunky and full of unnecessary words. Much of the writing doesn't flow well.

What the author calls the "Red Zone Formula" (the basis for the book) is no more than good salesmanship and was taught decades ago by Elmer Wheeler and many others before and after him. The only difference is the author modernized these methods, has given examples from her own life and business, has made the book interactive (by way of brief quizzes, etc.) and repackaged them as the "Red Zone Formula", which I suspect, is to promote her business, "Red Zone Marketing."

There's certainly nothing new nor wrong with all this. It's just that the "Red Zone Formula" of salesmanship is simply basic, intelligent selling -- a formula used for generations to great success. And I applaud the method. It's just not new.

The only two possible exceptions to that might be the last two chapters. There is a chapter on networking and one on coaching your way to better relationships.

In the final chapter, "Financial Adviser Relationship Strategies", the author gives some rather helpful and somewhat unique information and techniques for getting referrals and for marketing in a bad economy.

The book has an index, which is a good thing and which many books today unfortunately do not have.

In summary, the book, while suffering from some blemished writing and using updated yet old material, also offers some value to the reader in the way of a few new, rather unique techniques. It's not a ground-breaking business book nor one for someone who has devoured business books during a lifetime. But for someone who needs a refresher course or someone who might benefit from the interaction of the quizzes, the book would likely benefit you.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson
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