What is the Big Race all about when it comes to creating relationships?

The big race is simply the ability to win the deal on a consistent basis. You will need to perfect your message, be able to state it clearly and precisely, and follow up relentlessly. Without all these factors, you are losing ground to the competition. You need to stay ahead at all times by keeping an eye on what your competitors are doing well, and not so well. This is also your opportunity to capitalize on the competition's weaknesses and keep up with their strengths. It is not that you have to beat them at their best, but it is important that you at least stay even on that front. What you must do, however, to stay ahead is to do much better at what they do not do well.

In other words, when running the big race, make sure you have a more interesting story, find out what the competitor is saying and capitalize on their weaknesses and stay on top of their strengths. The race is a win or lose competition, the scales are tipped one way or the other by a consistent strategy, and a strategy that emphasizes you but does not bash the competition. My dad is better than your dad will not work in this economy. Remember that you will always have lots of competition; it is you that must strategize on how to win the race at almost, if not every, turn in the road. You must wear better running shoes to take advantage of outperforming the competition. Capitalize on your strengths and downplay your weaknesses.

The Big Race is not won without a good attitude. Your attitude towards your customers will either make you or break you at any time in the race. You need to also remind your customers that you are a contender and not a long shot. You must keep them informed at all times. One easy way to keep in touch is through postcards.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people's attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the "Networking Queen". Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information visit http://www.BlueprintBooks.com